Bay of Plenty Business News January/February 2017

BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2017 13
Plans finalised for Zespri’s
new head office
Work will start in the next few months on
Zespri’s new $40 million head office in
Mount Maunganui.
Zespri chief financial
officer Dave Hazlehurst
says Zespri’s new building
will provide a home for
its world-class brand and a
future-proof building to support
the industry’s strong
growth outlook.
“Zespri has well and truly
outgrown its existing building
as the organisation has grown
to support the industry’s rapid
progress.
“With global sales expected
to more than double to
$4.5 billion by 2025, the new
building will provide the
facilities we need to deliver
this growth for the kiwifruit
industry. We’re excited
to show our community and
growers something we can all
be proud of,” said Dave.
“This development will
connect us with both our local
community and the global
markets, and includes redeveloping
the public park so
the community can continue
to enjoy this green space in
the heart of the Mount.
“Zespri’s investment in the
new building shows our longterm
commitment to Bay of
Plenty which produces around
80 percent of our premium
Zespri Kiwifruit,” says Dave.
The new building will
be a hub for the kiwifruit
industry with facilities to host
growers and office space for
other kiwifruit organisations.
It will also provide a fitting
venue to host international
trade, government and media
delegations on behalf of the
industry.
Zespri is investing over
Work soon to start on Southern Pipeline
harbour crossing
Brian Perry Civil, the
local arm of Fletcher
Construction, has won
the contract to construct a
pipeline deep under Tauranga
Harbour as part of the Southern
Pipeline project.
This is the last major
work for the $99M Southern
Pipeline, a large wastewater
pipeline that will divert
much of the city’s wastewater
across the harbour to the
treatment plant at Te Maunga.
The Chapel Street wastewater
treatment plant is struggling
to cope with growth pressure,
whereas the treatment plant at
Te Maunga has room for future
expansion. The new pipeline
will give the city’s wastewater
network some much-needed
capacity which will reduce the
risk of sewer overflows into
New dealership for
Nicholson Autos
the harbour.
The work under this contract
provides a pipeline link
under the harbour from the
Memorial Park Pump Station
across to the pipeline section
that has been constructed at
Matapihi. The harbour pipe
will be drilled from both ends
to a maximum depth of around
40m.
Construction is planned to
start in March 2017 and will
be completed by December
2017. Brian Perry Civil will
An artist’s impression of the new
head office at Mount Maunganui.
take the next few months to
mobilise specialist equipment
and materials required for the
project.
Most of the pipeline has
been completed. The Southern
Pipeline is fully operational
from Maleme Street to
Memorial Park and a new
pump station in Memorial
Park has been constructed.
Remaining sections are a 400m
length between Matapihi Road
and Te Maunga, and the harbour
crossing.
$40 million for design, build,
fit out, furnishing and landscaping
of the new 4800m2
landmark office complex
with basement car parking.
The three-story complex will
stand in a park-like setting
and includes onsite parking
for around 190 cars, mostly
underground, to reduce the
traffic impact on the community.
“We’ve incorporated some
features to make the building
more efficient and sustainable,
like a smart façade,
efficient heating and air conditioning
services, and water
recycling.
“We’ve also developed
flexible working arrangements
to allow staff to work
in different workspaces when
doing different work – this
increases productivity and
reduces the physical footprint
of the building,” says Dave.
The architects for the project
are Warren & Mahoney
and Beca has been appointed
as the project manager.
The construction contract will
open for tender shortly.
Zespri bought the land
on its site at 400 Maunganui
Road from Tauranga City
Council in December 2015
and has been operating from
the site since 1996.
Work will start on the site
in the first quarter of next
year, with the building set
for completion by the end of
2018. The old brick Zespri
building, constructed in the
1970s, will eventually be
demolished and replaced with
parkland.
By KATEE SHANKS
Nicholson United Autos
has continued with its
promise to invest in the
Eastern Bay with the opening
of a second dealership in
Whakatane.
On December 1 and across
the road from the Nicholson
Autos Holden/Suzuki
Commerce St showroom, the
new Nicholson Autos Mazda
dealership welcomed people
into its new premises.
Nicholson Autos co-owner
Dean Nicholson and general
manager Brad McKenzie said
it was awesome to be able
to keep the Mazda dealership
local.
“Wally Sutherland, who
has had the Mazda dealership
in the region for the past 44
years, did a really good with
the brand,” Mr McKenzie said.
“Mazda is riding high in
the marketplace so it’s exciting
times.”
The new dealership has its
own parts and services department
and employs six people,
in addition to the 20-strong
Holden/Suzuiki team.
The Nicholson Group
opened its Holden/Suzuki
Whakatane dealership only a
few months ago but made it
clear the family-owned business
wanted to be part of the
Eastern Bay community.
Nicholson United Autos general manager
Brad McKenzie and co-owner Dean Nicholson.
ANZ sells UDC Finance
ANZ Bank New Zealand
Ltd has agreed to sell its
asset finance business,
UDC Finance, for NZ$660
million to HNA Group, a
Fortune Global 500 company
focused on tourism, logistics
and financial services.
ANZ New Zealand CEO
David Hisco said the sale followed
a strategic review and
was in line with ANZ’s strategy
to simplify its business
and focus on its core banking
activities.
The purchase price of
NZ$660 million represents
a price-to-book ratio of 1.6
times net assets of NZ$424
million as at 30 September
2016.
“UDC Finance is a great
business which is performing
well,” said Mr Hisco. “We’re
extremely proud of what our
teams have achieved over
the years providing specialist
asset-based finance to New
Zealand businesses for plant,
vehicles and equipment.”
Mr Hisco said the purchase
of UDC Finance by one of the
world’s largest asset finance
and leasing companies was a
significant vote of confidence
in the New Zealand economy.
“HNA is well placed to
invest in specialist asset
finance products and systems
which will help UDC expand
further in the future,” said Mr
Hisco.
HNA doesn’t currently
operate in New Zealand so
this sale will maintain competition
in the asset finance and
leasing market which is good
for customers. HNA intends
to preserve UDC’s operations,
offering ongoing employment
to all existing UDC employees
and maintaining existing customer
lending.
Since its founding in 1993,
HNA Group has evolved from
a regional airline based on
Hainan Island into a global
company with over US$90
billion of assets, US$30 billion
in annual revenues and
nearly 200,000 employees
across North America, Europe
and Asia. The financial arm
of HNA operates a diverse
set of businesses in equipment
leasing, insurance, and credit
services, including China’s
largest non-bank leasing company,
one of the world's largest
aviation finance businesses,
one of the world’s largest container
leasing businesses, and
Europe’s largest trailer leasing
business.
“UDC’s highly diversified
portfolio offers significant
growth opportunities in
Australasia and supports HNA
Group’s disciplined approach
to expand our core tourism,
logistics and financial services
businesses,” said Adam Tan,
Vice Chairman and CEO of
HNA Group.
“We are excited to welcome
UDC Finance to the
HNA Group family and we
look forward to working with
their experienced management
team as they continue to support
the growth and aspirations
of New Zealand businesses,
investors and consumers.”
The UDC sale is subject to
closing steps and conditions
including engaging with investors
on the replacement of the
Secured Investment program
and regulatory approvals.
Completion is expected late
in the second half of the 2017
calendar year.
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