Year Book 2020

YEAR 

BOOK 

CELEBRATING BAY BUSINESS | 2020 

YEAR BOOK 2020 | 1

2 | YEAR BOOK 2020

BAY OF PLENTY 

BUSINESS STAYS 

FOCUSED 

FROM THE EDITOR 

DAVID PORTER 

AT A POINT BETWEEN 

EMBARKING on 

our second Bay of 

Plenty Business News 

Yearbook – and the 

publication of this 

edition – something 

strange happened. The world as I 

understood it was fundamentally 

changed by a virus that was invisible to 

the naked eye. 

It felt like an overnight transformation, 

though in practice it took a week or so 

for the full extent of the devastation 

being experienced globally from 

COVID-19 to fully sink in. I will admit that, 

in the early stages of the pandemic, I was 

a little sceptical about its potential longterm 

impact. 

I worked for the World Health 

Organisation during the SARS crisis 

period and lived in Asia for many years. 

I’d been through the Asian Financial 

Crisis, and the Global Financial Crisis. And 

I had concluded that, with coordinated 

government actions and good 

management systems, most crises could 

be overcome. I had come to believe that 

the natural optimism and resilience of 

humanity always eventually triumphed. 

My confidence was severely dented by 

COVID-19’s rampant global progress. 

As this editorial was written – in the 

first half of June 2020 – there were 

encouraging signs that at least the severe 

health issues around the pandemic 

seemed to be under control here in New 

Zealand. 

The coalition government had been 

effective in stemming the early infection 

and fatalities from COVID-19. They 

also benefited from dealing with a 

largely sensible and supportive, but 

relatively small population. And we were 

effectively secured by an oceanic moat. 

An election was due in September 2020 

as I wrote this, and the outcome was hard 

to call. But it seemed obvious, at least 

in June, that even with the best health 

outcomes, slamming the brakes on the 

economy was going to prove much 

easier than getting it back in gear and 

running again. 

All New Zealanders are facing the 

prospect of dealing with economic 

despair and recession for many months 

and possibly years. That said, the Bay 

of Plenty is in as favourable a situation 

as any of the country’s regions, with 

great strengths in horticulture, primary 

products, technology and manufacturing, 

and agile, adept and adaptable 

companies, many of them successful 

exporters. And of course New Zealand’s 

biggest and most efficient port. 

I’m delighted we’ve been able to 

produce and place Yearbook 2020 

in your hands. Our inaugural edition 

last year was conceived to celebrate 

the strengths of Bay business and that 

remains our objective. Our team was 

humbled by and appreciative of the 

support we’ve received from the many 

excellent local companies that have 

come into this year’s edition. 

And above all I’ve been encouraged 

by the positive approach the business 

community has shown in the myriad ways 

it has responded to COVID-19. Priority 

One chief executive Nigel Tutt – one of 

the many business and political leaders 

who share their insights on the future 

with readers in the Yearbook – suggests 

the key to minimising the damage from 

COVID-19 will be not just to maintain 

business confidence and employment, 

but to use this jolt to normal business as 

a catalyst. 

“As we seek to rebuild our economy, 

and with the knowledge that we are 

in reasonable shape compared to the 

rest of the world, we find ourselves in a 

position where we can look ahead and 

be bold about accelerating change,” he 

says. 

In the decade I’ve lived in the Bay, I’ve 

always been impressed by the essentially 

positive, flexible and collaborative nature 

of its business community. And I’m by 

nature an optimist. 

Be safe, well and supportive of each 

other. 


Contents 

Publisher 

Alan Neben 

021 733 536 

alan@bopbusinessnews.co.nz 

5 Tenby Powell, Mayor Tauranga City 

Council: First the pandemic, now 

the economy 

6 Garry Webber, Mayor Western Bay 

of Plenty District Council: Working 

together for the Western Bay’s 

future 

7 Forsyth Barr: Invest with confidence 

8 Sharp Tudhope Lawyers: 

Commercial experts with a 

community heart 

10 Hawkins: Building the Bay of Plenty 

14 Jenkins Freshpac Systems: Always 

innovative 

16 Doug Leeder: Time to draw on the 

Bay’s strengths and resilience 

18 KPMG: Bringing shared expertise to 

Bay clients 

20 Crombie Lockwood: Supporting 

clients and the community 

21 Nigel Tutt, Chief Executive Priority 

One: COVID-19 could be the 

catalyst we need 

38 Port of Tauranga: New Zealand’s 

biggest international cargo gateway 

41 Trustpower: The Apollo intern and 

graduate experience 

42 Bayleys: A cornerstone of the Bay of 

Plenty community 

44 Kristin Dunne, Chief Executive, 

Tourism Bay of Plenty: Tourism – a 

critical component in the Bay’s 

recovery 

46 Scion: Driving forestry tech 

innovation and growth 

48 The Staffroom: Trusted boutique 

recruitment 

49 NJK Advisory Ltd: Nick Kerr – 

expert advisor on credit risk and 

recoveries 

50 Strategic Pay: Delivering strategic 

rewards 

Editor 

David Porter 

021 884 858 

david@bopbusinessnews.co.nz 

For advertising inquiries please 

contact: 

Business Director 

Pete Wales 

022 495 9248 

pete@bopbusinessnews.co.nz 

Design 

Times Media 

bopbusinessnews.co.nz 

BOPBUSINESS 

PUBLICATIONS 

Bay of Plenty Business 

Publications Limited 

PO Box 155, Tauranga, 3144 

021 733 536 

info@bopbusinessnews.co.nz 

www.bopbusinessnews.co.nz 

22 Craigs Investment Partners: 

Providing New Zealanders with 

investment advice for more than 

35 years 

24 PMG Property Funds Management: 

Proudly Bay of Plenty born and bred 

28 Chambers of Commerce: The road 

to recovery starts here 

30 Carrus: Supporting its clients 

through the COVID crunch 

32 Cooney Lees Morgan: The 

changing face of law 

36 Enterprise Angels: Growing 

strongly and widening scope to 

impact investing 

37 Karl Gradon, GM Strategy for TOI 

EDA: Eastern Bay of Plenty wellpositioned 

for the future 


FIRST THE PANDEMIC, 

NOW THE ECONOMY 

BY TENBY POWELL, 

Tenby Powell is Mayor of Tauranga 

PENNING MY THOUGHTS 

ON THE region’s 

challenges partway 

through a pandemic 

response in the early 

stages of the most 

significant recession 

in living memory is more than a little 

daunting. Given there are still many 

unknowns that could affect our 

economy, I’ll restrict my ‘predictions’ to 

the scenarios I believe are highly likely 

to play out, and speak to what I see are 

the prerequisites for an accelerated 

recovery. 

One important known is that the 

Government will be investing in shovelready 

infrastructure projects to stimulate 

the economy and support and create 

jobs. We’ve already seen the $400- 

million-plus Tauranga Northern Link 

project will get underway before the 

end of 2020, so that’s a great start. All 

of the Bay of Plenty councils have also 

put forward key infrastructure projects, 

which could get underway quickly, for 

Crown Infrastructure Partnership funding 

consideration. We remain hopeful that 

a number of significant investments will 

result and will underwrite the recovery of 

our construction sector. 

Tauranga City proposed 24 separate 

projects worth $1.1 billion across water, 

wastewater, roading, housing and 

growth, and community amenities, all of 

which could get underway in six to 12 

months and would generate significant 

employment. Encouragingly, most of 

those projects have gone through the 

first cut process and have been put 

forward for consideration. I’d like to 

think that a number of investments in 

the infrastructure our fast-growth city 

desperately needs will result from that 

process, so watch this space. 

Regional cooperation need 

I also see opportunities for Tauranga 

and the Western Bay of Plenty subregion 

to advance on a number of fronts 

through regional cooperation. We’re 

in a very good space and the progress 

being made through SmartGrowth will 

continue to facilitate shared solutions 

to shared issues. That regional focus 

also extends beyond the Bay of Plenty 

and I’ll be looking to work closely with 

my Waikato counterparts to ensure 

we bring a collaborative approach to 

transport infrastructure planning, to 

take advantage of our situation as the 

country’s preeminent export port. 

Tauranga’s fast-growth status will not 

change. We need to manage that 

growth and ensure that appropriate 

housing, infrastructure and community 

amenities are available to accommodate 

our growing population. New housing 

areas in Tauriko West and Te Tumu (East) 

will be a key part of that equation. But 

so too will be the moves we are making 

to facilitate building-up through higher 

density housing options in existing 

city suburbs, in particular the Te Papa 

Peninsula and CBD. 

Well-placed for recovery 

Looking at the region’s strengths, 

there’s little doubt we are well placed 

for recovery compared to many other 

areas. Our Kiwifruit industry has been 

largely unaffected and will continue to 

grow strongly. Forestry took an early hit, 

but is now back on-line and benefitting 

from improving log prices. And our 

dairy industry will also help to underpin 

recovery, assuming that world demand 

stays strong and dairy product prices 

are at least stable. As mentioned, we 

have New Zealand’s biggest and most 

efficient export port. Port of Tauranga 

has capacity to expand, while other 

ports, Auckland for instance, do not and 

I see considerable potential for growth 

and improved links through inland port 

facilities like Ruakura. 

The final word goes to the hospitality, 

tourism and events sectors, which 

have arguably been hit hardest by 

the closure of our borders and the 

pandemic restrictions. The Western Bay 

is less reliant on international tourism 

than many parts of the country, which 

is a distinct advantage. Tourism Bay of 

Plenty has displayed admirable agility in 

developing and launching a campaign 

to encourage Kiwis to holiday here, so 

we can look forward to a slow recovery 

in tourism spending. 

Events ground to a halt in the lockdown 

and uncertainties around the emergence 

from the pandemic mean there won’t 

be any immediate recovery. But we 

have a high-quality events sector 

and, providing we stay in control of 

COVID-19, we should start to see a 

re-emergence of activity through the 

summer season and beyond. And as 

we move down to level 1 and then, 

hopefully out of restrictions altogether, 

we can also look forward to our 

hospitality cashflows getting back to 

something a bit more like normal. 

In conclusion, we do have 

some bright spots on 

the horizon, so let’s 

take advantage 

of them, work as 

a team, support 

local businesses 

wherever possible 

and look to get 

our community and 

economy back on 

its feet as quickly as 

possible. 

TENBY POWELL 


WORKING 

TOGETHER 

For the Western Bay’s future 

BY GARRY WEBBER, 

Garry Webber is the Mayor of Western 

Bay of Plenty District Council 

COVID-19 HAS DEALT 

A BLOW to the region 

this year that is going 

to be felt for a long 

time, which is why we 

must adapt and work 

hard to ensure we help 

communities get back on their feet. 

These are once in a generation 

circumstances and we need to accept 

that the world will be different. The 

pandemic has forced not only a great 

shift from the traditional ways of working 

to a more distributed and remote mode, 

but also revealed an increased level of 

empathy for others. 

As the Western Bay Council worked 

towards finalising its 2020-21 Annual 

Plan, we were mindful of the delicate 

balance required between real financial 

prudence and keeping our economy 

going in a post COVID-19 environment. 

We are really fortunate that in our district 

we have two significant sectors that 

are enjoying a reasonable degree of 

growth. 

First, the Kiwifruit industry is planning to 

double its output over the next 10 years 

and second, our population growth was 

forecast to continue, which will see the 

continuation of new houses being built. 

As a district, and region, we must 

continue to embrace adaptability, 

flexibility, and quick reaction to help 

the local economy by being nimble 

and able to kick-start good projects and 

create jobs. 

Council plays a vital role in this process 

to rebuild communities, particularly 

as a way to focus central government 

funding through to local communities 

and also with our own projects, 

infrastructure and processes such as 

consenting and regulatory roles. 

Infrastructure crucial for the region 

Our $515 million Crown Infrastructure 

Partners bid is testament to this 

commitment to ensure an immediate 

stimulatory effect on the construction 

industry, its workforce and the economy. 

The 16 district-wide projects we applied 

for will involve significant labour input, 

which would go some way to ensuring 

those displaced as the direct result of 

COVID-19 will have opportunities to find 

a new employment. 

As a well-managed provincial 

council, Western Bay of Plenty District 

Council has a track record of working 

constructively in partnership, both as 

lead and in support of others. 

Therefore, our bid is part of a 

coordinated Bay of Plenty regional 

package to support the economic 

recovery of New Zealand. 

The projects are consistent with the 

long-term direction of both the 

SmartGrowth BOP partnership and the 

Urban Form and Transport Initiative 

(UFTI) initiative, which aim to deliver 

a step change in housing, transport 

and place-making for the sub-region’s 

communities. 

GARRY WEBBER. 

It’s thinking about what we can and 

should do, together, to get the best 

possible outcome for the region. 

If successful, and linked with the $900 

million Tauranga Northern Link, this 

would be a huge win for the district 

to ensure the region thrives by taking 

advantage of economic growth 

opportunities. 

