Visy has surged to take first place in this year’s IBISWorld Top 500 Private Companies list, ahead of retailer 7 Eleven and dairy group Murray Goulburn. Visy was the only print player to make the top 100, with just two printers, one other packager and a labelmaker winning places on the list. The nation’s biggest private company, listed at the number eight spot last year, started up in Melbourne but now also operates in the US and has plans to expand further into Asia.

Anthony Pratt, executive chairman of Visy

Visy has 9600 employee across the group, and at last count brings in $4.4bn of revenue a year. Anthony Pratt, executive chairman of Visy, says a lift in sales this year is down to continued strength in the primary packaging market, thriving Australian exports thanks to greater mill production, and solid results from the US operations. In five to seven years he would like to see the group’s turnover grow from around an unconfirmed $750m to $10bn, he told The Australian, on the back of forecast demand in both Australia and the US. Visy also plans to double its Asian revenues to about 20 per cent of the business, by installing manufacturing plants in multiple South East Asian countries. It is currently using a Singapore trading company to sell more products to satisfy local demand. This year’s Top 500 list features a diverse bunch rising to the first ten places, with 7 Eleven and Murray Goulburn ahead of warehouser Co-operative Bulk Handling, construction group BGC, food manufacturer Teys Australia and transporter Linfox. The Hospitals Contribution Fund came in at Visy’s old position, number eight, next to mining magnate Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting, and retailer The Good Guys rounding out the first ten. Apart from Visy, four players from the printing and packaging industries are featured amongst the 500 companies. The nation’s second biggest printer, IPMG, improved its position from last year’s 119 spot, up five places to 114, with $400m revenue and 1297 employees. Adelaide-based packager Detmold Group came in at 132, up from number 150 last year, with revenue of $372.5m. Print’s number three player, Blue Star Group, made its debut to the list at number 245, with $209.1m in revenue and 900 employees. Labelmakers Group, headquartered in Victoria, also made the grade at spot 401, with $111.83 revenue and 247 employees.

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