Harry Rumpler took over as CEO of Lenard’s, the Australian poultry company, in July this year, as founder Lenard Poulter took a step back from his business. The pair worked together on a project when Rumpler worked at Metcash around twenty years ago, and when the planets aligned late last year, he started his journey with Lenard’s in a greater capacity.
Rumpler’s parents immigrated to Australia from Poland in 1958. They raised their four children in the eastern suburbs of Sydney and sent them to school at Randwick. Rumpler and his wife Denise now have four children of their own and nine grandchildren.
Harry Rumpler
His first job in FMCG was pushing trolleys at Coles Double Bay in 1977. Moving up through the company, he held multiple positions, from Grocery Manager, Store Manager and State Meat Manager, to State Produce Manager and Regional/Area Manager
Joining Metcash in late 1997 as the National Fresh Food Manager, he held various positions with the company for over ten years until being appointed CEO of IGA Fresh in 2007. A move to Bay Audio Hearing meant spending two years in Asia.
“Living in Taiwan and Singapore was a fantastic experience,” said Rumpler.
He returned to Aussie soil in 2017, taking on various consulting roles with CSIRO (where he had to note had fantastic people with a level of dedication and passion that should be envied by all). It was around this time Lenard Poulter got in contact.
“I must say that I am very excited by the role. I see fantastic opportunities for Lenard's moving forward. The product and brand we sell are premium quality, unique and offer real differentiation to the retail sector, and this will never change.”
The Lenard’s model has changed over the last few years, and as the Franchise focus evolves, Rumpler wants to ensure he supports owners through sales, costs and leases. Lenard’s philosophy is ‘Share the Love’, which Rumpler strongly believes in.
Having products available in consumer shops has been a critical development area, with pre-packaged, frozen thaw-back products and delicatessen items now available in supermarkets. Rumpler sees frozen thaw as the way forward for retailers to manage stock, increase margins, decrease waste and provide premium quality products. The strategy is being rolled out to all Metcash warehouses in the country, already in Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia, and it is just about to release in Western Australia.
Lenard’s is also looking at the massive opportunities in the food service sector, but this is only something that could be done once the company has further resourced itself.
A Lenard's supermarket deli
Of all the poultry products, the best-sellers are Lenard’s chicken Kievs, Mignons, Herb and Garlic Schnitzel and Enchiladas. These products all feature at the centre of the plate when it comes to meal preparation, so they can be considered convenience products. As a trend that has taken charge, Lenard’s has a designated internal product development team to ensure the company keeps up with demand.
“You can’t afford to stand still. Product development has become a core strategy. We work with retailers and customers to navigate this path together.”
Rumpler said navigating current global supply and logistics challenges can be extremely difficult. In the short time he has been with the company; chicken supply has been disrupted on multiple occasions. While the company does its best to stay on top of things, it can’t jeopardise making fresh handmade products. On the franchise front, there have been stock delays where products might be missing for days. Stores remain agile and keep producing the core range. Staffing is also challenging, with sickness making production difficult to manage and an expanding industry that demands more team members.
Lenard's staff member
Looking to the future, Rumpler noted that as the poultry industry continues to grow, producers need to ensure processes can keep up with demand.
“The industry seems to be in a very good place, and we must ensure we can take these opportunities on. At Lenard's, we are certainly looking at this. Our service levels are measured weekly, and we always look for the next step to take.”
Owner of Lenard's Palmerston, Northern Territory