While the future remains somewhat 

unclear post-pandemic, it is imperative 

we all learn from the digital experiences 

we have faced under the initial phases 

of COVID-19 to our advantage to 

modernise our own businesses and the 

economy so as to provide real benefit to 

those areas that matter most within our 

communities. 


FORSYTH BARR 

Invest with confidence 

FORSYTH BARR OFFERS 

A FULLY accredited 

and experienced team 

of Investment Advisers 

right here in Tauranga, 

delivering innovative 

financial services and 

investment opportunities, supported by 

award-winning local and global research. 

Forsyth Barr’s reputation is founded on 

integrity, the highest standards of service 

and research-driven investment advice. 

The business has one of New Zealand’s 

leading research teams, while global 

affiliations ensure research coverage of 

major overseas investment markets. 

The business started in Dunedin in 

1936 and over a period of 84 years 

has expanded to 22 offices across the 

country, employing over 350 staff. 

Forsyth Barr is a foundation New Zealand 

Exchange firm (NZX), an accredited 

market participant and is proud that it has 

remained 100% New Zealand owned. 

The Tauranga office has been in 

operation more than 15 years. The local 

Investment Advisers Brett Bell-Booth, 

Andrew Davis, Philip Kilpatrick, David 

McConnochie and Paul O’Driscoll are 

all NZX-Accredited Authorised Financial 

Advisers and are available to provide 

clients with professional, personalised 

and confidential investment advice. 

They offer investment services, designed 

to deliver to the specific investment 

needs of individuals, families, trusts, 

charities, local iwi and companies. From 

experienced investors to those just 

starting out, Andrew, Brett, David, Philip 

and Paul can advise on a full range 

of investment services from portfolio 

management, investment advice and 

sharebroking, to cash management and 

saving options, including KiwiSaver and 

investment funds. 

Delivering service and performance 

Forsyth Barr’s Investment Advisers 

are motivated to deliver service and 

performance to clients, which in 

turn builds long-term and trusted 

relationships. Because of this focus on 

performance and service, today Forsyth 

Barr has over $9 billion of portfolio funds 

under advice and management. 

INNOVATIVE FINANCIAL SERVICES: DAVID MCCONNOCHIE, PAUL O’DRISCOLL, 

BRETT BELL-BOOTH, PHILIP KILPATRICK AND ANDREW DAVIS. PHOTO/SUPPLIED. 

“We put our clients’ best interests first,” 

said Forsyth Barr’s Tauranga Manager, 

David McConnochie. “Thanks to the 

support of our clients, and the hard 

work of our people, we are a successful 

business and we are proud to support a 

number of local community groups.” 

At a national level, Forsyth Barr also 

provides support to organisations 

throughout the country. An example 

of this is the $200,000 donation in 

April 2020 to The Foodbank Project 

and KiwiHarvest. These organisations 

are doing valuable work ensuring that 

people experiencing financial hardship 

receive the support they need. 

Contact the Tauranga team on the 

details below to find out more about 

Forsyth Barr or to discuss your investment 

objectives in confidence with one of our 

Authorised Financial Advisers. 

This column is general in nature and is not 

personalised investment advice. Disclosure 

Statements for Forsyth Barr Authorised 

Financial Advisers are available on request 

and free of charge. 

07 578 2737 

WWW.FORSYTHBARR.CO.NZ 

CONTACT-US/TAURANGA/ 


SHARP 

TUDHOPE 

LAWYERS 

Commercial experts with a 

community heart 

2020 UNIVERSITY OF WAIKATO TAURANGA 

CAMPUS. PHOTO/JEREMY TRITT. 


SHARP TUDHOPE LAWYERS 

HAVE BEEN in business 

more than 120 years, 

providing legal advice and 

practical solutions to clients 

throughout New Zealand. 

We strive to build client 

relationships that last, thinking ahead to 

ensure the advice we give is appropriate 

for the long term. 

Today Sharp Tudhope plays an active 

role in community organisations and the 

economic development of our city. In 

recent times our team of experts have 

been involved with the development 

of the University of Waikato building – a 

real coup for Tauranga. 

Commitment to quality 

Our base is an environmentally 

sustainable building that helps us to look 

after the health and wellbeing of our 

staff, and to welcome clients. 

Ultimately, it is our people that sets 

us apart from other law firms. Our 

commitment to exceptional service 

is why generations of families and 

businesses choose to work with us. 

Clients can be assured that we will work 

with them to find out what’s important 

and in turn work towards achieving their 

goals. 

Governance roles and key industry 

memberships 

With a strong commercial, property, 

employment and litigation practice, 

many of our team are leaders in their 

chosen fields of expertise. We strive 

to keep up to date with legal issues 

industry developments that may affect 

our clients. Our relationships and roles 

include: 

• Export NZ Bay of Plenty 

• Property Council New Zealand Bay of 

Plenty Branch 

• Enterprise Angels 

• Priority One 

• Institute of Directors 

• Human Resources Institute of New 

Zealand 

• Chartered Institute of Logistics and 

Transport 

• Civil Contractors New Zealand 

• RITANZ (Restructuring Turnaround and 

Insolvency NZ) 

“We are always 

willing to put 

our hand up 

and help where 

we can.” 

Community Spirit 

We are a tight knit team of more than 

50 staff, with a number who freely give 

their time to community initiatives and 

charities. 

We are proud to have members of the 

firm involved in the governance of local 

charities such as Waipuna Hospice, The 

Graeme Dingle Foundation, Tauranga 

District Riding for the Disabled, Youth 

TOP: ALASDAIR CHRISTIE, BILL 

CHAPMAN, BROOKE COURTNEY, 

DUNCAN COOK, HAMISH MURRAY, 

BOTTOM: JOHN GORDON, MATTHEW 

BILLETT, RICHARD HOARE, RICHARD 

KETTELWELL, SHIMA GRICE. 

Search and Rescue Trust (YSAR), 

Papamoa Community Surf Rescue Trust 

and the Papamoa Surf Lifesaving Club. 

In 2019 we helped the founders of the 

Tauranga STEM Festival (STEM Wana 

Trust) with advisory work by assisting 

them to achieve registered charity status 

and this year we have stepped in to 

help animal rescue organisation Rescue 

Revive Rehome on their journey to 

become a registered charity. 

We provide contractual services 

pro-bono to local triathlete Hayden 

Wilde, who is excelling in his chosen 

sport on the world stage. And we are 

involved with the success of young 

racing car driver, Liam Lawson who is 

also competing on the world circuit and 

has just won the NZ Motor Cup – New 

Zealand’s oldest motor racing trophy. 

We are committed to the continued 

growth and success of the Bay of Plenty 

region. 

07 928 2000 

WWW.SHARPTUDHOPE.CO.NZ 


HAWKINS 

Building the Bay of Plenty 

ONE OF NEW 

ZEALAND’S 

LEADING 

construction 

companies is making 

its mark in Tauranga 

and Rotorua. 

Noticed the number of quality new 

buildings that have gone up in the Bay 

of Plenty recently? 

Whether it’s Zespri’s head office in 

Mount Maunganui, the Tauranga 

Crossing shopping centre at Tauriko, 

the University of Waikato’s campus in 

Tauranga’s CBD, or the new Farmers 

development in downtown Tauranga, 

they all have one thing in common. They 

have all been built by the local Hawkins 

team. 

Hawkins built Stage 1 of Tauranga 

Crossing, which opened in September 

2016. On the basis of this work, Hawkins 

was also appointed to deliver Stage 2, 

which opened in April 2019. “Our client 

is extremely happy with the quality of 

work we delivered,” said Hawkins GM 

Central Peter McCawe. “There were 

1200 people working on the site in the 

lead-up to opening day. They pulled 

out all the stops so that it looked fantastic 

when the first shoppers walked through 

the doors.” 

And anyone who had been to the 

University of Waikato’s new Tauranga 

campus would tell you it was an 

awesome building with a very highquality 

finish, said McCawe. 

“It brings new learning opportunities 

into the heart of Tauranga, which is 

something we’re proud to be a part of. 

Based on the quality of our work, the 

University then asked Hawkins to do the 

specialised fit-out of the laboratories 

within the building as well.” 

Just down the road in Mount Manganui, 

there’s a new office building that stands 

out from the crowd. Zespri’s head office 

is distinctive because it has the green 

leaves of a kiwifruit vine woven into its 

design. 

“The Zespri project required building an 

office in two stages, right next door to 

the client’s existing office,” said McCawe. 

“Once the first stage was complete, the 

client moved in and we demolished the 

old building to make way for the second 

stage.” 

As well as delivering a great building, the 

project team went above and beyond to 

divert construction waste from landfill. 

“The project team, client and 

subcontractors were all on board and 

keen to see what we could do,” he said. 

As well as having multiple bins on site 

to separate waste, the team came up 

with the idea of a Recycling Kiosk, where 

the public could access good, useable 

building materials that might otherwise 

go to landfill. 

ZESPRI’S NEW HEADQUARTERS 

IN MOUNT MAUNGANUI. 

PHOTO/SUPPLIED. 


TAURANGA CROSSING SHOPPING 

CENTRE IN TAURIKO. PHOTO/SUPPLIED. 

“We built the kiosk on the outside 

edge of the site, so there was no 

danger of the public passing through 

the construction area. We opened the 

kiosk once a week and let the public 

know that they could take the materials 

for free. It was a simple and costeffective 

way of diverting waste from 

landfill.” 

In Tauranga’s CBD, Hawkins is the main 

contractor leading the new Farmers 

retail development with its twin 

apartment towers. 

“This project is particularly exciting for 

Tauranga as its retail and dining area 

will draw people into the CBD. And 

of course, the lucky residents in the 

apartments will bring new business to 

the surrounding retailers as well.” 

Hawkins is busy in Rotorua too, working 

on Red Stag’s new Cross Laminated 

Timber plant, and the refurbishment of 

Rotorua Museum and the Sir Howard 

Morrison Performing Arts Centre. 

Meanwhile in the Waikato, the Hawkins 

Central team are also involved in 

several new projects for the University 

of Waikato and the refurbishment of 

the former IRD building in Bryce St. 

“Our client 

is extremely 

happy with the 

quality of work 

we delivered.” 

- Peter McCawe 

“We have some really exciting projects 

on the go. Our people are proud to be 

part of creating some pretty awesome 

facilities for the people of the Waikato 

and Bay of Plenty,” said McCawe. 

07 960 3000 

WWW.HAWKINS.CO.NZ 

UNIVERSITY OF WAIKATO TAURANGA CAMPUS. ZESPRI RECYCLING KIOSK. 




ALWAYS INNOVATING 

YOU DON’T MAKE 

IT TO 137 years old 

accidentally or by 

good luck. Driven by 

changing markets, 

industries and customer 

needs, Jenkins 

Freshpac Systems takes its long history 

of innovation and delivering on its 

promises very seriously. It is not a recipe 

you rush to change. 

A decade before she was allowed to 

vote and only 40 odd years after the 

Treaty of Waitangi was signed, Jane 

Elizabeth Jenkins arrived in New Zealand 

and started her fledging printing 

business, J. E. Jenkins in Hobson Street, 

Auckland. It is hard to imagine the 

challenges that faced Jane back in 1883 

when starting a business in what was very 

much a man’s world. 

In the business’ early years, Jane 

Jenkins focused on the production 

of heavy weight paper banking bags 

and the business eventually moved 

into producing stationery and specialty 

envelopes, becoming J. E. Jenkins the 

Printers. 

During the great depression, the 

business fell on difficult times as her 

debtors were unable to meet their 

commitments to her business and a deal 

was struck with the Parkinson family, 

who travelled out to New Zealand on 

the same boat as Jane. The Parkinson’s 

continued to trade the business and 

became known for their supply of labels 

into the pharmaceutical industry. 

In the 1970’s, Tony McInness joined the 

business to work alongside father-inlaw 

Tom Parkinson and together they 

rationalised the business to focus on the 

JANE ELIZABETH JENKINS, LEFT, AND A 

JENKINS PRINTERS VAN CIRCA 1950. 

newly emerging innovation of selfadhesive 

labels that no longer required 

the additional application of gum or glue 

to adhere to a surface. This led Parkinson 

and McInness into investigating the 

concept of labelling fruit and was the 

beginning of a relationship with Sinclair 

that endures to this day. 

The Sinclair International system allowed 

brand and variety information to be 

carried directly on produce all the way 

into the end-consumers hands. For the 

first time, growers could differentiate 

themselves and sell their added value for 

a premium over their competitors. 

GENERAL MANAGER JAMIE 

LUNAM AND SALES MANAGER – 

CONSUMABLES ANN CAMERON 

DEMONSTRATE JENKINS 

NEW HERO PRODUCT, HOME 

COMPOSTABLE PLASTIC-FREE 

NETTING FOR PRODUCE, AS 

THE COMPANY CONTINUES 

TO EVOLVE ITS TRADITIONAL 

BUSINESS. PHOTO/SUPPLIED. 

