The winners of the 62nd annual Australian Export Awards were announced in Canberra yesterday (20 November), featuring three winners from the food sector – including dessert manufacturer Frosty Boy Global, in the Agribusiness, Food and Beverages category.
The Australian Export Awards are presented by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) in partnership with state and territory awards programs, to celebrate the achievements of exporters and their contributions to Australia’s economic prosperity.
In 2024, there were more than 360 applications submitted across eight states and territories and 88 national finalists. Collectively, these finalists generated more than $7.8 billion in export earnings in FY2023/24 and more than half were classified as small businesses.
Source: Australian Export Awards
Agribusiness, Food and Beverages – Frosty Boy Global
Finalists in the Agribusiness, Food and Beverages category included Burra Foods, Craig Mostyn Group, Hellyers Road Distillery, Rum Jungle Meat Exports, The Yoghurt Shop, Twisted Healthy Treats, and winning Queensland company, Frosty Boy Global.
Frosty Boy creates the equivalent of 1.7 million soft serves daily, exporting to Africa, Asia, the Americas and Middle East.
In the past year, the company’s export business grew by almost 20 per cent, with more than 1000 new customer outlets in Saudi Arabia, the US, the Philippines and India, and new regions including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, French Polynesia, Morocco and Ethiopia.
Frosty Boy’s chief executive officer, Johann Botha, said expanding into these markets not only boosted the company’s global footprint and paved the way for expectant growth, supported by economic developments and Frosty Boy’s focus in these regions.
“Product innovation is a cornerstone of our growth strategy,” said Botha.
“Our innovations ensure customers stay competitive and meet evolving consumer demands for diverse, region-specific products.”
This year, the company supported an Ethiopian retailer looking for a soft serve solution, supplying a high-quality soft serve powder that was capable of withstanding the journey from Australia to East Africa.
Frosty Boy also recently developed a high-quality custom vegan jelly to substitute animal collagen, the typical source of gelatine, and adapted an existing whipped cream solution to create a new product celebrating Vietnam’s trendy egg foam coffee toppers.
“This innovation allows us to cater to local tastes while expanding market reach and diversifying our product range,” Botha said.
Recent investments in advanced manufacturing and robotics have positioned Frosty Boy as a formidable global food manufacturer and, this year, it will continue to focus on Africa and other regions where it can market its shelf-stable powder solutions.
“Our legacy is our nostalgic and enduring Frosty Boy Australia brand, rooted in innovation and strong relationships with Australian suppliers,” Botha said.
“This positions us as pioneers of customer-centric solutions in the global dessert and beverage sector.”
Manufacturing and Advanced Materials – TNA Solutions
Food processing and packaging specialist, TNA Solutions, secured the Australian Export Award for Manufacturing and Advanced Materials, recognised for its Australian-made production line technology that supports the global food industry.
The New South Wales company provides single-source, end-to-end solutions for snack production, offering over 140 products. With more than 600 employees across 30 offices worldwide, TNA Solutions has positioned itself as a key partner for major food manufacturers.
This is the second time TNA has been recognised at the Australian Export Awards, previously a finalist in the same category in 2022.
Looking ahead, TNA is focusing its export efforts on North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, with Taylor citing key trends such as increased confectionery consumption in Asia, demand for healthier snacks in Europe, and North America’s preference for innovative flavours.
eCommerce – Life-Space Group
Victorian company, Life Space Group, is Australia’s number one probiotics brand and has more than 20 years of experience manufacturing and supplying complementary medicines and foods.
The company’s success and growth in Asia have landed it the 2024 Australian Export Award for eCommerce.
Life-Space Group’s microbiome and probiotics products are manufactured in Victoria following rigorous scientific research and it has established itself as a leading brand on global e-commerce websites.
Its probiotics line has experienced phenomenal growth in Singapore over the past three years, achieving a 140 per cent year-on-year increase.
While taking on the global market, Life-Space Group continues to drive impact in Australia. The group recently partnered with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, committing to fund a three-year probiotics research project aimed at tackling climate change.
The full list of winning companies and Australian Exporter of the Year includes:
- Australian Exporter of the Year
Rising Sun Pictures - Advanced Technologies
Fivecast - Agribusiness, Food and Beverages
Frosty Boy Global - Creative Industries
Rising Sun Pictures - eCommerce
Life-Space Group - Emerging Exporter (joint winner)
Royal Poly Products
The Whiskey Project Group - International Education and Training
Engineering Institute of Technology - International Health
ResMed - Manufacturing and Advanced Materials
TNA Solutions - Professional Services
Reeves Envico - Regional Exporter
Care Essentials - Resources and Energy
MicroBioGen - Small Business (joint winner)
Marine Air Flow International
photoSentinel - Sustainability and Green Economy
NOJA Power
