Bay of Plenty Business News September/October 2019

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10 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS September/October 2019 Founders re-acquire downhill ball rolling company Zorb The journey begun by the founders of Rotorua downhill ball rolling venture Zorb has come full circle, with the founders recently buying back the company they launched 25 years ago. By DAVID PORTER Andrew Akers and his brother David reached an agreement earlier this year with owners of Zorb. They have now amalgamated Zorb with OGO (Outdoor Gravity Orb), the downhill ball rolling company the Akers set up in 2010, four years after they left Zorb. “We’re looking forward to clearing up any confusion in the marketplace,” said Andrew Akers. The original idea for the invention, by Andrew Akers and Dwane van der Sluis, came from wanting to walk on water. They created the double skinned inflatable sphere with no previous experience or knowledge - they used plastic and glue, starting from scratch to continually improve the ball. However, the problem was the finished sphere couldn’t be controlled on water, so they started rolling people down hills instead. The sphere was initially called The Orb, then NZorb, finally settling on “Zorb”, with trading beginning in 1995. Global franchise network Bringing on board two investors, Zorb Limited was created, and the team commercialised downhill ball rolling, later setting up their own franchise network around the globe. In 1999, van der Sluis left the company to return to his career as a software engineer, while Andrew continued to run the company. But unhappy with Zorb’s direction once professional investors became involved, Andrew and his brother left We’re looking forward to clearing up any confusion in the marketplace.” - Andrew Akers the company. “As happens reasonably often, entrepreneurs end up not quite seeing eye-to-eye with the more corporate-oriented board members,” Akers told Bay of Plenty Business News. “That’s exactly what happened with us. And because I started the business when I was quite young, having senior business people get involved, I thought maybe they were right and I didn’t really know what I was talking about. “I thought if I have this level of disagreement, there’s no point in carrying on. I wasn’t having a lot of fun. I sold out and really didn’t intend to get back into it.” Akers has always loved creating something that no-one else has considered. For example, he and his brother developed a range of games, including one picked up by Hasbro USA, which featured on the Ellen DeGeneres show. After exploring other ventures, he and his brother decided they wanted to get back together and redevelop the downhill ball concept under their own terms. They did well with OGO and became in a position to approach Zorb’s owners and buy the company back. Akers said he had been talking with Zorb’s owners about potentially reacquiring the business over the past Andrew Akers: make your job the most fun thing you can do. Photo/Supplied. five years, and had a good relationship with a key shareholder, so were eventually able to work out a deal. The Zorb site has been closed and operations consolidated on the OGO site, and the company plans to focus on the Zorb brand. “We have purchased the entirety of the Zorb group of companies including all patents, international trademarks, assets and opportunities,” said Akers. He said the addition of Zorb to OGO would allow the business to reinvest further in the infrastructure of the OGO site, enhance the customer experience and cement the site as the premier ball-rolling park in the world. They make 30 or so balls a year, about half are exported to the US, Japan and other sites, the balance used for replacements at the Rotorua site. Each ball lasts around a year or so, but with general wear and tear, scratches and UV light, they slowly deteriorate. “They are all recycled and made into playground equipment,” said Akers, who added the company would be making a big push over the next five years on sustainability. Akers said he was excited about the fact he and David were reunited with the brand they created. “In a strange way, the Zorb brand has always remained with me and despite being in competition since we left the business and launched OGO, I’ve always been attached to what we created all those years ago.” And what had been especially gratifying, he said, was that OGO had just won the Tourism Export Council (TEC) Small Business Operator of the Year Award. Akers said the journey with his invention has taught some life lessons. “Have passion for what you do, enjoy every element of what you do, make your job into the most fun thing you can do and have the courage of your convictions.” TEC Small Business Operator of the Year Award. Photo/Supplied. Zorb: Downhill ball rolling business reacquired. Photo/Supplied.
BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS September/October 2019 11 New training centre for Kawerau Kawerau has opened a new driver and operator training centre for the Eastern Bay of Plenty, which aims to address the driver and other logistics skills shortages experienced in the area. Toi EDA chair David Turner cut the ribbon, and the Reverend Graham Te Rire announced the name of the new facility, Te Ara Huringa ō Pupuwharau at the recent official opening. “Toi EDA and local industry have long realised that workforce availability and transportation are key constraints to Eastern Bay economic growth,” saidTurner. “So we’ve got stuck in alongside industry and training providers to create a facility in Kawerau to serve wider Eastern Bay of Plenty people keen to upskill or work as drivers, machine operators and logistics personnel.” Turner said Toi EDA had been working closely with central government to make the new centre a reality and was delighted with the support of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, through both Te Ara Mahi and He Poutama Rangatahi funds. “This has also been an incredible collaborative effort and I’d really like to thank the work of the team at Toi EDA, in particular Barbara MacLennan and John Galbraith who have both worked incredibly hard to reach this milestone. “I’d also like to acknowledge our training partners and Kawerau’s Pathway to Work partners. It really has been a team effort,” said Turner. Toi EDA’s workforce development manager, Barbara MacLennan has been a key driver towards the opening of the facility. Through the training, new cadetships, and mentoring programmes, we are helping enable workforce development.” - David Turner “The facility is right in the heart of Kawerau’s industrial area, where growth is already well underway,” she said. Partnering with three providers Filling a gap: David Turner opens the new Kawerau training centre. Photo/Supplied Toi EDA has partnered with three training providers, Toi Ohomai, Axiom Training and Vertical Horizonz to start with, and together they are co-ordinating a wide range of training at the facility that matches what industry and businesses are looking for. Programmes commenced in August and included training for drivers, machine operators, confined space, and a range of mobile equipment operators required in construction, agricultural and horticultural contracting work, said MacLennan. Toi EDA research has been looking into the Eastern Bay’s detailed needs across businesses and industry and provides clear insight into current and future training needs, added Turner. There was a huge shortage, particularly of drivers and business saw that shortage getting worse in the coming two to five years. A recent survey by the Bay of Connections Freight and Logistics Group indicated that an additional 300-400 more drivers and mobile plant operators would be needed in the next two to five years. “This facility is a way to help address that gap,” said Turner. “Through the training, new cadetships, and mentoring programmes, we are helping enable workforce development. Te Ara Huringao ō Pupuwharau will create new opportunities for Eastern BoP people, and especially rangatahi, to step into current and emerging new roles.” Business Defined Technology Our purpose is simply to help businesses achieve more. We want to focus on you, the client. The conversations should be about you, your pain points, where you are going and how we can work with you to improve your business 50+ Team Members Certifications 100+ Productivity Licences Managed 3400+ Technical Issues Solved 2018 15,925 Business Outcomes Achieved 2018 10,358 Contact Selwyn to discuss how Yorb can help your business selwyn.west@yorb.tech www.yorb.tech | info@yorb.tech Manawatu Whanganui Hawke’s Bay Bay of Plenty
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