Direct to fruit labelling went on to 

be a core part of produce marketing 

strategies and New Zealand brands 

can now achieve between 10 and 30 

percent more than their competitors by 

shipping our proof of provenance with 

our product. 

In the current day, this ability to attract a 

premium translates to several hundred 

million more dollars in export earnings 


than if our home grown produce went 

to market unbranded. 

By the 1990’s and 2000’s, the business 

had grown to be one of the largest 

specialist label print houses in the 

country serving some of the biggest 

brands of the day, thanks largely to 

these early examples of adopting 

emerging technology which have 

continued throughout the evolution of 

the business and is clearly evident in 

how it operates today. 

In 2014, the decision was made to sell 

off the general label manufacturing 

Jenkins Freshpac is a leading 

supplier of post-harvest automation, 

packaging and labelling solutions. 

business and focus on horticulture as the 

business had added wider horticulturecentric 

products to its offering, including 

a wide array of packaging and labelling 

solutions for the post-harvest industry. 

A purpose-built facility was constructed 

in the then empty fields of the Tauriko 

Business Estate in Tauranga to be close 

LEFT: TONY MCINNESS. 

CENTRE: TOM BOOTH PARKINSON. 

RIGHT: JOHN BOOTH PARKINSON. 

to the nations largest port and key 

customer base, being kiwifruit pack 

houses. 

During the past few years, Jenkins 

Freshpac Systems has been recalibrating 

its business, which now has five hubs 

across the country and continues to 

evolve to meet its changing customer 

needs. While printing labels remains 

core to the business, Jenkins Freshpac 

is a leading supplier of post-harvest 

automation, packaging and labelling 

solutions and is regularly acclaimed for 

CAMERON MCINNESS AND 

MELISSA YATES, FOURTH 

GENERATION FAMILY LEADING 

THE BUSINESSES. 

their market-leading customer service 

and technical support. 

To bolster their capability in an evolving 

post-harvest sector Jenkins have in 

recent times made several bold moves. 

In 2018 Jenkins entered a joint venture 

with North America’s leading apple pack 

line producer, Van Doren Sales and 

partnered with Tauranga’s Robotics Plus 

to launch their robotic apple packing 

machine to the world, with great success. 

Then in 2019 the Jenkins team invested 

in Hastings-based CR Automation, which 

added top end mechatronics, robotics 

and machine integration to the portfolio. 

It is not surprising to learn that the 

Jenkins team have a swag of awards 

and commendations under their belt 

in areas such as print quality, customer 

service, innovation, embracing digital 

technology, building design, business of 

the year, employer excellence and more. 

John Booth Parkinson 

When you talk to the Jenkins team, 

they burst with pride in how far they 

have come and are quick to reference 

it being a great place to work, a great 

industry to work in and how exciting 

the future looks. The team quite clearly 

do not come to work to eat their lunch, 

but because they know they are making 

a real difference to their customers 

businesses and have confidence they will 

be doing so for many decades to come. 

Tony McInness 

Tom Booth Parkinson 

07 575 0562 

WWW.JENKINSFPS.CO.NZ 


TIME TO DRAW 

ON THE BAY’S 

STRENGTHS 

AND RESILIENCE 

BY DOUG LEEDER, 

Doug is an experienced business 

director and long-serving member 

of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council 

(BOPRC). These comments reflect his 

private views. 

THERE’S AN ADAGE – 

WHEN the going gets 

tough, the tough get 

going. 

Whilst COVID-19 has 

delivered a savage 

setback to many 

businesses, and a lethal blow to others 

in 2020, I’m sure that most will refocus 

and restructure their enterprises to meet 

our changed environment. This is a 

challenge to be met, whether short- or 

long-term. 

The old saying I mentioned speaks to 

resilience, and that’s a quality the people 

of the Bay of Plenty have in spades. 

An example is the impact that the 

kiwifruit disease PSA had on our region. 

Cash flows and enterprises disappeared 

overnight, but looking back now there 

can only be admiration for the way that 

industry refocused, developed G3, and 

the rest is history. 

Those in the dairy industry faced income 

and balance sheets halved when prices 

fell from $8/kg milk solids. Yet again, 

individuals battled their way through 

what was a supply and demand-driven 

correction, albeit part of global trade 

positioning. 

We have recovered before and we can 

take this hard-won experience into the 

current situation in the Bay of Plenty. 

Expert opinions can vary 

Economic commentators are predicting 

doom and gloom – but it is important 

to remember that opinions can vary, 

even between experts. What we do 

know in practice is that businesses and 

DOUG LEEDER. 

communities can and will recover and 

thrive. 

We must consider and look after those 

most impacted by job losses and the 

government’s intervening stimulus goes 

some way to addressing that. However, 

we all need to recognise that whatever 

central government’s borrowing figure 

arrives at, at some stage, this and future 

generations will have to return or reduce 

the debt. There can only be a few ways 

to do that: 

1. Economic growth or trade and 

the resultant taxes (both direct and 

indirect). 

2. Increases in the marginal tax rates. 

So how does the Bay of Plenty fare? 

Probably better than most. 

Our regional advantages 

We have a regional economy that is 

weighted to primary industries – forestry, 

horticulture and pastoral farming. We 

have New Zealand’s biggest export port 

with a supply chain bringing a large 

percentage of New Zealand’s exports to 

Tauranga. 

This supply chain efficiency attracts 

manufacturing industry to the Bay, which 

flows into associated servicing industries 

to meet the growing demand from 

industry and residential alike. 

In addition, we have the fact that the Bay 


is a desirable and increasingly soughtafter 

place to live, work and play. 

However, in the Western Bay we need 

to deliver on the work that SmartGrowth 

and the Urban Form and Transport 

Initiative (UFTI) will address through its 

30-year planning document. This will 

ensure that the current issues around 

congestion, housing availability and 

affordability are addressed as soon as 

possible. It’s imperative we stick to the 

high level deliverables to sustainably 

manage growth, while maintaining our 

region’s inherent advantages. 

The success of our sub-region cannot 

fall solely to local government or any 

one party. The likes of the Chambers 

of Commerce, Priority One, BayTrust, 

TECT and others must work together to 

facilitate new private entities/businesses 

to enter and hopefully succeed in our 

Western Bay region. The rise of the 

Māori economy will also be key to our 

continuing future success. 

BOPRC contributions to the community 

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council 

(BOPRC) is frequently admired by others 

for its financial prudence and success. 

However, it has been a long run journey 

for which credit must go to past and 

current councils who have had the vision 

to back themselves and act in the interest 

of the ratepayers of the region. 

It is not widely known that your regional 

council receives dividends and revenue 

“We have New Zealand’s biggest 

export port with a supply chain 

bringing a large percentage of New 

Zealand’s exports to Tauranga.” 

from its investments through Quayside 

Holdings to the tune of $33 million 

each and every year. These dividends 

continue to increase through prudent 

financial management and highly 

capable investment expertise. That 

money is used to reduce the regional 

council general rate for every ratepayer 

in the region. 

In simple terms, that means without that 

contribution to every ratepayer, your 

regional council general rates would 

increase nearly 120 percent. I.e. a median 

general rate of $240 would go to $528 

for Western Bay ratepayers. 

BOPRC has further made cash grants 

to the University of Waikato campus in 

Durham Street to the tune of $15 million, 

and another $5 million to the Vessel 

Works marine precinct. It also funds the 

University of Waikato Coastal Science 

Chair, to name a few initiatives that bring 

benefit to the region 

All of these activities bring business and 

recognition to the Bay as a desirable 

and ideal place to establish and operate 

learnings or businesses. 

We need to take the long view 

It can be frustrating when some less 

informed commentators, and people 

with vested interests, suggest that 

the Regional Council should divert 

ratepayers’ money towards their 

particular goals. Some suggest selling 

long-term assets for short-term gain, but 

taking a short-term view rarely has the 

desired effect. 

The resilience of the Bay of Plenty is 

partly due to people making decisions 

looking at the long-term and holding 

their nerve in tough times. 

And in these times, we will, as we have 

done before, collectively continue to 

play a part in supporting the region to 

recover from COVID-19. 


KPMG 

Bringing shared expertise 

to Bay clients 

KPMG IS FOCUSED 

ON FUELLING New 

Zealand’s prosperity 

and encouraging the 

lasting wellbeing of 

all New Zealanders. 

Increasingly, the firm 

says, it is recognising that the successful 

businesses of tomorrow will be those 

that make a contribution not only to 

their shareholders, but also to their 

people, communities and the country as 

a whole. 

The firm is locally owned with a national 

team of 1000+ professionals providing 

services across audit, tax, accounting, 

consultancy and deal advisory. KPMG 

works with all manner of business from 

SMEs and family-owned businesses to 

Government, public sector and not-forprofits. 

The firm is also able to tap into its 

global network of expertise. 

Tauranga Managing Partner Glenn 

Keaney, an audit specialist, says as a 

result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 

national firm has seen an increase in 

the need for assistance with business 

continuity consultancy and its valuation 

and deal advisory services, with a rising 

number of change projects as NZ 

companies re-focus. 

“Our clients trust us to deliver the kind of 

targeted advice, technical knowledge 

and industry insights that help them 

manage risk and embrace opportunities 

and we work shoulder-to-shoulder with 

them to achieve this,” says Keaney. 

KPMG has been making sure its clients 

have robust cash flow forecasts and 

has been recommending they have a 

number of different forecast scenarios. 

“Many have used their worst-case 

scenario to make their initial basic 

decisions, but they also need to create a 

revised longer-term view on strategy.” 

He emphasises that what makes KPMG 

stand out in Tauranga is that it is a fully 

integrated partnership across New 

Zealand, unlike its local competitors. 

Keaney, who recently stepped down 

as chairman of the Acorn Foundation, 

says KPMG Tauranga office is also 

implementing its own endowment 

fund in conjunction with the Acorn 

Foundation where the firm and 

individual members of staff will make 

contributions into the fund, which will 

be invested and a distribution made 

annually to local recipients. 

ROB HILL AND GLENN KEANEY. 

Tax specialist Rob Hill named new 

partner 

Keaney noted the importance of the role 

played by tax specialist Rob Hill and said 

KPMG was very excited to name him as 

the firm’s first new Tauranga partner for 

five years. Hill joins Keaney and the other 

current partners Paul Stott, Tracy Preston- 

Lett and Mark Thomas. 

Hill joined KPMG in Tauranga over a 

decade ago and has “pretty much come 

through the senior ranks with us,” says 

Keaney. 

“He’s one of the only pure tax specialists 


in the Bay of Plenty and is often called 

upon by other local accountants for his 

knowledge. 

He acknowledges it has been a 

painstaking and competitive journey of 

self-improvement and skills-building 

in areas ranging from team handling to 

how to present complex information 

simply to clients. “It’s taken many years to 

prepare for this,” he says. 

Hill believes the KPMG offering is 

unique in the Bay. 

“KPMG works very closely across the 

country and it’s very easy to find who has 

expertise on a particular subject matter. 

I’ve always found KPMG colleagues to 

be particularly generous with their time 

and helping to work through a problem. 

It allows us to bring particular expertise 

to specific clients very easily.” 

Hill says he regards the experience 

of KPMG’s tax team as being of 

special importance given the flood of 

government announcements that have 

emerged in 2020. 

“You do need a depth and diversity of 

expertise together with the underlying 

knowledge to understand the particular 

impact of those announcements. At 

the end of the day, what you see in the 

announcement is only the starting point - 

the devil’s usually in the details. 

“And the broader the base to share 

experiences across, the more complete 

advice you can bring to clients. Given 

the number of changes, our tax 

specialisation will be really critical.” 

TRACY PRESTON-LETT AND GLENN KEANEY DISPLAYING THE NEW E-BIKES. 

KPMG GETS ON ITS E-BIKES 

Glenn Keaney says the health and 

wellbeing of KPMG staff is important 

to the business. The office recently 

purchased two e-bikes for staff to use 

during business hours, and for leisure. 

“This is part of our sustainability goals 

and we hope that other corporates 

will follow suit to help get single car 

drivers off congested roads, and into 

a healthier lifestyle,” he says. “They’re 

practical, it’s a quick easy way to get 

around and a great way to encourage 

and support our team in maintaining 

or adopting a healthy lifestyle. And 

they’re fun.” 

However, Hill did note that in his 

experience, while a lot of this year’s 

government packages assumed things 

could go badly, he has found many 

clients have been more optimistic about 

prospects for the coming year than 

might have been expected. 

“You’ve always got to be positive as a 

business.” 

07 578 5179 

WWW.KPMG.CO.NZ 


CROMBIE LOCKWOOD 

TAURANGA TEAM’S 2019 

SHORTS DAY FUNDRAISING 

FOR HOSPICE. 

CROMBIE LOCKWOOD 

Supporting clients and the community 

AS INSURANCE 

BROKERS, HELPING 

PEOPLE and building 

strong relationships 

is at the heart of what 

Crombie Lockwood 

does every day. 

