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The Ministry for Primary Industries and the Agricultural and Marketing Research and Development Trust have announced finalists for the 2022 Primary Industries Good Employer Awards.
Tane Mahuta NZ Ltd from Whakatāne and Te Arawa Fisheries Limited of Rotorua are finalists in the Māori Agribusiness Award.
BeeNZ Ltd from Katikati is
a finalist in both the Small Business Recognition Award and the
Safe and Healthy Work Environment Award.
Now in its third year, the awards are run by MPI and AGMARDT to celebrate employers who put their people at the heart of their businesses.
MPI's director of investment, skills and performance Cheyne Gillooly said this year it received a number of impressive entries.
"Central to all of the entries was a real passion shown by businesses towards supporting their employees by putting their health, welfare and wellbeing first."
The finalists come from a range of food and fibre sectors, including wine, dairy, horticulture, forestry, apiculture and fisheries.
"New Zealand's food and fibre sector continues to drive New Zealand's economic recovery from Covid-19," Gillooly said.
"Export revenue is tipped to reach more than $50 billion in the year to 30 June 2022. Key to this continued success is attracting and retaining good, capable people. All of our finalists really hit the mark in achieving this."
AGMARDT chairman Nick Pyke said the need to showcase our committed and innovative primary sector employers had become more important than ever.
"The success of our food and fibre sector depends on our people.
"Success relies on the capability and capacity of our workforce, and good employers are crucial to this. This has been even more critical in the last year as businesses grapple with the impacts of Covid-19 on their people.
"Good employers create team environments where innovation and new thinking are fostered, systems and processes are designed with care for people top of mind, and where people feel supported and safe.
"Retaining the necessary workforce requires employers to champion good employment practices and really nurture their employees, and this is demonstrated throughout the high calibre of entrants for the awards."
The awards will be announced at a dinner event in Wellington on June 29, hosted by the Minister of Agriculture.
Hot pools celebrates 50 years
Waikite Valley Hot Pools is celebrating 50 years of being open.
Mark Bowie, of Waikite Valley Thermal Pools, said the pools started out as a vision by the local Waikite Valley community to develop and build a bathing facility.
The facility was done mostly by volunteer labour over about 4000 hours from within the community, under the watchful eye of the county council engineer, Bowie said.
It was funded by various events and a targeted rate imposed on the local community.
Finally on July 3, 1972, then local MP Jack Ridley officially opened the pools.
Over the years, the Waikite Valley Thermal Pools were managed by a variety of custodians under the watchful eye of the then Waikite Valley Hotpools committee.
Bowie said the committee took an active role in maintaining and developing the complex further, adding a campground in 1981.
In 1997, the pools fell into a state of disrepair as buildings showed signs of age, he said.
"The Rotorua District Council upgraded the pools and in October 1997 leased the pools out under a management contract.
"In 1999, a proposal was put forward to the district council to develop the complex further in exchange for a longer-term lease.
"A soak pool, along with two private pools, and a disabled change area was built."
Bowie said today, in 2022, the Waikite Valley Hot Pools continues to grow.
"Over the years, a further four pools, two private pools, campground extensions from 12 –to 28 sites, an eco-trail, a fit for purpose water cooling system and extensive grounds developments were added and funded by the current lease owners living Waters of Waikite Valley Ltd."
Zespri financial results: Record year for Mount-based kiwifruit marketer
Zespri's global revenue has topped $4 billion for the first time despite a challenging season, the company says.
The kiwifruit marketer credited a record crop, investment in brand-led demand creation and its industry's ability to respond and leverage its scale for the record financial result in 2021/22.
In a statement, the Mount Maunganui-based company said its global operating revenue of $4.47 billion was up 15 per cent on the previous year. It had a net profit after tax of $361.5 million.
Expected total dividends were $1.78.
Revenue from fruit sales was up 12 per cent on the previous year to $4.03b and it sold 11 per cent more trays, with 201.5m between more than 50 markets.
Direct returns to the New Zealand industry were a record $2.47 billion, including loyalty payments, despite Covid-19 uncertainties and supply chain cost rises.
"Earnings were again spread through regional communities including within the Bay of Plenty, Northland, Nelson, Gisborne, and the Waikato."
Grower returns per hectare were the second-best on record across all varieties.
The grower-owned company has 2800 growers in New Zealand and 1500 growers offshore.
