AUGUST 2025
Cover Story
. 19
Grove Juice founder Dick Estens, managing director Greg Quinn and Vitonga Farms general manager Craig Estens (left). Dick Estens and Craig Estens (above) hard at work in the company’s orchards near Moree. Pictures: Sascha Estens
a privileged position — but insists it comes down to ethics, strong partnerships and mutual respect, all of which underpin long-term sustainability. “When we are dealing with a consumer, quality and value for money is everything,” he says. “And if we compromise on that quality, whether it’s how we do business or who we do business with, it compromises us and the product we’re giving them. You can burn your brand and reputation very quickly.” “You get one life in business,” adds Estens. “If you build trust as you go forward in the people behind you, whether they’re suppliers or employees, it allows you to move on to the next level. That’s the secret to doing well in business. You don’t focus hard on the money, you focus on the people who build your team.” Grove invests considerable time in its growers’ orchards, offering advice on pruning, orchard management and sustainability. The collaboration is critical to delivering consistent quality across the supply chain — something consumers increasingly expect as the market shifts from concentrate-based juice to fresh. “The consumer now is very fickle, and knows what is
similar,” Quinn says. “It doesn’t matter the seasonality, varieties or issues the farm is having – the consumers expect the quality and taste to stay reasonably consistent.” “A RISING tide floats all ships.” It’s a mantra Grove lives by in its dealings with suppliers, customers and retailers. “Whether it’s third-party suppliers or supermarkets or customers, we don’t like doing business with people that don’t have the same principles as us,” Quinn says. “We like to be fair, we play the long game, and we don’t like supplying to customers if they think about screwing price or screwing farmers or heading down that direction.” That same philosophy extends to the company’s network of third-party growers. “It’s all about longevity and building trust,” Quinn says. “If there’s an oversupply one year we’ll support them and if there’s an undersupply we expect our farmers to support us as a business, and primarily they all do. “From time to time we get scallywags that play the short- term game, and we just won’t partner or do business with them in the longer term.” Quinn acknowledges that being able to choose partners is
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