Brothers in the juice business
and that, but never really cracking it big. Looking back, I think it was a lack of confidence in our abilities. I think it happens to so many people starting off.”
“It took a huge leap of faith to say to ourselves we now need to get to another level and start expanding our business.”
The business was expanded to Gauteng and Cape Town. A merger with Sir Juice, a subsidiary of Anglovaal Industries, followed in Gauteng in 2006.
In 2010 the shareholders went on their own again following a successful management buyout.
However, in the merged entity, they soon realised their branding sent out the wrong message.
“We used a top hat as our icon, but then it was pointed out that a top hat had a snobbish, hoity toity connotation, so we changed it to a working man’s bowler hat. Our logo was also complicated and needed to be simplified and modernised so that it was easier to read”.
The business has undergone further rebranding with the birth of Sir Fruit to allow for fruit-based products other than fruit juice.
A new look for the company, says Patrick, who runs the KZN arm of the business, resulted in dramatically increased sales.
“Again it was a huge leap of faith, because what if we had made the wrong decision? It would have been back to the drawing board.”
The level of activity at the orange building in Umbilo Road tells you that they did the right thing with barrels of fresh fruit and fruit pulp stacked in the cooler rooms waiting to be processed.”
The maths is really impressive. Sir Fruits’ three plants in Durban, Cape Town and Joburg produce and distribute more than 40 000 litres of bottled juice a day, with 80 trucks on the road, from dawn to dusk, weekends included.”
The Baker brothers, between their three operations, employ more than 300 full-time staff.
“People sometimes ask us how we have done so well in a relatively short time,” says Patrick. “One thing at the top of our priority list was our investment in the well-being and happiness of our staff. We have managed to build and finance our own on-site clinic so that people can be attended to quickly and get their medication. Yes, these things cost extra money, but a level of commitment and a strong work ethic are things that money can’t buy.”
Looking after the planet is an issue that comes up, says Patrick, in many of their group discussions.
“We look at things we can do immediately like use 100 percent biodegradable cups for sampling which are composted, saving as much water and energy as possible. We try our best to minimise on disposable items and constantly look for ways to become more efficient in the way we deliver our juice.”
These are small beginnings, say the brothers, adding on their website the message: “watch this space”.
For more information, go to www.sirfruit.co.za or e-mail talk2us@sirfruit.co.za
lizclarke4@gmail.com