By getting to know their clients’ 

businesses and understanding the risks 

they face, Crombie Lockwood provides 

insurance solutions that will position 

their clients to financially survive any 

insurable event. Yet their commitment to 

protect what’s important and help when 

times get tough doesn’t end there and 

naturally extends to the local community. 

Crombie Lockwood was founded in 

the provinces (in Hawke’s Bay in fact), 

and in the 40 years since then, while 

they’ve grown to all corners of the 

country, their dedication to giving back 

hasn’t diminished. In this Bay, they’ve 

been supporting the Waipuna Hospice 

for more than 12 years. In that time, the 

Crombie Lockwood Tauranga team has 

grown rapidly and so has the desire to 

lend a hand. Today the team of around 

40 make up some of the 800 volunteers 

who regularly give their time to the 

Hospice. 

Crombie Lockwood Tauranga Group 

broking manager Janine Rodgers, said 

that working with Waipuna Hospice was 

a great way to give back and to foster 

team culture. 

“Getting involved with the Hospice has 

been a brilliant way for our team to build 

relationships as well as give back. We 

come together inside and outside office 

hours to help out,” she said. 

“Operating the Hospice’s six charity 

shops is one of the most important 

roles we help with as it’s a big source 

of revenue for them. But we also do a 

quarterly wash of the buildings at Te 

Puna, we’ve helped prepare goods for 

sale, ushered fundraising shows and 

concerts, marshalled cars at the annual 

remembrance service and prepared 

afternoon tea for Hospice visitors. Any 

help they need we’re keen to get stuck 

in,” said Rodgers. 

Protecting Waipuna Hospice’s future 

with the right insurance 

Aside from volunteer work, Crombie 

Lockwood Tauranga has worked with 

Waipuna Hospice as their insurance 

broker for many years. 

“As with all our clients, we strive to learn 

as much about their business as possible 

and volunteering has most definitely 

helped with that,” said Rodgers. 

“We’ve learned first-hand about 

their risks. And that has given us even 

greater insight into their exposures and 

operations so we can tailor an insurance 

programme to best fit their needs.” 

“Getting involved with the Hospice 

has been a brilliant way for our team 

to build relationships as well as give 

back.” – Janine Rodgers 

And while Rodgers said Crombie 

Lockwood couldn’t commit to 

volunteering for all clients, they are 

dedicated to supporting local business 

with their insurance needs. “We want to 

give all Crombie Lockwood clients peace 

of mind that their insurance is sorted so 

that they can get on with whatever it is 

they do best. And we’re pretty proud 

that for Hospice that’s looking after 

people when it’s needed most.” 

07 579 7600 

CROMBIELOCKWOOD.CO.NZ 


COVID-19 

could be the catalyst we need 

BY NIGEL TUTT, 

Nigel Tutt is chief executive of Priority 

One, Western Bay’s economic 

development organisation 

EARLY 2020 HAS 

PROVIDED A sour-tasting 

appetiser to what is to 

come over the next year. 

But while the future is very 

uncertain, I am confident 

the Western Bay of 

Plenty will come through the impending 

recession in reasonable shape. We are 

fortunate that most of our industries and 

businesses are in good markets and will 

be relatively resilient to the disruption. 

The key to minimising the damage for the 

rest of 2020, will be maintaining business 

confidence and employment. 

There are a few learnings we can take out 

this economic shock and disruption: more 

traditional businesses have struggled 

and change hasn’t come easy, barriers 

to working flexibility have proven very 

movable, and we’re more reliant on 

population growth than is ideal. 

As we seek to rebuild our economy, 

and with the knowledge that we are in 

reasonable shape compared to the rest of 

the world, we find ourselves in a position 

where we can look ahead and be bold 

about accelerating change. There’s no 

sense in returning to the same normal, we 

need to return to a better normal. 

Key issues we should be considering 

How to speed up developments, 

while maintaining good process. This 

is particularly important in times of 

economic need, where we have intent 

from the private sector to invest, but 

the process simply takes too long and 

the steps are uncertain. This means a 

risk profile that eventually discourages 

investment. Resource Management Act 

reform would obviously help, but that 

won’t come quickly. We need a set of 

NIGEL TUTT. 

reliable and fast processes to manage 

consents. 

Confront New Zealand’s labour and 

productivity issue. We lack labour for 

many industries (horticulture is a good 

example) and this is unlikely to get 

significantly better in the future. We 

need to rapidly invest in technologies 

and processes that can allow us to grow 

businesses without an equivalent increase 

in people. This is particularly important as 

our primary sector markets grow and our 

population ages. 

Over the past six years in particular, the 

Western BOP has been a high growth 

economy. While in many ways that 

is great, we lag most other domestic 

cities in how that growth translates to 

household income. This, coupled with 

high housing and rental costs, gives us a 

situation where the economic prosperity 

is not shared by all. We can change that 

by pursuing higher value industries and 

jobs through technology and research 

and development investment. 

Another way we can influence the 

prosperity equation is to improve our 

social housing outcomes, where we 

again lag the rest of New Zealand in 

our proportion of social housing stock. 

This is an ideal example of where some 

government investment could help 

provide near-term jobs as well as longterm 

social benefit. 

Make our moves on environmental 

sustainability now. Our part of New 

Zealand has grown quickly without much 

consideration for the resources we’re 

consuming. And due to the nature of 

our industries, there hasn’t been much 

need for this consideration. There is no 

environmental economic plan for the 

BOP and we need to change that. Let’s 

make some moves now around areas that 

are clear and present – carbon reduction 

programmes that businesses can adopt, 

waste reduction and programmes to look 

after our rivers and hills, would be an 

excellent start. 

Now is also the time to consider our water 

situation. New Zealand doesn’t have a 

problem with rainfall, but we do have 

a problem with storing it in sufficient 

quantities for the amount that we use. 

This demand on our water resource is 

going to strengthen in the future as we 

further develop underutilised land and 

take advantage of New Zealand’s space in 

high value nutrition markets. Investment 

in water assets is again something that 

can provide near-term employment and 

long-term economic benefits. 

Harness the potential of our Māori 

economy. Māori are key stakeholders in 

land-based industries in the wider Bay 

of Plenty and comprise nearly half of all 

the young people in the region. Māori 

participation in key commercial ventures is 

growing: we have exemplars our region 

including the likes of Ngāi Tukairangi 

Trust (Kiwifruit), Mangatawa Papamoa 

Inc (Kiwifruit, aged care, papakainga 

and industrial property), Robotics Plus 

(robotics) and commercial collaborative 

initiatives such as Miro Ltd (Blueberries). 

Transformation for the Māori economy 

will require an engaged workforce and 

strong education links to business. 

So while we are in dark times at the 

moment, we haven’t lost potential for 

the future. COVID-19 can be the catalyst 

we need for a more rapid transition to a 

sustainable economy. 


CRAIGS 

INVESTMENT PARTNERS 

Providing New Zealanders with investment 

advice for more than 35 years 

MANY LOCALS 

WILL BE 

FAMILIAR with 

Craigs Investment 

Partners – an 

investment 

advisory firm 

founded in Whakatane over 35 years 

ago by Neil Craig, the current Chairman. 

Since then, Craigs Investment Partners 

(Craigs) has grown into one of the 

country’s largest investment advisory and 

investment banking* firms, providing 

services to individuals, trusts and 

companies as well as advising on some 

of New Zealand’s largest corporate 

transactions. 

“I believe our growth over the years is 

a result of us remaining focused on our 

core expertise,” said Frank Aldridge, 

Managing Director Craigs Investment 

Partners. 

“Our four business divisions; private 

wealth, investment banking*, institutional 

equities and funds management work 

with the same vision in mind – to 

provide high quality investment services 

tuned to the unique needs of our 

clients.” 

Today, Craigs have a nationwide network 

of 19 branches and employ over 160 

investment advisers. The head office 

is based in Tauranga employing more 

than 230 locals and is owned by over 

200 staff shareholders. Neil Craig adds: 

“This makes our commitment to deliver 

superior service personal. Employees 

having ‘skin in the game’ encourages a 

genuine commitment to client service, 

superior advice and a loyal culture.” 

Craigs specialise in investing 

Craigs offers a broad range of 

investment services, which has centred 

around providing personalised 

investment advice to private wealth 

clients. Their premium service offers a 

dedicated investment adviser who will 

tailor an investment portfolio to each 

client – it is very much a partnership. 

This advice is underpinned by a team 

of research analysts who monitor the 

markets and provide advisers and clients 

with timely insights on listed companies. 

“Our focus on quality market research 

and strong client relationships is central 

to our business. By choosing to be a 

client of Craigs, you can expect a high 

standard of expertise, knowledge and 

ability,” said Frank Aldridge. 

Craigs Investment Partners Limited is an NZX Participant firm. Adviser Disclosure Statements are available on request and free of charge. The 

Craigs KiwiSaver Scheme is issued and managed by Craigs Investment Partners Superannuation Management Limited. The Craigs KiwiSaver 

Scheme Product Disclosure Statement is available at craigsip.com/documents. The Craigs Superannuation Scheme is issued and managed by 

Craigs Investment Partners Superannuation Management Limited. The Craigs Superannuation Scheme Product Disclosure Statement is available 

at craigsip.com/documents. 


CRAIGS COMMUNITY 

GIVING PROGRAMME 

Innovative mySTART service 

While Craigs started out in the early 

days as a broking firm, they continually 

evolved their services to respond to 

client needs – and this strategy has 

contributed to the company’s continued 

growth. 

An example of this innovative thinking 

resulted in the establishment of an 

investment service called mySTART, 

which was introduced over 20 years 

ago, initially to attract a younger investor. 

Investors can build a portfolio with as 

little as $100 per month, or a lump sum 

making it an extremely accessible way to 

start investing. 

Clients not only benefit from the Craigs 

research team shortlisting approximately 

190 investment options (e.g. shares, 

bonds and funds) to choose from, but 

also having an investment adviser at 

hand to help with investment decisions. 

This investment solution has been 

extended to Superannuation and 

KiwiSaver. 

Craigs provides a range of services 

that caters for nearly any circumstance; 

whether someone has already built 

up wealth and wants the expertise 

of someone qualified to manage 

their investments or someone at the 

beginning of their investment journey. 

* Craigs Investment Partners is not a 

registered bank within the meaning of the 

Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 1989. 

0800 272 442 

TAURANGA@CRAIGSIP.COM 

WWW.CRAIGSIP.COM 

Through uncertain times, Craigs 

acknowledge those most vulnerable in 

our community need support. Craigs are 

long-time supporters of communities 

throughout New Zealand, and since 

inception has contributed to numerous 

community organisations and local 

events. The establishment of the Craigs 

Community Fund to help support 

communities in a more structured manner 

is a natural progression. 

There are three components to the 

Community Giving Program; Christmas 

Giving, Craigs Community Fund and 

Employee Workplace Giving. 

1. Christmas Giving 

Christmas is a time of the year many 

experience financial pressure. At Christmas 

Craigs will direct money to local charities. 

Each Craigs branch will liaise with their 

local community foundation to choose a 

meaningful recipient in their area. 

2. Craigs Community Fund 

Craigs have partnered with Community 

Foundations New Zealand to help 

manage the distribution of the Craigs 

Community Fund. It is intended that a 

portion of the fund will be distributed 

annually to local recipients. So far, with 

only a few months since its inception, 

the fund has donated over $30,000 into 

seven charities in Tauranga and donated 

over $150,000 nationally. 

Lori Luke, Acorn General Manager, based 

in Tauranga, says, “The benefit of these 

kinds of funds is that it provides yearly 

distributions to deserving local charities. 

It is amazing to have a national company 

like Craigs leading the way in this sort 

of strategic giving, and we hope other 

businesses will follow suit.” 

LORI LUKE, ACORN GENERAL 

MANAGER AND FRANK ALDRIDGE, 

CRAIGS MANAGING DIRECTOR. 

3. Employee Workplace Giving 

“We received feedback from our staff 

that they wanted to be part of a firm 

where they can personally make a 

difference to their communities,” says 

Frank Aldridge. 

Craigs employees now can choose to 

participate in payroll workplace giving, 

with employee contributions matched 

by Craigs up to $500 per year, per 

employee. 

FIND OUT MORE 

If you would like to learn 

more about how your business 

can work with Acorn Foundation 

or your local Community 

Foundation visit 

acornfoundation.org.nz or 

communityfoundations.org.nz 


PMG 

PROPERTY FUNDS 

MANAGEMENT 

Proudly Bay of Plenty born and bred 

WE ARE LIVING IN 

UNPRECEDENTED 

times, with 

businesses and 

governments 

scrambling across 

the globe to fight 

a common enemy. We must all work 

together to get through the stressful 

times generated by COVID-19. 

Whatever happens, one thing is certain: 

PMG will do everything we can to 

support our people, clients, tenants and 

partners, and do our best to balance the 

needs of all our stakeholders. 

But don’t take our word for it. We have 

third-generation customers who trust 

us to grow their wealth because we 

did right by their parents, and their 

grandparents before them. (See our 

survey results.) 

