View source for Inghams

{{Short description|Australian poultry producer}}
{{Use Australian English|date=February 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Inghams
| logo = Inghams Group logo.png
| image = Ingham burton.JPG
| image_size = 250px
| image_caption = Inghams poultry factory in [[Adelaide]], [[Burton, South Australia|South Australia]]
| type = [[Public company|Public]]
| traded_as = {{ASX|ING}}
| area_served = Australia; [[New Zealand]]
| key_people = Andrew Reeves (CEO)
| industry = [[Poultry]]
| products = Processed [[chicken (food)|chicken]] and [[turkey meat|turkey]] products and [[Fodder|stockfeed]]
| revenue =
| net_income =
| num_employees = 8,000<ref name=BRW2012>{{cite news |url=http://www.brw.com.au/p/lists/rich/bob_ingham_4LmEejSbOBektk2pe1M6wL?hl |title=BRW Rich 200 2012: Bob Ingham |accessdate=5 June 2012 |work=BRW |location= Australia |publisher=Fairfax Media |date=24 May 2012 }}</ref>
| foundation = 1918
| location = [[North Ryde]], [[New South Wales]], [[Australia]]
| homepage = {{URL|http://www.inghams.com.au}}}}
'''Inghams''' is a supplier/producer of [[poultry]] and [[fodder]] across Australia and New Zealand.<ref name=BRW/> The company claims to be one of the largest producers of [[chicken (food)|chicken]] and [[turkey meat|turkey]] products in Australia and employs in excess of 8,000 people in more than 100 locations in Australia and New Zealand. The company was founded in 1918 and was managed by members of the Ingham family from its establishment until 2014, including Walter Ingham and his two sons, [[John Ingham (businessman)|Jack Ingham]] and [[Bob Ingham]]. [[TPG Inc|TPG Capital]] acquired Inghams in 2014 for A$880&nbsp;million.<ref name=BRW>{{cite journal |url=http://www.brw.com.au/p/business/bob_ingham_sells_to_tpg_for_HZA5aljydlEtbu0xU54abO |title=Bob Ingham sells to TPG for $880m |journal=[[Australian Financial Review]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161121165755/http://www.afr.com/business/bob-ingham-sells-to-tpg-for-880m-20130310-jyauo |archive-date=2016-11-21 |url-status=dead |accessdate=4 September 2019}}</ref> Inghams was listed on the [[Australian Securities Exchange]] in November 2016.
==Business activities==
Ingham Enterprises, often called Inghams, produce a range of foods for human and animal consumption that can generally be classified into poultry and non-poultry products.
===Poultry products===
Inghams products are available in most Australian and New Zealand supermarkets. The company is also a large supplier to the hospitality and food service industry and schools with a range of chicken and turkey products, and egg-free products.
A range of chicken product lines are produced including fresh chicken cuts, such as chicken thighs, chicken breasts and chicken mince, amongst other fresh chicken lines. Products that are ready-to-cook include chicken kebabs, schnitzels, and a range of roasting portions that are typically available from most supermarket delis. Inghams also produce packaged chicken products for most supermarkets that are pre-packaged including drumsticks, thighs, breast filets, wings and mince. Ready-to-cook packaged products include the above items as well as chicken burger patties, chicken meatballs, and limited meal options. Items available from the supermarket freezer section include roasting chickens and a ready-to-cook [[Chicken Kiev]]. Processed chicken meat, into a roll, is also produced as a ready-to-eat line and available as a deli item.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://inghams.com.au/consumer/products_category.aspx?docId=136 |title=Chicken products |publisher=Ingham Enterprises |year=2012 |accessdate=5 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120809003512/http://www.inghams.com.au/consumer/products_category.aspx?docId=136 |archive-date=9 August 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Turkey product lines include fresh turkey meats in a range of cuts such as sausages, small roasts, steaks, wings, drumsticks, schnitzel and turkey mince. Ready-to-eat lines are either roasted or smoked and packaged. Frozen items include a whole turkey, buffé, or Kiev.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.todaysturkey.com.au/turkey/home.aspx?docID=954 |title=Today's turkey |publisher=Ingham Enterprises |year=2012 |accessdate=5 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601034014/http://www.todaysturkey.com.au/turkey/home.aspx?docID=954 |archive-date=1 June 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
===Non-poultry products===
Inghams claims to be the largest manufacturer of stockfeed in Australasia; with product lines for horses, pigs, and poultry.
==History==
The company was founded in 1918 when Walter Ingham Sr. purchased {{convert|42|acre|m2}} of bush land in [[Casula, New South Wales|Casula]] as a gift to 18-year-old son, Walter Ingham. Walter Jr. embarked on a fruit and vegetable farming venture, eventually moving into the poultry business. Starting with just one cockerel and six hens, his flock quickly grew to 1,000 birds. On his death in 1953, his two sons, [[John Ingham (businessman)|Jack]] and [[Bob Ingham]] took over the small breeding operation and built it into the largest producer of chickens and turkeys in Australia.
