CEO update
It’s been a while since our last staff newsletter, and I want to begin by thanking everyone for their resilience, focus, and professionalism over the past six months. This period has been demanding and challenging for our industry and our business, but it has also been one of significant progress as we continue to lay the groundwork for the next phase of HPA and the broader BarthHaas group.
We have plenty to celebrate, and as we transition through peak agricultural activity and into the harvest season, your continued focus and teamwork are making a real difference.
Although market conditions remain challenging, our approach as a business has been steady and deliberate. In addition to continuing to deliver and improve our daily operational priorities, we have made significant strides in important strategic work that will strengthen HPA’s position in the market and within the BarthHaas group in the long term.
Building a stronger global brand
A little over a year ago, we commenced the One BarthHaas brand project. Since then, we’ve been working closely with Biesalski, a German-based consultant, to turn what is currently a weakness into a strength. Historically, we’ve had few synergies with other members of the group, and in some cases have even been competing against each other in the global market. The project group has spent the past few months identifying the very best aspects of the HPA, HAAS and BarthHaas brands with the goal of creating one strong, united global brand. This brand will be the catalyst for us to create more synergies between our companies, have a greater impact on the beverage industry, and sell more hops to current and potential customers.
We have now completed the following steps:
- Conducting a brand performance analysis to understand how our customers see us
- Establishing guiding principles that will help us become who we want to be and what personality we want to express
- Creating a brand positioning focused on the areas in which we want to be considered world leaders and the products that we want to prioritise
- Developing an implementation roadmap that defines key projects that will help bring the new brand identity to life for both employees and customers
- Building a communication toolbox of key messages that will be used to create a consistent customer experience
These 5 steps will form the foundation of a new global strategy and code of conduct that will hopefully give everyone at HPA a strong sense of direction and motivation. The first 4 stages have now been approved by the CEOs, and were presented to the shareholders for their feedback in December. We will share the results with all staff as soon as we have their approval and are hoping to commence the rollout later this year. The first stage of this will be largely internal, ensuring all staff feel informed and excited, appointing a creative agency to commence work on the visual identity, progressing global IT projects, and aligning product portfolios. Importantly, no changes will be made before crop 2026, with any operational branding impacts expected from crop 2027 onwards.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far — your involvement is essential to making this a success.
Beverage innovation and idea submissions
Innovation remains an important focus area. The BarthHaas group has been conducting regular customer insights panels throughout the past 12 months that have highlighted consumers are looking for healthier options in their beverage choices. Our brewing customers are starting to evolve to address this trend with a wider range of offerings, including non-alcoholic, flavoured and functional beverages. This means the role of The Greenhouse and product innovation is becoming increasingly important. They have called for ideas as to how we can apply hops to beer and beverage with a focus on non-alcoholic beers, growth in emerging markets, and other beverages beyond beer. All ideas related to product innovation are welcome from all staff. You can submit any ideas related to the focus areas mentioned above using this form. There is also a link to this form on the Sharepoint homepage.
Continuous quality improvements
Harvest season is just around the corner, and with it comes audit season.
2026 is our ISO 9001 recertification year, and we will be welcoming two new auditors who have not previously visited our farms. A fresh set of eyes provides valuable insight and helps us identify opportunities for improvement. If you see our auditors on site, please make them feel welcome.
As part of our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement, the magnets in our bale sheds are being upgraded to match the strength of those in the Hop Central Pellet Plant. This enhancement will improve processing efficiency by reducing line stoppages and minimising product waste. Please note that these magnets are significantly stronger, and the magnetic field may affect personal electronic devices when working nearby.
Throughout this harvest, our focus remains on supplying our customers with the highest-quality hops. Following procedures and promptly raising any concerns that could impact product quality is critical. Reporting non-conformances and isolating product, where possible, allows us to verify quality and ensure that only the best product is released. Delivering consistently high-quality hops is the best way to showcase the dedication and hard work our Operations Team put in throughout the year.
Looking ahead
As we enter the busiest part of the year, I want to be very clear: safety is our top priority. The harvest season is a period of increased activity, long days and heightened risk. Looking after yourself, your colleagues, and our contractors is critical. Please take the time to follow procedures, speak up about hazards, and support one another to ensure everyone goes home safely at the end of each day.
Thank you for the dedication, care and pride you bring to your work. The foundations we are building — operationally and strategically — will support HPA well into the future. I look forward to updating you more regularly as we move through 2026.
Owen Johnston
Chief Executive Officer