Proven performance throughout 

multiple economic cycles 

As a property funds manager, we know 

there is much business and investor 

wariness as a result of the current crisis. 

We understand because we have 

faced stark challenges before. Over our 

28-year history, we’ve been through 

multiple economic cycles. 

While PMG and our property investment 

funds are not immune from global 

events, we have had practice and we 

are in a good position to weather the 

current storm. 

Our success to date comes down to our 

strategy of providing solid, diversified 

and unlisted commercial property 

investments, underpinned by the 

security of long-term holdings of land 

and buildings, to provide people with 

regular returns. Our strategy will remain 

steadfast. 

Economic and market volatility are 

precisely why PMG transitioned to a 

funds management business model 

in 2014 – placing multiple properties, 

with diverse tenants across several 

geographies in one fund – and 

transitioned away from single property 

syndications. 

We also have structured our business 

and funds to endure tough times 


SCOTT MCKENZIE, CEO, PMG. 

and provide income to our investors 

throughout events such as this. 

We have done this by continually 

improving the quality of properties 

across our five investment funds, 

including acquiring higher-quality 

buildings with resilient national and 

multinational tenants. 

“PMG will do 

everything we 

can to support 

our people, 

clients, tenants 

and partners, 

and do our best 

to balance the 

needs of all our 

stakeholders.” 

Expert in-house property team 

One of our key points of difference 

is our expert, in-house property 

management team. We have 

professional asset and facilities managers 

– with a combined experience of more 

than 100 years – looking after our 

properties and tenants. That ensures 

our investors get the most value out of 

their investment, and our tenants have 

workspaces they can thrive in. 

Our team work with our tenants to 

ensure they can operate efficiently 

and effectively in their premises. They 

are also supporting our tenants during 

the COVID-19 climate with a package 

specifically designed to help them get 

through this challenging time. In turn, 

we are building stronger relationships 

with our tenants. 

While no one knows what the next few 

months or years will hold, we remain 

committed to doing right by our people, 

investors, tenants, professional advisors and 

suppliers. Mutual trust, transparency and 

leadership are three of our core values. 

What our investors say 

In a recent survey, we asked our 

investors what they like about us. Here’s 

what they shared: 

• We are long-term investors in quality 

commercial property, underpinned by 

tangible land and buildings. 

• Our funds are diversified by 

building, geography, industry and 

tenancy, which helps reduce risk to 

investor returns. 

• Each of our funds continue to 

maintain a conservative level of 

bank borrowings. 

• Our properties are proactively 

managed by an expert in-house 

property management team, which 

knows our properties and tenants best. 

• Just as our tagline says, we’re invested. 

All our executive directors and many of 

our people are personally invested in 

PMG and our funds. We share the risks 

and the returns with our clients. 

At the end of the day, performance 

matters, through good times and hard 

times. We also know that growing 

relationships with all those we work with 

is just as important as growing returns. 

We’re dedicated to ensuring our clients 

can rest easy knowing their nest eggs are 

in safe hands. 

PMG HEAD OFFICE, DURHAM 

STREET, TAURANGA. 

A SNAPSHOT 

OF PMG 

• Five unlisted, diversified 

commercial property funds 

• $500m (and growing) 

commercial property assets 

NZ-wide 

• 100 commercial properties 

under management 

• Licenced under the Financial 

Markets Conduct Act 2013 

to manage Managed 

Investment Schemes in real 

estate in NZ 

• 100% New Zealand owned 

and operated 

• Offices in Tauranga, 

Auckland, Hamilton and 

Christchurch 

• 1000+ active investors 

• Business Innovation Award 

– Westpac Business Awards 

2017 

• Operated by a team of 

invested and passionate 

property and financial 

experts 

0800 219 476 

WWW.PMGFUNDS.CO.NZ 


Experience Luxury Living 

For many years a vacant lot on a prime piece 

of Papamoa Beach Real estate was the home 

for second hand private cars sales. That was 

until the Astoria Development Company had 

the foresight to purchase it to create a high 

quality housing project. 

The Astoria Development encompasses a 

selection of attractive substantial freehold 

townhouses and a high rise apartment 

complex with commercial retail space on the 

ground level. 

PIP WOODHOUSE-SHEA: 

027 576 9754 

PIP@OABOP.NZ 

DAVID DAVIDSON: 

0210 839 8884 

DAVID@OABOP.NZ 

Licensed REAA 2008 

CORNER 26 | YEAR PAPAMOA BOOK 2020 BEACH RD & DOMAIN RD, PAPAMOA 

An Astoria Development Ltd Project | Project Enquiry: Brian Lee - 07 577 9299 - mgk.the.view@gmail.com

Townhouses 

Artistic Representation Only 

The vision is to provide superior, 

quality living, right across the road 

from what is arguably one of New 

Zealand’s most stunning beaches. 

Buyers can choose from a selection of two, 

three or four bedroom, multi’ bathroom 

apartments with open living spaces offering 

views to the domain and beach beyond. The 

interior finishing includes stone bench tops, 

quality appliances, genuine hardwood flooring, 

tiled floors and walls in the bathrooms, and 

large picture windows and doors to the decks. 

The penthouse apartments will be generous in 

size and will have some of the best views of the 

ocean, surrounding hillsides and landscapes on 

offer, in the immediate vicinity. 

The first development of its kind in this Papamoa 

Beach location, this exciting project is close to 

restaurants, retail shops, a supermarket, bars 

and lest we forget ‘the Beach’ right across the 

road. 

The commercial space available on the ground 

level will be ideal for businesses wishing to 

provide for the residents of the apartments and 

townhouses as well as catering to locals and 

visitors to the area. 

Careful consideration has been given to the 

layout of the ground level space to enable wide 

pathways ideal for alfresco dining opportunities 

and pedestrian traffic. 

Generous parking provision will accommodate 

both the residences and commercial 

enterprises. 

The exterior materials to be used in this 

project will include some of the latest building 

products, which allow for low maintenance 

future care and aesthetics. 

All Images Are Artistic Representations Only 

A unique development designed for unique 

Beach side living. 

YEAR BOOK 2020 | 27 

Register your interest at www.astoria.nz

CHAMBERS OF 

COMMERCE 

The road to recovery starts here 

COVID-19 HAS 

PROVED A SHOCK 

to the system for 

many businesses and 

adapting to the ‘new 

norm’ may seem a 

daunting task. That’s 

why it’s important to reach out for 

support and networking. 

Your local Chambers are here to help 

you rebuild and build, to help your 

business become stronger, more 

resilient and with a long-term plan to 

navigate the current climate. 

It’s not about going back to the way it 

was, but working with the way it is – for 

the better. 

Rotorua Business Chamber CEO Bryce 

Heard says the positive of COVID-19 is 

that it has swept away our beliefs and 

habits, and “forced us to think and act 

differently”. 

He added: “While its impacts are 

extremely stressing, there may be 

some lessons we can take from the 

experience. Is there a chance to ‘build 

back better’? How about a bold new 

plan to match the bold Government 

borrowing and set us up for the next 

50 years? 

“From capitalising on our nation’s 

clean, green image and natural 

assets, through to crop diversification, 

land use, reinventing tourism and 

infrastructure… the list is endless, but 

now is the time to make it happen 

and show the world how we can turn 

adversity into improvements.” 

Eastern Bay Chamber General Manager 

Lucy Devany says seeing businesses 

pivot to survive and thrive has been 

“awesome”, and the positive attitudes 

and resilience shown has been 

reassuring for the region’s long-term 

growth. 

“The importance of business support 

in our rohe has been paramount to 

businesses getting back on their feet 

after a double blow to the economy, 

following the Whakaari/White Island 

eruption and COVID-19. The response 

from our business community to 

the support offered has been 

overwhelmingly positive.” 

In Western Bay of Plenty, Tauranga 

Chamber of Commerce CEO Matt 

Cowley comments that COVID-19 has 

seen local businesses and organisations 

rally together more so than ever, and 

believes one positive of this challenging 

time has been the opportunity to unify 

the business community. 

“There has been an increased want and 

need to come together to work towards 

a common goal of a regional recovery. 

We have been working with our 

members, the wider business community 

and supporting organisations, such as 

TAURANGA – SEEING AN 

INCREASED NEED TO PULL 

TOGETHER. 


Priority One and Tourism Bay of Plenty, to 

connect businesses to the support they 

need.” 

Now and into the future, the Chambers 

are committed to getting businesses 

back on their feet, by building business 

capability, providing a collective voice 

on behalf of the business community, 

and connecting business owners and 

employers with the resources they need. 

Each Chamber offers a range of services 

and opportunities, available to both 

members and the wider business 

community. These include networking 

and training events, providing tips and 

advice from local experts, exporting 

assistance, and advocacy to champion on 

behalf of its members on the big issues. 

Collectively, the Chambers facilitate the 

delivery of the Regional Business Partner 

Network (RBP), a Government-funded 

programme that helps businesses of all 

sizes and stages by connecting them to 

expert advice and support specific to 

their needs. 

“Our Business Advisors are local business 

professionals who can provide practical 

advice and support – from access to 

webinars and one-on-one support, 

through to business mentoring and 

business capability development,” 

explains Matt. 

ROTORUA – TIME TO 

TURN ADVERSITY INTO 

IMPROVEMENTS. 

Rebuilding and recovery will be 

achieved by working together to build 

better, stronger business in the Bay of 

Plenty. We welcome you to engage with 

your local Chamber and find out how 

we can help you take the next step for 

your business. 

EASTERN BOP – BUSINESS 

SUPPORT HAS BEEN PARAMOUNT. 

PHOTOS MATTHEW LOWE/ 

EASTERN BAY AERIAL IMAGING. 

CONNECT WITH YOUR 

LOCAL CHAMBER 

Tauranga Chamber of Commerce 

(Western Bay of Plenty) – 

Tauranga.org.nz 

Rotorua Business Chamber 

(Rotorua and Central Bay of 

Plenty) – rotoruachamber.co.nz 

Eastern Bay Chamber (Whakatane, 

Opotiki and Kawerau Districts) – 

ebopchamber.co.nz 


CARRUS 

Supporting its clients through 

the Covid crunch 

THE CARRUS BRAND 

HAS BEEN synonymous 

with land development 

for more than 30 years 

in the Bay of Plenty and 

throughout the North 

Island. 

Land developers are the pioneers 

of the building industry, literally 

the foundations from where urban 

development begins and on which so 

many other businesses throughout the 

real estate sector rely. 

“Land developers see and often 

experience changes in the market 

before anyone else,” said Carrus 

managing director Scott Adams. 

Having been through several property 

cycles, Carrus know only too well the 

“curse of the 8” – eg, 1988, 1998 and 

2008 – where NZ’s economy took 

financial beatings. Just like any other 

business, land developers are forced to 

take stock of their financial position and 

have to make crucial decisions that can 

affect other businesses that are part of 

the real estate supply chain. 

“Carrus have recognised that its business 

relationships are the most important 

ingredient when battling through a 

recession, especially the long-term 

relationships with residential builders,” 

said Adams. 

Fortunately, Carrus is able to provide 

assistance to its buyers in the building 

industry, when working capital 

and access to credit can become 

compromised. 

Carrus has developed its way through 

recessions before: In the aftermath of the 

1987 share market crash, founder Sir Paul 

Adams re-positioned the business. The 

biggest player in the pre-Zespri kiwifruit 

industry, Paul re-focused into residential 

land development as he realised 

there was a great potential for urban 

development in the Bay. 

Carrus set a high standard for subdivision 

streetscape, where previously there 

hadn’t been any. Impressive entrance 

walls, elegant streetlights, quality 

landscaping and wider roads with 

mountable kerbs all contributed to a 

better living environment. Sections 

were quickly gobbled up in new Carrus 

subdivisions as the local economy took 

off again. 

Carrus thrived throughout the mid-1990s 

undertaking multiple developments 

across the Bay, only pausing to catch 

its breath at the end of the millennium 

during a financial crisis that saw a 

meltdown of several of New Zealand’s 

main trading partners throughout Asia, 

resulting in a weakened Kiwi dollar. 

This, combined with high interest rates, 

and the El Nino and La Nina drought 

patterns impacting agriculture, all led 

to New Zealand falling on hard times. 

Again, Carrus did not falter, recognising 

that this was not just a good opportunity 

“Carrus have recognised that its 

business relationships are the most 

important ingredient when battling 

through a recession, especially 

the long-term relationships with 

residential builders.” - Scott Adams 

THE LAKES, TAURANGA. 


to develop more land stock, but also to 

diversify risk by partnering up and sharing 

the risk. This subsequently led to further 

land development, not just in the Western 

Bay but also further afield: Hamilton, 

Rotorua, Taupo and Wellington. 

Building frenzy 

The mid 2000s saw a frenzy of building 

and sales activity with section buyers 

queuing up outside Carrus sales offices 

overnight as if they were buying tickets to 

a rock concert. Land doubled in price and 

New Zealand’s building boom was alive 

and kicking – until the collapse of the US 

Housing market in 2008 dragged down 

global growth, causing the Global Financial 

Crisis. 

