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Advice on Publications Available.Chairman and CEO
Thursday Plantation Laboratories Ltd
Pacific Highway
Ballina NSW 2478
Telephone: 02 6686 7273
Facsimile: 02 6686 7485
Email: teatree@thursdayplantation.com.au
Web site: www.ThursdayPlantation.com
Christopher Dean graduated with honours in Social Anthropology from the University of Sydney in 1974 and was employed for the next three years as a Social Welfare worker in the NSW Department of Youth and Community Services, helping to pioneer Young People's Refuges in Australia.
Whilst on an overland trip to London in 1977-8, through the Himalayas, India and Africa, he contracted a virulent foot infection which was not responding to conventional medical treatment.
On reaching London, he met up with his brother who had arrived from Australia with a small quantity of tea tree oil, the result of four years intensive research by his stepfather. The foot condition responded to treatment with the oil.
Back in Australia, Christopher and his wife Lynda moved to the Bungawalbyn wetlands in the Far North Coast hinterland of New South Wales and set up Thursday Plantation in 1979.
They then commenced studying Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) in its natural habitat.
Their aim was to establish tea tree plantations as a broad-based industry on the North Coast and to develop and market value-added branded products domestically and interstate.
Over the next few years, the Deans learned about growing, marketing and cash flow and in 1984 established a corporation with $60,000 of investment capital.
Since then, they have effectively pioneered the renaissance of tea tree oil as a modern, natural therapeutic worldwide, following on from the early research done by Christopher's stepfather.
They pioneered the first genetic selection of the plant and early plantation trials, while establishing the original marketing parameters for the product, targeting it as the 'first aid kit in a bottle'.
Since they have always believed that a broadly based tea tree industry was required, much of their initial pioneering work was concerned with helping competitors get established.
The tea tree industry is now one of the models of agribusiness for the world.
Nearly one hundred million trees have been replanted back into their native land and the industry is fast moving towards a $100 million export-earning operation for Australia.
Christopher Dean was the founding Chairman of the Australian Tea Tree Industry Association Inc (ATTIA), President during 1986-1989, 1991-1992 and is the first elected life member of the Association.
The Association held three international seminars on the Tea Tree industry in this period, enhancing the knowledge base of the crop and its commercialisation.
He also served on the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Tea Tree Advisory Board 1990-1998, was Chairman of the Australian Tea Tree Export and Marketing Inc, the peak marketing board for the industry in 1993-1994 and became a Director of the Australian Tea Tree Oil Research Institute (ATTORI) in 1998.
Thursday Plantation Laboratories Ltd
Thursday Plantation pioneered plantation development of tea tree and then encouraged others to follow this example, passing on the technology as part of a long term strategy to establish a broad based regional industry.
The company has won many prestigious small business and training awards and now exports more than 60% of its production to twenty four overseas countries.
All of this export business is selling value-added branded product, following the company philosophy of establishing a global brand.
In 1996, export business exceeded domestic business for the first time and now comprises 55% of sales.
The culture of the company has focused on the special problems of handling highly demanding international customers and over 40 different products are now being created in some 20 different local variations, including special language and regulatory requirements in many countries.
Training and motivation have played an important part in the management success of the company.
Thursday Plantation was the first to adopt TGA good manufacturing practices, the first to take up total quality management and the first to be registered as IS09001 in the industry.
A comprehensive profit share arrangement is now in place and all staff can earn up to 20% of their salary package as an annual bonus tied to company performance.
In 1998, the average payout was close to 17% on top of above award wages.
The Company also promotes a good dividend policy with bonus share options for staff and offers value in its product range, believing that all stakeholders in a Company need to be rewarded.
Thursday Plantation Laboratories has benefited from a multitude of Government support initiatives.
From its inception, the organisation engaged help from the New South Wales Small Business Agency (now Business and Regional Development) to assist with the development of a strategic plan.
Support for research initiatives, and later for market development programmes through EMDG (Export Market Development Grants: Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) and IAMP (Innovative Agricultural Marketing Programme) support assisted the company to develop the world market.
It was important to encourage the broad industry base and, through sponsoring an industry association, to co-ordinate production and marketing forces to ensure a stable programme of production, matched to marketing.
As a therapeutic manufacturer, the company has had to operate under the stringent Good Manufacturing Processes regime.
Thursday Plantation Laboratories has consistently steered clear from the negative gearing money raising schemes that have been widely promoted for crops like tea tree.
Rather, it has financed itself through a core of solid private investors, as well as through a strong relationship with the bank.
Currently the company has a healthy balance sheet, virtually no external debt and pays a good dividend each year while accruing reserves.
Sound financial management has been a strong characteristic of the company through its history.
The company ultimately has a vision to be recognised around the world as a leader in the development and supply of therapeutics using naturally sourced actives.
It is working closely with the Cellulose Valley project at Southern Cross University as well as with the Herbal Medicines Research Education Centre at the University of Sydney and with other research bodies around Australia, with a view to developing innovative products for global distribution.
Any claims made by authors in the Australian New Crops Newsletter are presented by the Editors in good faith. Readers would be wise to critically examine the circumstances associated with any claims to determine the applicability of such claims to their specific set of circumstances. This material can be reproduced, with the provision that the source and the author (or editors, if applicable) are acknowledged and the use is for information or educational purposes. Contact with the original author is probably wise since the material may require updating or amendment if used in other publications. Material sourced from the Australian New Crops Newsletter cannot be used out of context or for commercial purposes not related to its original purpose in the newsletter
Contact: Dr Rob Fletcher, School of Land and Food, The University of Queensland Gatton College, 4345; Telephone: 07 5460 1311 or 07 5460 1301; Facsimile: 07 5460 1112; International facsimile: 61 7 5460 1112; Email:
r.fletcher@mailbox.uq.edu.au[
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GK; latest update 6 June 1999 by: RF