WHEN Cameron and Muppi Dean leased a fruit-drying facility near Gin Gin two years ago they brought with them a strong marketing and business management focus that spurred them to put their products online.
"The online shop has been a critical element in being able to service smaller orders and has also helped us engage new wholesale customers," Mr Dean said.
The beautiful aroma that emanates from the Gin Gin and Dry facility is testimony to their high-quality product.
Drying is a wonderful way to preserve and store delicious fruits, like mango and pineapple, to be enjoyed all year round, Mr Dean said.
He said they started out supplying three or four large wholesalers, but have now expanded to cater for retailers and individual consumers as well.
"This really was only made possible through the online shop," he said.
The Gin Gin and Dry website has operated since August 2011 and has attracted customers from around Australia.
Mrs Dean said several customers used the site for the first time after a 'Regional Flavours' event at Southbank last year.
"We used the first few months to make sure the website, sales and despatch ran smoothly," she said.
"While online sales represents only a small part of our business at the moment, repeat business from satisfied buyers is starting to kick in."
The company offers consumers and manufacturers a range of 17 dried fruit lines and three gourmet semi-dried tomato lines. Their dried fruit lines are processed at peak ripeness before drying, capturing the best flavour and avoiding the need for any additives, preservatives or sugar.
Their products are used extensively in food service and have been exported to high-end restaurants in Japan for more than 10 years.
The lessors of the drying facility had established a successful drying process and an extensive range of dried product using local fresh fruit.
The Deans' business, Gin Gin and Dry, took on the existing customers, further extended the product range and created the online shop presenting their products to the world.
"Rather than drying a larger range of fruits we have looked for ways to maximise the profitability of the fruits we already process," Mr Dean said.
"This has included adding shredded and powdered lines to use product that's the wrong shape or size for the sliced fruit line. This reduces waste and maximises our returns."
A significant part of the Gin Gin and Dry product range is further processed at confectionery facilities in Bundaberg and Yandina.
The Deans said the chocolate-coated ginger and yoghurt-coated mango are popular with online customers.
The Deans source their fruit locally, supporting local growers while keeping freight costs down.
"We get mango from Mareeba, the Burdekin and Bundaberg, as well as our own farm, to get the longest drying season possible," Mr Dean said.
"Pineapples and tomatoes come from Childers, strawberry and banana from Bundaberg, citrus from Gin Gin and apple and pear from Stanthorpe.
"We are also considering other marketing opportunities, like getting packs of our dried fruit in kids' and workers' lunchboxes," he said.
"Our product is recognised as a healthy, 100 per cent fruit snack food."
Visit www.ginginanddry.c om.au 
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