The Riverland family business behind Nippy's beverages is making a bold $11.5 million investment in automation, aiming to double its citrus packing output despite mounting industry pressures.
A legacy born from a kitchen table
Many children start their entrepreneurial journey with a humble juice or lemonade stand. The Knispel brothers took it much further. In the 1930s, Alic Knispel grew citrus on a small Riverland farm. Decades later, in the 1960s, his four sons—still teenagers at the time—began juicing oranges at the kitchen table and selling the fresh juice locally. That modest start gave rise to the iconic Nippy's beverage brand.
Today, beverages account for roughly two-thirds of the business, alongside the farm and fruit packing operations. The company is now led by Alic's son Jeff and grandson Ben, who serve as joint managing directors. Ben worked in the business throughout school and university while completing an accounting degree, but he chose to explore other career paths before returning to the family enterprise—by choice, not expectation.
Vertical integration and cost pressures
Nippy's vertical integration across farming, packing, transport, and beverages gives it greater control over its supply chain. However, like many Australian manufacturers, the company faces significant cost pressures driven by rising fuel, freight, plastics, and packaging expenses.
To boost productivity, Nippy's has committed $11.5 million to replace an aging citrus packing line with modern automated technology. This upgrade is expected to double the company's output. "Investing in automation is critical to improving productivity and driving down costs," Ben Knispel said.
Banking on the next generation
The funding for this next stage of growth came from BankSA, part of the Westpac Group. Nippy's has maintained a banking relationship with them for generations. "It's very important to have banks standing behind businesses at this time. You're only as good as the network you're in," Knispel noted.
David Firth, Westpac state general manager for SA and national emerging corporates, expressed pride in supporting such an iconic South Australian business. "The South Australian economy is underpinned by so many fantastic family businesses that play the long game, who reinvest through the cycle and build brands that are successful locally, then nationally and some even internationally," he said.
Firth added: "Productivity is one of the biggest levers Australian manufacturers have right now and automation is often central to that. When businesses like Nippy's invest in modern, automated equipment to lift throughput and reduce unit costs, it's a practical way to protect margins and build resilience for the next generations."