At this time Carrus had big financial and 

environmental exposure in Wellington with 

two large land developments in Porirua 

(Aotea & Silverwood Estate). Despite this, 

Carrus realised the importance of assisting 

its builders, particularly those who had 

purchased multiple lots and were feeling 

the strain. Carrus deferred settlements for 

these builders, who were able to keep 

building through the GFC and eventually 

fulfilled their settlement obligations, which 

in turn allowed Carrus to continue land 

development. 

AOTEA, PORIRUA. 

“Since 2012, New Zealand has seen the 

biggest housing boom in our nation’s 

history,” said Adams. “While everyone 

knew another recession was overdue, 

nobody knew it would come in the form of 

a viral pandemic.” 

What lies ahead was uncertain when we 

went to print. The country is in recession, 

but how long, and how hard we are going 

to be hit, remains to be seen. However, 

we know in the Western Bay there is still 

a housing shortfall and the government 

thinks the best way for our nation to 

overcome the economic shock of the 

pandemic is to build our way out of it, said 

Adams. 

KENEPURU LANDING, PORIRUA. 

“Carrus will again do our bit to ensure the 

economy bounces back post COVID-19 by 

working with central and local government 

to prepare ‘shovel ready’ land for housing 

supply, while elsewhere in the country, 

as during past crises, we will continue to 

assist our clients, the builders and section 

buyers.” 

07 579 3300 

WWW.CARRUS.CO.NZ 

NGA ROTO ESTATE, TAUPO. 


COONEY LEES 

MORGAN 

The changing face of law 

COONEY LEES 

MORGAN (CLM) IS a 

linchpin of Tauranga’s 

business community 

and its ability to 

rejuvenate and adapt 

to a fast-changing 

world is why it continues to thrive after 

102 years. 

The firm’s culture and values remain 

steadfast, but the office DNA happily 

remains in a state of flux with 20 new 

staff hired in the last 12 months alone. 

Owen Cooney, who joined the firm 

almost 40 years ago, explained that the 

commitment to bringing in new blood 

had really been a point of difference. 

“If you’re not bringing in new blood, 

you’re not changing with the times, 

you’re not bringing in fresh energy and 

the oldies just get staid in their ways,” he 

said. 

“Some of the large firms that were 

perceived leaders in the legal industry in 

Tauranga when I first came to town, are 

either no longer here or a mere shadow 

of themselves, because that young talent 

and energy hasn’t been brought through 

on a regular basis.” 

recruitment market. This year CLM hired 

five summer clerks for the first time to 

bring youth and vitality to the workplace 

over summer, assist their lawyers over 

a busy period, and to assess potential 

candidates for fulltime graduate 

positions. 

Partner Scott Goodwin said CLM has 

had interns in the past, but not as a 

considered approach to position the 

firm for the future. 

“We accept that these young people 

will travel and see the world and gain 

important life skills. But one day, they 

may return and become a valued 

member of our firm. The summer 

internship was such a success we have 

unanimously decided to do it again next 

summer and beyond.” 

Scott is one of the youngest partners 

at just 38 years of age and says flexible 

working arrangements are another 

“If you’re not bringing in new blood, 

you’re not changing with the times, 

you’re not bringing in fresh energy 

and the oldies just get staid in their 

ways.” – Owen Cooney 

Generational growth 

Fostering the next generation is a key 

focus due to considerable growth in 

the past five years and a challenging 

CHANGING TIMES: MENTORING AND 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ENSURE 

THE TEAM AT COONEY LEES MORGAN 

CONTINUES TO THRIVE. 


noticeable difference compared to 

generations gone by. “We appreciate 

that more often than not, both parents 

are working,” he said. 

“This is very challenging for both our 

staff and our firm. But family is important 

and we very much prioritise family 

commitments and work hard towards 

ensuring our staff have a work life 

balance. We expect the very best from 

our people and they deliver time and 

time again.” 

Mary Hill says the mentorship she’s 

received over the past 15 years has been 

invaluable to her career, having arrived 

from Auckland as a commercial litigator. 

“I had no expertise or experience in 

resource management law, but felt CLM 

was the best fit for me in terms of its 

culture and values, so I took the job. Paul 

Cooney was an excellent mentor. He 

took me along to every court hearing, 

meeting and mediation and I quickly 

learned the ropes.” 

Mary says upskilling staff in a focused 

manner is something CLM invests 

considerable resources in. “All staff are 

responsible for their own upskilling by 

identifying opportunities of interest,” she 

said. “We have a well-utilised system for 

FOSTERING TALENT: FIVE 

UNIVERSITY LAW STUDENTS 

ENJOYED SUMMER PLACEMENTS AT 

COONEY LEES MORGAN EARLIER 

THIS YEAR TO GET REAL-WORLD 

LEGAL EXPERIENCE. PICTURED ARE 

GEORGIA THOMPSON, HANNAH 

SPEIGHT, XAVIER CASEY, JEMMA 

HOLLIS AND LUCY TUSTIN. 

applying for, and considering, requests 

for conference and seminar attendance 

with generous budget allocations, and 

staff are required to share what they 

have learnt with team members.” 

Having watched the firm evolve over 

several generations, Owen Cooney 

enjoys the noise, spark and banter that 

young members of the team provide. 

The days of precious corner offices and 

partners being separated from junior 

staff are long gone. 

“There are more collegial work 

arrangements now on the work floor, 

whereas before there were offices 

and closed doors,” he said. “Although 

having said that, the firm has always 

had an open door policy. Nobody is 

too precious or important to go ask a 

question of, but the open plan really 

encourages that even further and helps 

us to foster new talent.” 

07 578 2099 

COONEYLEESMORGAN.CO.NZ 


It’s about being 

future-ready 

Together, creating the best 

soil and feed on earth. 

ballance.co.nz | 0800 222 090 


Together, 

Creating the Best 

Soil and Feed on Earth 

Leading the way in… 

Building a brighter 

future together 

As one of New Zealand’s largest 

100% farmer and grower owned 

co-operatives, every member of 

the Ballance family - customers, 

partners and employees - 

share a love for the land and 

as such, are committed to 

being environmental stewards. 

You don’t have to look hard 

to find examples of this from 

the $50 million hydrogen 

project that will kickstart NZ’s 

green hydrogen economy; to 

being proud sponsors of the 

Ballance Farm Environment 

Awards for 20 years and 

supporting local initiatives such 

as Bay Conservation Alliance. 

Underpinning all of this is 

an award-winning company 

culture that nurtures talent 

through graduate and employee 

health, safety, well-being and 

development programmes. 

Together, this team is proudly 

leading the way. 

Clever science for NZ inc. 

As well as collaborating with 

agri-specialists to develop 

innovative solutions for the 

future, Ballance also have their 

sights firmly set on the needs 

of today with their feet firmly on 

the ground, providing farmers 

and growers with tailored advice 

and dependable solutions. 

Relentlessly championing best 

practice and world-leading 

agri-science and technologies 

that drive productivity, resulting 

in ground-breaking products 

such as SurePhos and 

SustaiN, sustainable solutions 

that are proven to keep nutrients 

in the soil - supporting healthy 

waterways and environment. 

Sustainable agriculture 

and nutrient management 

They also lead the industry 

through innovative digital 

platforms such as MyBallance 

and MitAgator that help inform 

nutrient and environmental 

management decisions. 

Alongside these online tools, 

Ballance have a nationwide 

team of sustainability specialists 

who assist farmers and growers 

in understanding their nutrient 

management and develop Farm 

Environment Plans. 

Aerial fertiliser application 

Super Air’s fleet of aircraft 

utilise state-of-the-art variable 

rate application and GPS 

technology, which integrate 

with farm mapping and 

reporting tools to provide 

accurate proof-of-placement 

of nutrients on farm, giving 

greater efficiencies and also 

protecting our waterways. 

High-performance agri-feed 

SealesWinslow is continuously 

innovating agri-feed products 

that enhance animal 

performance and wellbeing. 

With mills in Morrinsville, 

Whanganui and Ashburton 

producing compound feed, 

mineral blocks and additives, 

silage inoculants and mycotoxin 

neutralisers that are tailor-made 

for New Zealand conditions. 

The sum of all of this, Ballance, 

together with farmers and 

growers are leading the way 

to a better brighter future. 


LEFT TO RIGHT, 1ST ROW: BILL, NINA, JAKE, COURTNEY, JORDAN; 2ND ROW: KELLY, JOSH, KIRSTEN, JULIAN, LARA. 

ENTERPRISE ANGELS 

Growing strongly and widening scope to impact investing 

ENTERPRISE ANGELS 

HAS BEEN A key 

component of 

the Bay of Plenty’s 

entrepreneurial 

ecosystem since its 

launch in 2008. The 

brainchild of Bill Murphy, Enterprise 

Angels has continued to expand to over 

200 members, three well-supported 

early stage funds, and now – impact 

investing. Since inception it has facilitated 

investment of $48.2 million* in 84 earlystage 

companies. 

Enterprise Angels has evolved to be the 

largest and best-resourced angel group 

in the country, most recently closing its 

largest fund to date, EA Fund 3, on $3 

million. “EA Fund 3 will invest in 15-plus 

innovative, high-growth New Zealand 

businesses over the next two-to-three 

years,” said Enterprise Angels Chief 

Executive Nina Le Lievre. 

“Having a fund of this size benefits not 

only our fund investors and the startups 

it supports, but also the wider Enterprise 

Angels group, enabling us to attract 

better deals.” 

Startups and founders 

Why is angel investing more important 

now than ever? In any given economy, 

startups account for over 45 percent of 

all net new job growth. Enterprise Angels 

portfolio companies alone have enabled 

1,500 jobs, 350 of those local. 

And in tough times, there are always 

opportunities. As Bill Murphy notes, some 

great companies have been launched 

during weak economic periods. “There 

will be growth sectors in an environment 

like this – startups creating efficiency 

products and services as well as 

improvements in remote capabilities 

to name a few and these startups will 

require capital and support to grow,” he 

said. 

Adds Le Lievre: “Angels tend to be highrisk 

investors using money that is most 

often ‘already earned and put away’ so it 

tends to not be as affected by financial or 

economic crises.” 

Impact Investing 

Bill Murphy has already widened the 

scope of investing in the region by the 

pioneering launch of Purpose Capital. 

This regionally based and focused 

fund is aimed at expanding the growth 

in New Zealand of impact investing – 

investments made with the intention of 

generating a social or environmental 

impact alongside a financial return – 

which has been growing globally. 

Purpose Capital has been backed initially 

by cornerstone investments from trusts 

including Bay Trust, Acorn Foundation, 

TECT, WEL Energy Trust, and others, 

and has achieved its first close of $20 

million. The fund was conceived as a 

partnership between the commercial 

and philanthropic sectors. 

Now Enterprise Angels is introducing 

the concept of investing in early stage 

social enterprises to interested angel 

investors. Kristen Joiner, Director of 

Impact Investing, explains that Enterprise 

Angels has spent the past year reviewing 

impact investing trends and exploring 

the needs of both investors and impact 

entrepreneurs. The group surveyed and 

interviewed members to gauge their 

potential interest and to get a sense 

of what kinds of entities would be of 

interest. 

“Most of our angel investors want to 

make a difference,” she said. “Early stage 

investing is by its nature highly risky. But 

people cared a lot about issues such as 

the environment, climate change, etc. 

“Typically, angel investors are looking 

for investments that can scale and they 

can get their money back through a 

liquidation event – a trade sale or IPO. 

But we found our members were not 

necessarily interested in getting cash 

back through a liquidation event in 

an impact investment but were open 

to options such as receiving cash 

dividends.” 

Enterprise Angels is planning to bring 

angel investors together with impact start 

ups in the group’s regular pitch meetings 

as well as at Impact Coffee Groups. 

And while the group expected 2020 

to be challenging, the same angel 

investing rules as always applied, says 

Le Lievre. “Diversify, think long-term, do 

your due diligence and remember that 

your networks and experience are as 

important as the capital you invest.” 

*At time of publishing 

07 571 2520 

ENTERPRISEANGELS.CO.NZ/ 

INVEST/ 


EASTERN BOP 

well-positioned for the future 

BY KARL GRADON, 

Karl Gradon is GM Strategy for TOI EDA, 

the Eastern Bay of Plenty economic 

development agency 

DESPITE THE 

WHAKAARI 

ERUPTION AND 

COVID-19 bringing 

challenges to the 

local and national 

economy, the Eastern 

Bay of Plenty (EBOP) has good reason 

to see a bright future. 

It was designated a surge region by 

the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) two 

years ago and has attracted significant 

investments. With has strong primary 

industry sectors, such as forestry, 

kiwifruit and dairy, the EBOP is poised 

to potentially slingshot out of the post- 

COVID-19 world with good momentum 

ahead of the rest of New Zealand. 

The 2017 EBOP strategic development 

plan, sponsored by the Regional 

Growth Leadership Group, made 

up of all civic and iwi leaders in 

the subregion, identified four key 

catalytic areas of focus to push for 

PGF support so that the outcome 

would be meaningful jobs for the local 

population. 