Zespri Chairman Bruce Cameron said the results reflected an incredible effort across the industry to continue to operate safely throughout the challenges presented by the pandemic.
"This was an extraordinary season where the industry faced some considerable headwinds in the market, throughout the supply chain and on the orchard, yet collectively we found a way to tackle the challenges and to continue to succeed.
Zespri chief executive officer Dan Mathieson said challenges the industry faced this season included the pandemic and ongoing supply chain disruption, shifting weather patterns, tightening regulations, changes to fruit flows, increasing competition in the market, labour shortages, late-season fruit quality issues, significant cost increases and international trade challenges.
"Exporters right around the world have been tested, and our industry again rose to the challenge to deliver strong results in the toughest of circumstances.
"We were able to succeed because of the hard work growers, suppliers, our partners and the whole Zespri team put in to ensure that we could adapt and deliver a quality product that more and more consumers want."
Tauranga real estate agent to lead launch of NZ agency
A Tauranga real estate agent has been selected to lead the New Zealand launch of an online real estate agency.
Tauranga agent Maria Stephens has been named to lead the company in New Zealand.
Nasdaq listed eXp Realty (EXPI) is a cloud-based brokerage, which is based entirely online but provides a full range of property marketing services to vendors.
The company has signed more than 80,000 agents since launching in 2009.
The brokerage, which had first-quarter revenues of US$1 billion and grew by 73 per cent compared to the same period last year, will launch an agent recruitment drive in New Zealand this month.
Maria Stephens, eXp Realty's local broker of record, says they are currently looking to grow their network of local representatives from the existing pool of around 15,000 agents nationwide.
She says while the initial focus will be on residential property, the company aims to move into the commercial and rental markets.
"What it will bring to New Zealand is a new layer of competition..."
Michael Valdes, President of eXp Global, says the company was attracted to the New Zealand market following a period of expansion in Australia and other parts of the Asia Pacific region.
"New Zealand is characterised by a property market in strong demand, and a culture that is tech-focused and highly adaptive to advances in the market.
"We are excited to empower agents in New Zealand with our unique model and tools."
Whakatāne Mill welcomes new chief executive
Paperboard producer, Whakatāne Mill Limited (WML), has appointed Ron Hooper to be its new chief executive.
Hooper will be stepping into the position on June 1, after holding a number of senior roles within multinational companies, including Griffins, Nestle and Mars.
He has demonstrated success in building and developing fast-moving consumer goods businesses at the highest global level, including in Australia, Asia and the United States.
Bringing his expertise and experience to Whakatāne Mill, Hooper will lead the mill into its next phase of expansion - a project that is expected to increase the production of paperboard by 40 per cent. Starting in July, the expansion will also provide an opportunity to introduce measures for increased sustainability.
"I am really excited to be joining the team at Whakatāne Mill and really looking forward to the challenge of overseeing this new, exciting phase in its journey," Hooper said.
Whakatāne Mill executive chairman Ian Halliday said Hooper's appointment was an important milestone for the mill after it successfully avoided the threat of closure last year.
Former owner SIG Combibloc sold the mill to Power Paperboard Limited (PPL), a consortium of Irish and European investors, averting the loss of more than 170 jobs.
"Ron is a driven and motivational leader, with the ideal background to lead the company and team through the expansion.
"His focus will be on improved performance based on strategy development, top-line growth and bottom-line management. We are delighted to welcome him to the team."
The mill is a significant employer and contributor to Whakatāne and the Bay of Plenty's local economy. It has been producing paper and paperboard for 80 years.
Tauranga business raises hundreds of dollars for Ukraine
New Zealand International Red Cross member Ron Chamberlain has started a campaign with EmbroidMe Tauranga to sell t-shirts to raise money for the people of Ukraine.
So far, the campaign has raised a total of $780.
The t-shirt has a drawing of a Red Cross dog from 1917 during World War I.
Chamberlain hoped by bringing awareness to his project, the community will help him to aid those in need in Ukraine. His plan is to sell as many t-shirts as possible.
"I would like to raise $10,000 for the International Red Cross to hand over to Ukraine, without one penny for administration.
"It's a bit sad when other countries are doing so much, I think people should be doing more, by doing this I'm trying to add on a bit extra."
'Monster', was shouted in court as a 25-year-old woman appeared in relation to his death.