Australia, Kagome: Brad Free becomes new chief executive

The country’s largest tomato processor welcomed in the new year with a change in management at the top. Brad Free is the new chief executive of Kagome Australia, replacing Jason Fritsch, who held the position for the past eight years.

Mr Fritsch will remain part of the Kagome family in his new position as chief executive of operations in California, United States. In a statement, Mr Fritsch said he was both sad and excited about the change, and that working with the Echuca team, customers and suppliers had been a highlight of the role.
He said he was delighted to announce Mr Free, who most recently served as production and site manager, as the new chief executive. “Under Brad’s guidance, I am confident in the future success of Kagome Australia,” Mr Fritsch said.

 Brad Free stepped into the chief executive role of Kagome Australia on January 1.

Mr Free is a home-grown team member, born in Cohuna to a dairy farming background on Gunbower Island. He was educated locally, attending primary school in Cohuna and secondary school at what is now Echuca College.
Before joining Kagome, Mr Free completed a fitter and machinist apprenticeship at Manchester Tank in Echuca. “That’s where I started my career. I was at that organisation for 13 years,” he said. His role involved extensive travel to the US, mostly around Tennessee where the business has a number of factories.

Mr Free started at Cedenco in 2005, which transitioned to Kagome in 2011, and has held various positions, from supervisor to general manager of operations. Coincidentally, Mr Fritsch began in the same year, meaning the pair has worked together for the past 19 years. “We’ve got a really long history together and a great working relationship. It’s been excellent,” Mr Free said. “The beauty of it is, I spoke to him yesterday. We’re speaking a lot, and he still sits on our Kagome Australia board.”

Mr Free said he believes Mr Fritsch’s appointment will strengthen the group’s relationship, and allow for more produce export opportunities in both countries. While he has taken the helm of a solid business model, current and future trends will present some challenges, Mr Free said. Cost-of-living pressures, particularly energy prices and supply chain pressures, coupled with regulatory and compliance strains, have increased operating costs.

Consumers are also turning to cheaper imported tomato products in the supermarket, which Mr Free said was a disappointing trend he would like to see reversed. “If we want to continue having jobs for our children and grandchildren, then it’s no good buying products from other countries,” he said.

To combat these issues, the company’s focus will be on the quality and flavour of its products, Mr Free said. Domino’s, Hungry Jack's, Subway and a raft of pubs and clubs are among the company’s clients, consuming about 20,000 tons of its tomatoes each year. “I could almost guarantee if you’re dining in or out, and it includes tomato, you will most likely be consuming something delightful from Kagome Australia,” Mr Free said. As he wrote its first contribution to the Kagome Newsletter, in September 2024, Mr Free assured that he lives and breathes Kagome’s mission and values. “I have a deep understanding of the market and the specific needs of our customers. I’m incredibly fortunate to inherit a capable and diverse team that delivers our “Seed to Table” story through vertical integration”.

With 137 permanent employees, and an additional 270 seasonal ones, Mr Free’s other focus is on his team. “We’ve got an excellent team of people here… the morale is second to none,” he said. “By far the most important aspect of our business is the wellbeing of our employees.” The company has invested a significant amount of money and resources into creating a safe workplace for employees and contractors, Mr Free said.

He also recognized the importance of local growers who have supported the business for many years. “I’m passionate about our growers and farming team. What they go through to deliver what we get to eat, it’s a real battle,” he said. “Christmas Day, public holidays, particularly this time of year, they’re out there working bloody hard.” 
For the next season that is expected to begin rolling in from late January, the team developed 150 hectares of new tomato land across multiple locations, which promises premium yield and quality. This season, Kagome Farms was also expecting the arrival of its second Ferrari automatic tomato planter, which will reduce the reliance on labour and improve the quality of the planting process. Kagome is growing 700 hectares of tomatoes.
Truckloads of produce will arrive at Kagome every 12 to 15 minutes, Mr Free said, leading to around two-and-a-half months of intense processing.
“All of our employees, they must be mad — or at least as mad as me,” he said with a laugh. “It’s a crazy thing, but it does generate a lot of satisfaction when you get it right.”

Despite the workload, Mr Free said he was confident both the farming and processing team would rise to the occasion. “It’s all about the people, really. It’s like any business: if you get very good people, you get a very good result,” he said.

Sources: kagome.com.au, sheppnews.com.au