Palogix International partners with Citrus Australia

Citrus Australia is pleased to announce a new corporate partnership with Palogix International, a premium provider of returnable and reusable transit packaging solutions for the fresh produce industry.

Palogix’s inventory includes large plastic bins, plastic totes and lugs, and a wide range of specialty containers used for harvesting or moving liquids.

Citrus Australia CEO Nathan Hancock said Citrus Australia members would benefit greatly from the partnership.

“Palogix is a global business with a strong track record of thinking outside of the box to meet its clients’ needs,” Hancock explained.

“It has recently entered the Australian market and has invested in its inventory to ensure it can supply all forms of bulk containers used to bring fresh produce from the field to packing or processing facilities.

“By partnering with Citrus Australia, Palogix has underlined a commitment to growing its business in this market and adding value to our industry.”

Founded in South Africa in 2004, Palogix is now headquartered in California’s Central Valley. It has operations in the US, Spain, Chile, Mexico and Asia.

The company set up an Australian business in early 2023. It currently has operations in Mildura, Cobram and Griffith, with more to come, according to Shaune Amber, Palogix’s National Sales Manager – Australia.

Given the locations of its current operations, it’s no surprise that the citrus sector was a lure for Palogix to enter the Australian market.

“Based on our understanding of overseas markets and speaking with growers on where the citrus industry is heading in Australia, it only made sense to set up operations here,” Amber explained.

“Palogix has the backing and the appetite to work with businesses of all sizes within the Australian citrus industry.”

Amber said the company had a range of products in its inventory to meet the industry’s requirements.

“We already have a large fleet of citrus bins here in Australia,” Amber said. “We have recently invested in half bins for Sumo Citrus, as we have seen a need for these with our growers.

“We offer Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) for bulk transportation, foldable bins, even stackable bins if required.

“As we grow in the market and we learn more about local requirements, we are willing to invest in upscaling our fleet to meet the needs of growers.”

Palogix also has a unique program where it “buys bins” with rental return agreements.

“This allows our growers to release capital back into their business, with a guaranteed rental supply agreement,” explained Amber.

“This program has been met with enthusiasm as we are seeing a lot of growers with capital tied up in bins, where they could be developing other parts of their business.  It’s not for everyone, but it’s an option we offer to further assist in working with our growers.”

A desire to understand and cater to its customers’ specific needs is at the core of Palogix’s business model, according to Amber. This is one of the major benefits the company sees in partnering with Citrus Australia.

“The more we can be involved in the industry, the more we can understand it, which then allows us to develop better supply initiatives and deliver added value to growers and packers,” Amber said.

“Globally, we have an ethos of being flexible, customer focused and commercially competitive. These qualities will underpin our expansion into the Australian market, with the citrus industry a core part of this push.”