In the 1920s, as with most farmers during this time, Walter Ingham was self-sufficient and produced feed for his own poultry and horses. Most work was pre-mechanised, so back-breaking{{Citation needed|date=June 2012}} work included ploughing the fields. Due to a lack of meat during [[World War II]], Inghams provided Australians with poultry products. Women contributed to the war effort by working on farms owned by the Ingham family.
In 1958, the company built first processing plant at Casula. By the early to mid-1960s, new styles and techniques of packaging and processing led to the company's involvement in the rapid process of expansion and development of the poultry industry. Ingham became a household name throughout Australia. In 1963, Inghams had acquired 50% of A.A. Tegel turkey, and took the company over completely in 1994. In 1968 the first [[KFC]] restaurant opened in Sydney. In 1976, KFC and Inghams aligned in a business partnership, providing new opportunities for both companies.
Acquisitions included Chickadee Food Pty Ltd (26 per cent in 1972); Harvey Farms in 1990, the number two chicken processor in New Zealand.
By the mid-1980s there was a dramatic shift to food processing creating a revolution for the poultry industry. The [[McDonald's]] [[chicken nugget]] product, developed by [[Tyson Foods|Tyson]] in the United States, was launched in Australia. By 1995, due to enormous popularity, Inghams built a dedicated plant strictly to produce McDonald's nuggets.
In 2001, Inghams established [[Murarrie, Queensland|Murarrie]] poultry processing plant, the largest in the country with the most sophisticated machinery, production and supply chain technologies employing approximately 1,200 workers.
In 2008, the company officially cancelled their '[[Halal certification in Australia|''halal'' certification]]' status in Western Australia and is no longer supplying halal slaughtered chicken.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aussiemuslims.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=424&Itemid=56|title=AussieMuslims.NET - West Australian Muslims Community Directory -Prayer Time-Events-News-Announcements- - INGHAM Chicken Halal Status|last=Administrator|website=www.aussiemuslims.net}}</ref>
In May 2015, Ingams agreed to pay $80,000 to the [[City of Lake Macquarie|Lake Macquarie Council]], after a ruptured tank resulted in 1,700 litres of chicken blood and offal to flow into local waterways the previous year.<ref>{{Cite news|title = Inghams pays $80k after chicken blood spills into Lake Macquarie creek|url = http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-19/inghams-pays-2480k-after-chicken-blood-spills-into-lake-macqua/6480324|website = ABC News| date=19 May 2015 |accessdate = 7 January 2016|language = en-AU}}</ref>
===Family===
In 2019, Ingham chicken heir Robby Ingham sold his South Coast oceanfront property Ocean Pines in [[Gerringong, New South Wales|Gerringong]], for the highest auction result recorded on the NSW South Coast of $11.3 million through real estate agent Craig Pontey.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Macken|first=Lucy|date=2019-05-16|title=Market downturn? Don't tell Robby Ingham. He just sold his South Coast property for almost $3m over reserve|url=https://www.domain.com.au/news/fashion-identity-robby-ingham-scores-11-3m-south-coast-auction-high-for-ocean-pines-838109/|access-date=2020-09-03|website=Domain|language=en-AU}}</ref>
==Thoroughbred horses==
{{More citations needed section|date=September 2020}}
The Ingham name is also synonymous with horses. The Inghams passion for horseracing began during the days they'd spend with Walter Ingham at the race tracks. Along with the poultry business, the Jack and Bob Ingham also inherited ''Valiant Rose'', which was a descendent broodmare of a champion British racehorse. In the 1960s, they began building their thoroughbred horse racing and breeding operations. This passion became the largest thoroughbred dynasty in Australia until Bob sold the entire operation in 2008.
Key events during these years included Bob Ingham purchasing his first two trotters in 1965. By 1970, Bob and Jack were the biggest trotting owners in Australia; and had 650 race wins by 31 July 1974.
In the late 1990s, the Ingham's most widely known thoroughbred horse, ''[[Octagonal]]'', became a household name with 28 starts, 24 wins, 7 seconds and 1 third placement resulting in nearly A$6&nbsp;million in earnings. In 1995–1996, it was voted [[Australian Champion Three Year Old]] and [[Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year]].
During 2004 and 2005, ''[[Lonhro]]'', son of ''Octagonal'', had 35 starts with 26 wins, 3 seconds and 2 thirds, earning nearly the same amount as his father.
In 2008, divesting themselves of the equine interests, [[Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum|Dubai's Sheikh]] bought Inghams' thoroughbred horse breeding business, incorporating it into the [[Darley Stud]].
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*{{Official website|https://inghams.com.au/}}
{{S&P/ASX 200}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Food and drink companies of Australia]]
[[Category:Poultry farming in Australia]]
[[Category:Companies based in Sydney]]
[[Category:Australian companies established in 1918]]
[[Category:Poultry companies]]
[[Category:TPG Capital companies]]
[[Category:Agriculture companies of Australia]]
[[Category:Companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange]]