From the chief executive: Mark Wynne answers key questions about business and our economic future

Ballance Agri-Nutrients chief executive Mark Wynne. Photo / File

The economic effects of Covid-19 and New Zealand's subsequent nationwide lockdown have been felt far and wide by our business community. Journalist Stephanie Arthur-Worsop asks Ballance Agri-Nutrients chief executive Mark Wynne to reflect on his own company's survival and what he thinks needs to be done to help the local economy bounce back.

How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected your company?

As an essential service, we had to quickly adjust to new ways of operating to keep our team safe, with people working from home juggling family, noise, pets and more.

For those that were out in the field, in planes, trucks and manufacturing sites, they followed strict social distancing and hygiene protocols as stipulated by the Ministry for Primary Industries.

We self-audited twice daily to make sure we kept our staff and customers safe and complied with the rules.

Through hard work and dedication, the team was able to ensure farmers and growers had the right products at the right time to support NZ food production and animal welfare.

We had to think differently about some of our manufacturing, sales and distribution processes, some of the changes we made improved our delivery and customer experience.

We sped things up by going paperless (no touch) and made them even easier. We encouraged our customers to use our online ordering system MyBallance and our self-service silos, both of which supported contactless ordering and delivery. Overall it worked very well.

What are you doing to ensure the company survives the pandemic and/or thrives after it?

To keep our shareholders and customers ahead of the game, and for Ballance to continue to be a very strong co-operative, we need to be in tune with the needs of our farmers and growers.

Ballance is a 100 per cent New Zealand farmer-owned co-operative that helps its customers to farm more productively, profitably and sustainably.

As a result of many years of investment in innovation, we're perfectly positioned to work with our shareholders to support the future competitiveness of NZ - the success of our shareholders will underpin NZ's economic recovery.

We have the building blocks in place with a suite of sustainable, environmentally-focused products and tools.

What are the benefits and challenges of running a business in the Bay of Plenty?

There are many benefits. We have excellent access to the Port, quality products and great people.

The opportunity of living and working in the Bay of Plenty means we are able to attract and employ the smartest scientists, best engineers, sales, management and support staff in our sector and offer a great work-life balance.

However, one of the challenges we have is the roading network. Long delays getting in and out of the city have a real financial impact on the business.

Another challenge is trying to educate people about the important contribution Ballance has made to the economic prosperity of the Bay of Plenty.

What do you believe should happen in order to revitalise and rebuild the local/regional economy?

It starts with an agreed vision for the region, looking out somewhere from 30 to 50 years.

That's hard to do but is essential to provide that framework. The Urban Forum Transport Initiative is an excellent start in this direction.

We need to encourage employment through investment in roading and infrastructure.

We need more housing in the city and better public transport to reduce congestion.

We have an amazing natural playground and great weather only a short drive or flight from anywhere in New Zealand. Let's encourage domestic tourism by showcasing our culture, building a museum, developing the CBD and with more projects like Durham St and Our Place.

The city is perfectly positioned to host conferences and events that meet current and future restrictions around numbers of attendees.

We need to be agile and look at the problem from all angles, e.g. a commuter train between Tauranga, Hamilton and Auckland.

It's time to invest in the growth of our region and build towards economic recovery.