GP Graders awarded Australian Exporter of the Year

Mr Robb said the awards highlight international business excellence at a time when opportunities offshore have never been greater.

“The businesses recognised by these awards make a huge contribution to our economy, and I congratulate the winners – indeed all the finalists – for their commitment, creativity and drive,” he said.

GP Graders is an Australian-owned business with a long history of excellence in the equipment export industry, dating back to 1963, when founder Geoff Payne began a small manufacturing and grading packaging machinery business to cater to local apple and stone fruit orchards.

Today, under the guidance of Geoff’s son Stuart, GP Graders is Australia’s leading supplier of fresh produce grading machinery and export to Turkey, Greece, the US and Chile, whilst cutting costs, improving quality and creating much needed time in time-poor agricultural businesses.

On accepting the award, Stuart Payne, the Director of GP Graders, said, “This is a great honour and is testimony to the hard work the GP Graders team has put into product innovation and customer service. We have been at the forefront of grading machinery technology for a long time and we make continuous improvements to technology by listening to our clients’ needs. This has built up goodwill with our many clients across the globe and we hope to continue our push for excellence in this field whilst contributing to the improvement of efficiencies in the agriculture industry.”