Burlington Berries Pty Ltd, the Australian soft fruit producer set up by Australians Kate and Stuart Sutherland together with Marion and Jon Regan of Hugh Lowe Farms in 2012, is to become completely owned by the Sutherland family.
In a social media post, the company said, ‘We are pleased to announce that after a decade plus of working in partnership, and in line with our succession plan, the Sutherland Family have purchased the Regan Family’s 50% share in Burlington Berries Pty Ltd. They now take ownership of the whole of the company. This has been a long term strategy for Burlington’s future and is testament to the rapid growth of the business towards a more mature entity growing some of the most delicious berries in Australia.’
Outgoing chairman of the company Jon Regan, commented, “Marion and I have loved working with the Sutherland Family building the business to what it is today and experiencing growing in another hemisphere. The time is now right for change and the continued future of Burlington Berries is with the next generation. I have every faith in the Sutherlands to ensure a vibrant growing berry business in Australia and the beautiful state of Tasmania.”
Kate Sutherland, Managing Director at Burlington Berries, added, “Stewart and I are very excited to be taking Burlington Berries into the next decade and beyond. We are building our future growth on a strong foundation with an experienced and dedicated team including our daughters Libby and Sophie. We would like to thank the Regan Family for their significant involvement since 2012 and look forward to future expansion and developments.”
Burlington Berries has farms in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania and is run by the Sutherland family in conjunction with their other agribusinesses (including broad acre cropping, lamb, beef and seed production), which form the Tooma Group. The Sutherlands are a sixth generation Australian farming family, with the latest generation – Emma, Charlotte, Sophie and Libby involved in various operational and management roles.