Stretching from the rich soils of 

Raukokore in the East, to the geothermal 

energy hotspot in Kawerau in the 

West, the EBOP has been taking a long 

term and highly focused approach to 

growth. 

This has included High Value 

Horticulture projects, such as irrigation 

for kiwifruit and the planting of 

blueberries; an “inland port” rail terminal 

built alongside the existing powerhouse 

manufacturing hub in Kawerau, and 

supporting the high growth aquaculture 

industry in Opotiki with a new 

processing plant and harbour. 

New commercial boat harbour 

We are supporting the marine sector 

with a new commercial boat harbour 

in Whakatane, which boasts two of the 

three largest boatbuilders in the country 

and some of the country’s best offshore 

tourism attractions. Altogether they 

have been successful in securing over 

$200 million in PGF funding in recent 

months. Much of this funding comes with 

matched funding from private and local 

government investment, which means 

the region will be able to create up to 

7,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs 

by 2030. In a region with a population of 

48,000 people, this is significant growth 

and underpins the Toi EDA’s strategy of 

Creating Thriving Communities. 

The region originally identified that 

the biggest job growth opportunities 

would be only realised by working 

collaboratively across Maori businesses 

and Trusts, local government and private 

investors. Some of the most successful 

local companies are Maori owned 

and in a region with 48 percent of the 

population being Maori this bodes well 

for future economic leadership. This 

collaborative approach has delivered 

significant outcomes for the region, 

with the confirmed PGF funds more 

than double the original targets. With a 

regional GDP of $1.9 billion, this scale of 

capital investment is a major economic 

outcome for a region that for many years 

lagged behind the rest of New Zealand’s 

growth rates. The key to this investment 

is making sure that the activities result in 

meaningful and sustainable job creation. 

Momentum continues to build 

Even in the midst of our COVID-19 

lockdown, the momentum continued 

to build, with several announcements 

made during the Level Two period 

with the start-up of the Whakatohea 

Mussels processing factory construction 

project, the reopening of major quarries 

in Opotiki, and the tendering for the 

strengthening of the Whakatane wharf. 

The awarding of contracts will happen as 

quickly as possible to create a muchneeded 

stimulus in the post-COVID-19 

world. The projects are happening now, 

ahead of the rest of the country, which is 

great news for the region. 

With the newly created jobs now 

becoming a reality, the region is 

confronting new challenges. There 

are the obvious constraints to growth 

to resolve, such as housing availability 

and digital connectivity to the out lying 

regions. With the recent significant 

increases in house prices across the 

region and the continued demand for 

quality housing, the EBOP is experiencing 

a real affordability issue. The intent is 

to attract home talent from across the 

country to be part of the boom in jobs, 

and creating affordable housing options 

is a key outcome that Toi EDA is working 

with local partners on resolving. 

The future is bright for the EBOP. The 

region is surging ahead and has every 

right to be proud of the hard work put 

in over the past two years to now be 

in a position to create a generational 

difference. There is real hope in the 

region and a sense of positivity and cando 

attitude is coming to the fore to make 

the most of these opportunities. 

KARL GRADON. 


PORT OF 

TAURANGA 

New Zealand’s biggest international 

cargo gateway 

PORT OF TAURANGA IS 

NEW Zealand’s largest 

and most efficient port 

and the Bay of Plenty’s 

gateway to the world. Its 

success as the country’s 

international hub port has 

wide-reaching benefits for the regional 

economy. 

Port of Tauranga is not only the largest 

container port in New Zealand, but it 

is also the largest bulk cargo port. It 

exports the majority of New Zealand’s 

logs, dairy products and kiwifruit. 

The port is connected by road and rail 

to the Waikato, Auckland and central 

North Island regions. The company also 

operates a container terminal at Timaru 

in the South Island, and multiple inland 

freight hubs. It has a created a national 

network to give importers and exporters 

efficient access to markets globally. 

The Port’s recent growth in cargo 

volumes has been fuelled by investment 

in capacity expansion over the past 

decade. It is the only New Zealand 

port able to accommodate the largest 

container vessels to visit here. 

The investment has included deepening 

and widening shipping channels and 

expanding cargo storage and handling 

facilities. 

Extension planned to meet growth 

The next stage of growth will see the 

port’s container wharves extended 

using existing port land. The extension 

of up to 220 metres will provide a fourth 

container ship berth. Another container 

crane was delivered in early 2020, 


inging the port’s fleet to nine. The new 

crane is the port’s largest yet, able to 

service ships up to 19 containers wide. 

Port of Tauranga has a large property 

portfolio, comprising 190 hectares on 

both sides of Tauranga Harbour. And in 

early 2020, Port of Tauranga announced 

a joint venture with Tainui Group 

Holdings to establish an inland port at 

Ruakura in Hamilton. 

Port of Tauranga Chief Executive, Mark 

Cairns, says the port has plenty of room 

to grow as cargo volumes continue to 

rise. “We’ve got the space to expand 

without expensive and unwelcome 

reclamation,” he said. 

projects throughout the Bay of Plenty, 

such as the new tertiary education 

campus in Tauranga city, redevelopment 

of Opotiki Harbour and the Scion 

Science Innovation Park in Rotorua. 

Port of Tauranga directly supports a 

number of community-based projects 

and events, including causes in the arts, 

sport, environment and business sectors. 

“It is important to us that we look after 

the environment and the community in 

which we are lucky enough to operate,” 

said Cairns. 

Port of Tauranga partners with local 

iwi through the Nga Matarae Trust, 

KEY FACTS 

ABOUT PORT 

OF TAURANGA 

• The largest and most efficient 

port in New Zealand. 

• Handles a third of all New 

Zealand log and sawn timber 

exports. 

• Handles around 40% of New 

Zealand containers – more than 

1.2 million 20ft equivalent units. 

“It is important to us that we look 

after the environment and the 

community in which we are lucky 

enough to operate.” – Mark Cairns 

• 190 ha of land on both sides of 

Tauranga Harbour. 

• Nine container cranes. 

• 2.8 km quay length with 14 

berths. 

• 14.5 metres shipping channel 

depth. 

The port is majority-owned by the 

region’s ratepayers. Bay of Plenty 

Regional Council’s investment arm, 

Quayside Holdings, owns just over 54 

per cent of the shares. 

Since Port of Tauranga was listed on the 

New Zealand Stock Exchange in 1992, 

Quayside has been paid more than $820 

million in dividends from port profits. 

A $200 million infrastructure fund has 

also been established to help the council 

invest in regional assets. 

It has been used to kickstart major 

which the port funds to provide tertiary 

education scholarships and projects to 

promote harbour health. 

Cairns says the key to the company’s 

success is its long-term, mutually 

beneficial relationships. 

“As the region copes with the fall out 

of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will 

continue to support our community. 

Our relationships with our employees, 

suppliers, customers and the community 

underpin our future success and 

ongoing economic benefit for the Bay of 

Plenty region.” 

• 1,678 ship visits in the year to 

June 2019. 

• Investment in ports in 

Whangarei (Northport) and 

Timaru (Primeport), as well as 

inland freight hubs in Auckland, 

Christchurch and soon Hamilton. 

07 572 8899 

WWW.PORT-TAURANGA.CO.NZ 



BY LUCY HILL, 

Trustpower 2019 Apollo Graduate 

LIFE ON THE INSIDE OF 

TRUSTPOWER 

The Apollo intern and graduate experience 

TRUSTPOWER IS IN 

ITS SECOND year of 

running the Apollo 

Programme, which 

takes on seven people 

each year for two 

years of learning and 

experiencing life at Trustpower. 

People of all backgrounds are 

encouraged to apply, whether they are 

fresh out of university, already employed 

at Trustpower, or looking for a career 

change. The Apollo programme rotates 

participants through different areas in the 

business, to learn a variety of skills and 

gain industry and business knowledge. 

Throughout the programme, each 

participant is encouraged to give 

feedback on business operations, 

team dynamics and experience from 

the perspective of a fresh set of eyes. 

Each participant is assigned a manager 

and buddy for each team they rotate 

through, alongside a mentor for the 

duration of the programme. Participants 

are permanent employees of Trustpower. 

At the conclusion of their 2 year 

programme, Apollo participants will go 

on to work in or develop a role that best 

matches their career goals and interests 

within business life at Trustpower. 

Flexible workplace environment 

Trustpower’s working style is very 

different to most. The Tauranga 

headquarters in the CBD was built 

to facilitate activity-based working 

(aka innovation, communication and 

connectivity). 

The company has areas specifically 

designed for all kinds of work, be it 

highly focused, private conference calls, 

scheduled and spontaneous meetings. 

Name the kind of space needed and it 

probably exists. The flexibility continues 

into the workload and work time. 

Workload is overseen by managers to 

ensure work-life balance is just right. And 

if you forgot to feed the cat it’s all good, 

you can go and work from home and 

make sure Roger is doing okay. 

Helpful colleagues 

It would be unusual to walk past 

someone in the building and not smile 

or say hello (there are about 700 people 

here), and if you needed help from one 

of those 700 people, they will help you 

often more than you thought possible. 

There is a huge variety of specialists and 

talents at Trustpower, so help with your 

work or for your personal life is very easy 

to come by. 

Opportunities for personal growth 

Trustpower has shown the Apollo 

interns they value personal growth and 

encourage staff to seek training and 

new roles if they’re of interest to them. 

Training workshops are hosted on site 

for staff, teaching things of interest such 

as Te Reo Maori, how to work in an Agile 

APOLLO PROGRAMME: ENCOURAGING 

YOUNG PEOPLE. PHOTO/TRUSTPOWER. 

way, and even yoga. 

Staff members organise influential guest 

speakers such as Jason Gunn, Dr Tom 

Mulholland and Judith Collins for the 

business to listen to and ask questions. 

Weeks of the year are dedicated to 

special causes such as mental health, 

and Recycling Week where staff groups 

organise activities, permanent changes to 

the office and the way Trustpower works 

to improve the workspace. 

Living a healthy life is also supported 

through free sports team sponsorships 

to staff, gym and pool memberships, 

free fruit Mondays, discounted medical 

insurance, onsite reflexology and 

massage services and many, many more. 

Our Apollo interns report: “We think it’s 

pretty awesome, if you get the chance, 

give it a go.” 

0800 36 98 45 

WWW.TRUSTPOWER.CO.NZ 


BAYLEYS 

– A CORNERSTONE OF 

THE BAY OF PLENTY 

COMMUNITY 

BAYLEYS REAL ESTATE IS 

NEW ZEALAND’S largest 

full-service real estate 

agency. It operates an 

unmatched portfolio of 

property-related sales 

and marketing services 

and expertise across the residential, 

commercial and industrial, and rural 

property sectors, along with delivering 

commercial and residential property 

management and advisory services. 

Bayleys in the Bay of Plenty has been 

behind the marketing and sale of 

thousands of properties in the region 

over the decades. It remains focused on 

always ensuring its people concentrate 

on the real estate fundamentals of 

knowledge, commitment, service, 

transparency and best practice 

operations. This delivers the type of real 

estate experience that has seen clients 

coming back to Bayleys for decades. 

Heath Young, the Chief Executive Officer 

of Realty Services, which operates 

Bayleys in the Bay of Plenty, said: “Our 

people share, and are united by, the real 

family values that our founders built into 

the business from the beginning.” 

Young emphasised that relationships 

mattered to Bayleys. 

“Service matters to us. Trust, reliability 

and the desire to exceed expectations 

are the fundamentals that define us.” 

BAYLEYS AUCTIONEER, STEPHEN 

SHALE, IN ACTION. 

BAYLEYS HAS EXPERTS ACROSS ALL OF THE 

FOLLOWING REAL ESTATE SECTORS: 

Commercial 

• Commercial, industrial, and retail 

property sales 

• Investment property sales 

• Office, industrial and retail leasing 

• Project and development sales and 

marketing 

• Land sales 

• Syndicated property sales and 

projects 

Residential 

• Residential property sales 

• Apartment sales 

• Waterfront property sales 

• Lifestyle property sales 

• Project and development sales and 

marketing 

• Residential property management 

• Residential letting 

• Viticulture and horticulture property 

sales 

• Sector specific marketing and insights 

Property Services 

• Facilities management 

• Consultancy services 

• Project management 

• Valuations and advisory 

• Property and asset management 

• Business sales 

• Tourism, leisure and hospitality sales 

• Capital markets 

• Iwi services 

Country 

• Rural, lifestyle and farm property 

sales 

• Rural property leasing 

• Corporate services 

• Focused leasing services 

• Funds management 

• Lending services 


“In 2019, Bayleys 

Tauranga was 

crowned New 

Zealand’s top 

performing 

medium rural office 

at the Real Estate 

Institute of New 

Zealand awards.” 

