Editorial: Strategy looks like a winner

John Maslin

THE Prime Minister's tour of the Speirs Foods factory in Marton this week was more than a flying visit by the country's leader. It was a chance for John Key to espouse the positive aspects of the Government's regional growth strategy.

It's a strategy which has its critics but the initiative is still in its formative stages so it deserves to be given time to develop.

Mr Key's message was simple, talking up the positive sides to businesses establishing in the regions, citing low cost housing and stable workforces as prime reasons.

It was no coincidence he made these statements at the Speirs factory, a plant employing more than 75 staff and with turnover of close to $16 million last year. Staff produce more than 2900 tonnes of fresh salads each year, much of it sold through the country's major supermarket chains.

Speirs Foods is proof that business does not have to operate from Auckland to succeed. Sure, it has its battles as it bargains for supply contracts, but the point is it's succeeding and against much bigger players.

In an earlier interview with the Chronicle, general manager Chris Newton said Speirs Foods was winning because it worked on sound operating principles. That means that if the company says it's going to do something, it does it. Mr Newton said they might be considered "old-fashioned principles" yet it works.

But more important are the staff. He said without them and their shared passion, the company wouldn't survive -- and that surely is a selling point for businesses looking at setting up in smaller towns and cities.

We know technology has helped shrink the world and smart transport options mean working from a metropolitan centre isn't a prerequisite for success. It's to be hoped that his visit to businesses like Speirs Foods will reinforce that message to the Prime Minister.