Since 1963, GP Graders has grown from designing belt and roller sizers for apples and stone fruit to developing and manufacturing revolutionary machinery for the fresh produce industry and fruit growers and packers around the globe. Along the way, GP Graders has hit some important milestones.

 

1963

GP Graders established by Geoff Payne
Re-designed belt and roller sizers for gentle handing of apples and stone fruit
 

1968

Introduced first multi-lane apple sizers
 

1969

Released low cost gooseneck bin fillers for gentle apple pre-sizing
 

1972

Introduced new packing systems for apples into Australia
 

1975

Designed tomato grading system revolutionary to the Australian industry
 

1977

Manufactured Australia’s first apple waxing unit
 

1980

Released Australia’s first mechanical weight sizer
 

1981

Introduced automatic tray filling of apples
Designed new automatic bin dumps into water with bin re-stacking
Designed and released a new finger belt bin filler
 

1983

Developed first computerized weight sizers
 

1988

Developed and released first cherry sizing and grading line with stepped sizing shafts
Supplied first large citrus lines with waxing and dual drying tunnels
 

1990

Re-invented the cluster cutter for cherry separation with grooved conveyor belt
Released a high-speed computerized weight sizer for use across all tree fruits
Introduced first color sorting machinery for the tomato industry
Supplied first high-speed rockmelon sizing and sorting machine
 

1993

Invented and released first mango grading and sorting machinery
Designed de-sapping system for mangoes
First citrus export machine to Thailand
 

1997

First cherry export machine to Italy
 

1998

Introduced first color sorting machinery for apples
 

2001

Introduced first defect grading technology for apples
 

2002

Began major export drive with mechanical cherry grading lines to all major cherry markets
 

2006

Introduced first electronic cherry grader for size and color
 

2011

First in the world to introduce defect technology for cherry grading machinery
 

2014

Won the Australian Exporter of the Year
 

2016

Stuart Payne inducted into the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame
 

2017

Introduced the first blueberry defect grader into California
 

2019

Launched AirJet® Vision, GP Graders developed vision technology platform
First in the world to develop shrivel / dehydration detection for blueberries