The Balle brothers are continuing a tradition that started with their parents, who began growing vegetables in the Pukekohe area in south Auckland after World War II.
The opening page on the Balle Brothers website says “four generations and still growing”.
Decades on, the business now owns more than 3000ha of land throughout the country for growing and processing potatoes, onions and carrots along with cabbage, pumpkins and squash. It supplies international retail and wholesale markets with vegetables and sells processed potato products to the foodservice sector in Asia/Pacific.
The group, which employs 300 fulltime and 170 seasonal staff, also has a pastoral division supplying Open Country Dairy.
Ownership of the business is equally divided between seven brothers, Maurice, James, Shane, Christopher, Brendan, Kevin and Dacey (pictured) but overall it employs 20 family members.
Dacey, who is the youngest of 12 brothers at 47 years old, started as an accountant for Air New Zealand before working his way up in the family business to run the whole operation.
The most valuable horticultural land is near Pukekohe where Balle Bros cultivates 800ha. This land includes 25ha with subdivision potential worth $14m. However, the company’s most valuable single horticultural asset is a 17ha food processing and storage facility worth $15 million.
In 2013, the family bought the Mr Chips brand, which creates French fries that are onsold to the fast-food restaurant chain, Carl's Jr, and exported to the northern states of Australia to supply Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets. The brand employs about 130 staff and produces about 30,000 tonnes of French fries and chips each year from an East Tamaki factory valued at almost $14m.
Keen to do its bit for the environment, Balle Bros also started the Fultons Green Initiative project to help protect and restore the Mauku Stream, south of Auckland. Photo: Farmers Weekly
2018: $200 million