Hay Grains came to market in July 2022. Photo: Elders Real Estate

POPCORN millers Ian and James Kondarovskis of Kondos have acquired Paul and Jenny Fellows‘ Hay Grains facility in the western Riverina region of New South Wales.

The brothers’ purchase complements their earlier acquisition of Corson Grain’s nearby Darlington Point mill, which they took over more than a year ago.

Hay Grains came to market in July 2022 following the Fellows’ decision to move into semi-retirement.

Ian Kondarovskis said they began management of the facility on April 1.

He said plans for the site were still being finalised and would depend on the needs of both their existing business and local growers.

“We’re carrying on out-loading the grain that is at the site,” Mr Kondarovskis said.

“Then we’re going to look at what people are growing in the area and what people would potentially look to store there and then how we manage and try to accommodate everyone and ourselves.

“We’re still tossing up a number of ideas…and then we will make a firm decision.”

Second-generation in popcorn game

The brothers have been part of the popcorn industry their entire lives, with their father running a factory in Melbourne for more than 36 years.

“Every school holidays, when we were kids, we’d be at his factory, helping around the factory.”

The Melbourne facility supplies popcorn to cinemas, supermarket private-label lines, and the family’s own MovieTime brand.

The acquisition of the Darlington Point facility has boosted the company’s production capacity, with popcorn from the site supplying its Melbourne factory.

The mill also provides popcorn for the export market and for processing into ready-to-eat products.

Grain storage and handling site

Located within the township of Hay, the Hay Grains facility sits on a 2.5ha site and features 12,500 tonnes of storage and a near-new 120t-per-hour drive-over pit with horizontal grain-pump system, alongside a workshop, electronic weighbridge, and bulk fertiliser, commodities and storage sheds.

Speaking at the time of listing, Mr Fellows said he was proud of the success of Hay Grains and its place in the local community.

“We have made some good relationships with the farmers around Hay,” Mr Fellows said.

“The place is running to capacity and there is plenty of room for expansion.”

The sale was facilitated by Elders Rural Real Estate Deniliquin agent Matt Horne, who also handled the transaction of the Fellows other bulk-handling site, Southern Riverina Grain Complex at Blighty, which went under contract in 2022.

Fanmac Logistics purchased the facility, which featured 7058t of storage, a drive-over pit with auger connection to the shed, and diverter to the silos or garner bins.

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