Comvita founder Claude Stratford has died, aged 102, leaving behind a "tremendous" legacy.
Mr Stratford, a Queens Service Medal recipient and philanthropist, died this morning at his Te Puke home.
Mr Stratford founded Comvita in 1974, at the age of 63, by making and selling a range of bee products from the basement in his home in Paengaroa.
From those humble beginnings Comvita has grown into a New Zealand export success story, generating over $100 million annual sales in 18 markets around the world.
Comvita co-founder and non-executive director Alan Bougen said Mr Stratford was an outstanding New Zealander and a pioneer in the health food industry.