TOGROW TRANSFORMED
Daybreak Foods, the South African supplier of chicken products, has embarked on a new stage of development with new management and a new corporate identity, signifying commitment to excellence and integrity.
Daybreak Foods is one of the largest integrated poultry producers in South Africa, set up at the beginning of the millennium. Previously trading under the name of Daybreak Farms, the company is now emerging in a new form with new management led by Richard Manzini, an experienced business leader appointed in January as the company CEO, to transform and stabilise the business.
Richard Manzini, an investment professional, has an impressive track record in driving key investments in the agricultural landscape and brings with him a wealth of experience from one of the world’s most successful asset management firms.
He holds qualifications that include a B. Bus. Science from the University of Cape Town, an LLB from Unisa, and MBA and MMFI from Wits University, together with an MSc from the University of Pretoria. In his role, he is set to position the company as a reliable partner, emphasising quality products, ethical operations, and becoming an employer of choice.
New name, new identity
Richard says: “I have spent most of my working life as a private investor, buying businesses, building them up for value and eventually finding a trade plater to buy them and or to list them in the public markets. My current role lends itself
well to exactly that – the idea is to find the value of this business again for everyone to see, once we’ve fixed some of its operational inefficiencies, putting the right people in the right positions, and allowing the business to work as it should.”
Moving into his leadership role, he first appointed a new management team and changed the name of the company that was trading as Daybreak Farm to Daybreak Foods. The rebranding is now officially completed, solidifying the company’s corporate presence in the competitive poultry market.
“There were several reasons for the rebranding. Daybreak Farms is just one of our brands and we were often mistaken for a farming operation, although our core business is supplying food products. Moreover, the adoption of the name Daybreak Foods reflects our vision to establish a distinct and recognisable corporate identity within the industry, enhancing its visibility and competitiveness.”
“This was important because the business has undergone a lot of strain in the public space over the past few years, and we wanted to reorganise ourselves as a proper ethical business. The name change represents our dedication to advancing our corporate identity while remaining steadfast in our commitment to excellence and integrity.”
Hand-on approach
Richard explains that Daybreak Foods, today employing over 3,500 people across the value chain, is a fully integrated business from breeder sites through to hatching and growing at contracted broiler farms, to abattoirs that process on average 1.5 to 1.6 million birds a week to be sold as fresh and frozen whole chickens and portions. The company also possesses well-established feed milling operations, guaranteeing an integrated supply of specialized feeds for the process of rearing chickens.
“We’re not a complicated business. Our role is to take care of chickens, and get them to the end of the line, while fully complying with all the legislation requirements, producing a healthy and fully compliant bird for consumers at the end of the line.”
Speaking about the practical side of the business management he affirms that new policies and standard operating procedures across the business have been put in place, something which was missing before. A great emphasis is also put on people of the right calibre.
“The most important part of the farming operations are the heads of departments; the operational people are the key to any success. You need people who love waking up every day to look after the chickens. I have about 7 million chickens on the floor at various ages and the system can’t stop. The people need to be close to my operation, the heartbeat, at any given time. This cultural regeneration is something I’m putting a lot of work into, and I’m managing to attract those type of individuals - very good, credible people.”
He himself travels around the sites on a daily basis to get to know the business from inside out. This hand-on approach enables him to continue innovating and making quick decisions, making the business very competitive. “My farmers are on the ground, my heads of departments are on the ground. We resolve certain issues quicker. When you see a plant machine that’s not working, I can make the decision right there, to take ownership and change what needs to be changed.”
Beacon of reliability and excellence
South Africa is the biggest producer of chicken in Africa, producing close to 2-million tons of chicken a year, and Daybreak holds approximately 8% of the South African chicken market, with steady growth expected.
The company is the largest employer in the communities where it operates, and its involvement with local municipalities and local forum is
key. “I fully inculcate ESG principles in how we do business. We are committed to our communities and that has allowed us to work harmoniously with the community.”
“For the first time in the company’s history I’m introducing a measurement of our developmental impact, which will be detailed in an integrated report. Needless to say, we also strictly control our environmental footprint, investing for example in a water treatment facility. We remain fully compliant as a business and continuously improving.”
He affirms that he is determined to grow the business, utilising the latest market developments. “The company was mainly selling frozen products, and the abattoirs were designed around that type of product. However, consum -
er tastes and preferences are changing – there are now more convenience stores so consumers can buy fresh meat for immediate preparation and consumption. To this end, we are looking to raise capital to invest in abattoir facilities that can produce more fresh meat, in order to capture that market growth.”
In concluding, Richard affirms that turning the business around is a joint effort, and praises his great team of colleagues, who are extremely knowledgeable about the industry. “Our joint focus is to embed Daybreak Foods in the sector as a reliable partner with ethical practices and excellence in delivering quality products to customers nationwide, while prioritising the well-being of our people and securing transparent communication with our shareholders.”
Our joint focus is to embed
Daybreak Foods
in the sector as a reliable partner with ethical practices and excellence in
delivering quality products to customers nationwide...
