The label ripeSense that changes colour as fruit ripens, is a combined effort over seven years of research and development between Jenkins Group and the Crown enterprise. Research and development is continuing on similar labels for avocados, kiwifruit, mangos and stone-fruit.
Jenkins Group established Ripesense Ltd in 2004 to commercialise this world first innovation and the label is presently commercially available in the USA, Canada, France, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand. It has a manufacturing facility in Auckland, and since 2005 has been part of the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Market Development Fund programme.
General manager Cameron McInness says the market development fund has enabled the company to accelerate its international programme “with 93% of our sales in 2006 coming from offshore,” and allowing it to grow its international business from zero to half a million dollars in under two and a half years.
As part of the New Think Week launch, State Owned Enterprises minister Trevor Mallard was given a tour of the company’s printing plant.
First established in 1883, Jenkins Group remains a privately-owned company. It has diversified from paper packaging products and general printing to become one of the first manufacturers of self adhesive labels in New Zealand in the early 1960's providing labels and printing needs across a range of industries including FMCG, beverage, food, pharmaceutical, horticulture, retail, business forms and manufacturing.
Its self adhesive products include thermal transfer labels, laser & computer labels, barcode labels and promotion & coupon labels
Head office was moved in 1990 to its present Mt Wellington site and the company is now at the forefront of sensory label technology for the horticulture industry with its world first invention of ripeSense.
