Over a Century of Fresh Produce Excellence in WA
Etherington was incorporated by T J Etherington & Sons on the 16th of December 1911 with the vision of consolidating the supply chain and minimizing the cost of fresh produce distribution in Western Australia. Although long established, the business is still very much in the hands of the family, with Grant Etherington now the sole owner and director of the fourth generation family company.
Throughout the 1980′s under the guidance of Ian Etherington, the company embarked on a campaign to ensure year round availability of premium quality fresh produce to our customers. This was achieved through the importation of produce from overseas and interstate suppliers, to compliment the seasonality when locally grown produce is not available to Western Australian consumers.
In October 1989, the company relocated to the new Market City complex at Canning Vale. During this relocation, Etherington took the opportunity to install technologically advanced cool-storage and forced air cooled ripening facilities, and to this day the business remains committed to a continual investment in cool chain infrastructure.
October 1999 was highlighted by Etherington becoming the first business in Market City to completely temperature control the sales premises. This provided the last link to a continuous cool chain environment, from receipt of produce right through to final dispatch to customers. A total cool chain environment directly benefits our suppliers and our customers in terms of improved shelf life and reduced shrinkage at retail level.
In 2015, ‘Packing Station’ was created in joint venture with Valleyfresh. Packing Station provides national and international customers with a high-quality independent pre-pack, storage and logistics offering, to facilitate their individual marketing and distribution of fresh produce throughout the Western Australian market.
In 2018, Etherington bought out Valleyfresh in order to obtain full ownership and operational responsibility of the packing facility. 2018 also saw the business successfully enter into a Food Import Compliance Agreement (FICA) with the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources. The Agreement allows Etherington to provide routine inspections and testing of imported produce, removing the risk of potential delays associated with third party inspection. The initiative provides Etherington with greater control over the supply chain whilst reducing costs.
In 2023, Etherington consolidated operations with Packing Station and now operates as a single entity.