Supporting the Community 

While Bayleys advocates a highly 

successful network of sales and 

marketing teams, the company is 

also firmly anchored in the local Bay 

of Plenty community – with a broad 

web of associations and affiliations 

across all sectors of the region’s 

cultural, education and sporting 

organisations. 

Among the dozens of Bayleys Bay of 

Plenty’s community sponsorships are: 

• The Bay of Plenty Sports Award 

• Bay of Plenty Kids Can 

• The Tauranga Arts Festival 

• Tauranga Hockey Association 

• Pongakawa School 

• Greenpark School 

• Waipuna Hospice 

• Tauranga Golf Club 

• Mount Primary School 

• Midlands Hockey 

• Kaimai School 

• Bay of Plenty Garden and Art 

Festival 

• Merivale School 

• Bay of Plenty Steamers 

Heath Young, CEO, said it was 

important for the agency to be 

involved in and supporting the 

community – a reflection of the 

culture and values of the Bayleys 

brand. 

“We love to see our company 

associated with so many wonderful 

groups within the community 

and really enjoying giving back. 

Building strong communities comes 

from social conscience and this is 

something we choose to do.” 

BAYLEYS TOP OFFICE 2020, 

BAYLEYS MT MAUNGANUI. 

07 578 2118 

WWW.BAYLEYS.CO.NZ/ 

BAYOFPLENTY 

AWARD WINNING 

In 2019, Bayleys Tauranga was crowned 

New Zealand’s top performing medium 

rural office at the Real Estate Institute 

of New Zealand awards. Bayleys Mount 

Maunganui won the small residential 

office of the year at the 2018 REINZ 

award, the second consecutive year 

Bayleys Mount Maunganui has won. 

Bayleys Bay of Plenty also took home the 

Bayleys national award in 2019 for the 

highest volume of residential properties 

sold at auction during the 2018/19 

calendar year – with an impressive 

success rate of close to 75 percent. 

“Our in-depth knowledge and 

experience ensure Bayleys’ clients 

throughout the Bay of Plenty have 

positive experiences in all of their 

dealings with the brand – which totally 

underpins our Altogether Better, mantra,” 

said Young. “The family values instilled by 

Bayleys’ founder Graham Bayley remain 

a driving force in our business culture 

to this day,” he said. “This means our 

people are approachable and genuine, 

and are fully committed to go the extra 

mile to deliver exceptional service to our 

clients.” 


TOURISM: 

A critical component in the 

Bay’s recovery 

BY KRISTIN DUNNE, 

Kristin Dunne is the chief executive of 

Tourism Bay of Plenty 

THE IMPORTANCE OF 

TOURISM HAS never 

been more appreciated 

than it is now. The 

COVID-19 pandemic 

has shown us how far 

the visitor economy 

stretches into all corners of New Zealand. 

The country’s largest export-earner is 

comprised of activities, accommodation, 

transport, aviation, both natural and built 

attractions, hospitality and retail. We have 

welcomed the government’s support 

as an acknowledgement of the huge 

contribution that tourism makes to our 

national economy. 

Tourism will be a critical component 

of our nation’s economic recovery, 

especially for the regions of New 

Zealand. Many of the Coastal Bay of 

Plenty’s tourism businesses are owneroperator 

and we know they invest their 

heart and soul into the experiences they 

deliver for our manuhiri, our visitors. 

Although the businesses are mostly 

KRISTIN DUNNE 

small, the Coastal Bay of Plenty tourism 

economy is not. To the year ending 

March 2019, there were more than 8,000 

jobs directly employed by our local 

tourism industry that are at stake. 

As I’m sure all New Zealanders feel, I’m 

grateful that our country could safely 

open up relatively quickly so that Kiwis 

could start exploring Aotearoa again with 

a renewed appreciation for its beauty. 

Domestic visitors are the Coastal Bay 

of Plenty’s most significant market and 

so we’re pouring much of our efforts 

into drawing our Kiwi manuhiri back. 

For the time being, we will be relying 

on the strength of our domestic market 

and it is vital to our economy. Domestic 

visitor spend reached $864 million to the 

year-ending March, 2020, comprising 

77.9 percent of the Coastal Bay of Plenty’s 

total visitor spend of $1.109 billion. 

The Coastal Bay of Plenty is a place 

with everything Kiwis love in a holiday 

destination – it is beautiful and beachy 

with a warm maritime climate and a 

flourishing foodie scene. Visitors come 


for the outstanding marine life, to taste 

the flavors of our land and sea harvest, 

to connect with nature on endless 

tracks to explore, and to experience a 

culture formed eons ago. Our culture 

comes in so many forms – community 

villages, stunning galleries, diverse 

events, cultural sites of major historical 

significance and a warm community of 

people. 

Noplacelikehome.co.nz 

In collaboration with our tourism 

industry, we’ve developed a multi-stage 

plan to support the visitor economy 

during each Alert Level and beyond. 

On Friday 8 May, 2020, Tourism Bay 

of Plenty launched a new campaign, 

noplacelikehome.co.nz, for locals 

and their visiting friends and relatives 

because we know that this connection 

is a big driver for domestic travel to our 

region. 

The Coastal Bay of Plenty’s biggest fans, 

our locals, are our best advocates. The 

stories that you tell about our place 

are powerful and we need them to be 

shared more than ever. We’re asking 

locals to unleash their love of their 

place by finding out what’s in our own 

backyard and celebrating it. 

Support local by playing tourist in the 

place you call home – what could be a 

better way to brush off the lockdown 

cobwebs than a skydive or a trip to see 

dolphins? When you have friends or 

family come to stay, show them the best 

of the Bay by experiencing what visitors 

come from all over the world to do. 

Inter-region campaign 

We’re also working with our central 

North Island partners on an interregion 

campaign. I’m always amazed 

by the big adventures we can have 

within such short travel times. The next 

step for our promotions team will be 

a national campaign. We’ve had great 

success through partnerships with Air 

New Zealand and Christchurch and 

Wellington International Airports. 

We’re maintaining our brand presence 

in key international markets to ensure 

we are still being considered at the 

top of future-travellers’ bucket lists 

when border restrictions allow. The 

trans-Tasman bubble on the horizon is 

promising and we will make sure we are 

ready to welcome Aussies back when 

it is safe to do so. Australian visitors 

contributed $69 million to the Coastal 

Bay of Plenty’s tourism economy in the 

year-ending March 2020. 

The other side to our marketing team is 

about building capability and capacity 

within our tourism industry. We have a 

team of product developers including 

a Kaihautū – Māori Economy who 

works specifically with Iwi and Hapū to 

develop cultural tourism businesses. 

So many of our tourism businesses have 

shown such heart and resilience, using 

the pause in tourism to consider how 

their business can contribute more to our 

community and our environment. Our 

tourism industry rallies together during 

times of crisis. 

We experienced this through the 

eruption and aftermath of the Whakaari 

White Island tragedy. But the love of 

place, love of people – kaitiakitanga and 

“We’re asking locals to unleash 

their love of their place by finding 

out what’s in our own backyard and 

celebrating it.” 

manaakitanga – is what keeps us smiling. 

We continue to forge forward together 

to create a sustainable visitor economy 

for the benefit of our community. 

When the time is right, we know that 

visitors will return to the Coastal Bay of 

Plenty. The feeling of visiting our place 

draws our manuhiri back time and again. 

It’s why we’ve been a much-loved Kiwi 

holiday destination for generations. 

What warms our heart the most is the 

many locals who cannot wait to warmly 

welcome our manuhiri again – it’s why 

we do what we do. 


SCION 

Driving forestry tech 

innovation and growth 

NESTLED ON THE 

EDGE OF the 

Whakarewarewa 

Forest is one of 

Rotorua’s largest 

employers, quietly 

going about the 

business of developing some of New 

Zealand’s most innovative technologies 

for the forestry, wood products and 

biomaterials industries. 

Scion may be tucked out of sight, 

but that is soon to change with the 

imminent opening of its showcase 

innovation hub. As one of seven Crown 

research institutes, Scion’s job is to drive 

innovation and growth from the forestry, 

wood products and biomaterials sectors 

to build economic value and contribute 

environmental and social benefits for 

New Zealand. 

“We sit on the world stage when it 

comes to scientific endeavour,” says 

Scion CEO Dr Julian Elder. 

“When we open our innovation 

hub doors to the public we want to 

excite and educate people about the 

possibilities for the future from forests 

and wood, and we want to show how 

Scion is creating solutions to some of the 

world’s big challenges.” 

Forestry key to a low-carbon world 

Planted forests are an important 

worldwide resource that can provide 

solutions to many global problems such 

as rising greenhouse gas emissions, 

access to clean water, unsustainable 

land use and dependence on finite 

fossil fuels. Forestry is recognised 

globally as a key part of a low-carbon, 

biobased economy. In shorthand this is 

a ‘bioeconomy’ and a well-established 

concept in many nations. 

A bioeconomy uses renewable 

resources like forests in the manufacture 

of new products and energy, and when 

the waste from one process becomes 

the input into another process, a cycle is 

created. 

Scion’s strategic goal is quite clear – 

transitioning New Zealand to a circular 

bioeconomy. The institute works closely 

with industry, government and Māori on 

research programmes that lead to this 

goal, and it is making good progress. 

Among exciting examples that 

Scion is leading are bark biorefinery 

technologies that can convert millions 

of tonnes of bark into high value 

materials and products (like tannins 

that can be chemically modified for 

many applications and water-repelling 

polymers); a national roadmap for the 

future of bioplastics; a biofuels roadmap 

for New Zealand; and biobased additive 

SCION’S INNOVATION HUB IS 

NEAR COMPLETION. 


manufacturing to create waste-free, 

environmentally-friendly materials and 

products such as medical devices. 

Such biotechnologies developed at 

Scion are part of the growing global 

bioeconomy and are an exciting 

prospect for the New Zealand forest 

industry. 

The future Scion aspires to is one where 

forests are a valued part of New Zealand 

landscapes and being grown for 

three clear purposes. Some forests are 

planted primarily for their environmental 

benefits, some forests are grown for 

timber to be better used in our buildings 

and some forests are grown for fibre 

and chemicals to replace the products 

made from finite fossil fuels. “We are 

championing transformation along the 

entire forestry value chain,” says Dr Elder. 

“Forestry offers huge potential for New 

Zealand, nationally and regionally. In my 

opinion, the potential is larger than what 

was offered when refrigerated shipping 

began 138 years ago. The impact of that 

was tremendous and led to our trade in 

frozen meat and dairy products.” 

R&D and the recovery from COVID-19 

Right now, New Zealand is centred on 

recovering from the pandemic and the 

R&D sector will have a vital role in these 

phases. Scion too will play an important 

part in shaping the country’s post 

COVID-19 future and is focusing on how 

its science expertise and knowledge can 

help the recovery phase, both for the 

region and for the country. 

Its proposal to establish a National 

Bioproduct Innovation and Pilot Centre 

on the Te Papa Tipu Innovation Park (our 

campus) will assist the transformation 

of the forestry sector to move into the 

higher value bioproducts market and 

creation of new industries aligned with 

the bioeconomy approach. The Bay of 

Plenty is the natural centre for biopilot 

facilities and Scion is working hard with 

local and central government decision 

makers to realise this opportunity. 

Scion has been an integral part of the 

Rotorua community for more than a 

century, starting out as a forest nursery 

servicing a government afforestation 

programme in the late 1800s. The 

organisation we know now was 

established in 1947 as the New Zealand 

Forest Research Institute and has been 

trading as Scion since 2005. 

Whether it’s devising new wood 

products for housing and construction, 

using remote sensing technologies and 

drones to monitor vast forests from afar, 

applying deep learning technologies to 

model the spread of pests and diseases 

in iconic species, developing bioplastics 

from wood fibres, or spinning nanofibres 

from wood lignin, Scion is a leader 

in its fields of expertise. 

Scion’s research and scientific expertise 

attracts both national and international 

researchers, collaborators and clients. 

Corridors resonate with accents from 

around the world among the 330-odd 

people who work there, including 

around 30 people based in Christchurch. 

Science staff come from disciplines such 

as forest ecology, bioprotection, rural 

fire research, molecular biology, material 

sciences, chemistry, engineering, 

statistics, industrial biotechnology and 

more. 

Scion funds its work through contracts 

with the industry and government and 

through the commercialisation of its 

innovations. 

The Government’s Minister of Science 

and Innovation and the Minister of 

Finance are the shareholding ministers of 

Scion, and they appoint an independent 

board of directors to provide 

governance and strategic direction. 

The chief executive is appointed by the 

board. 

WWW.SCIONRESEARCH.COM 


THE STAFFROOM 

Trusted boutique recruitment 

THE STAFFROOM LTD 

IS A provider of quality 

recruitment solutions 

that has become 

one of Tauranga’s 

most “trustworthy” 

consultancies. It has 

earned 1st place for two years in a row, 

and a 2nd place in Tauranga’s Most 

Trusted Recruiter Awards. 

The Staffroom are firmly on the map 

in the BOP for their longevity in the 

recruitment industry spanning 25 years 

and counting. Born from the corporate 

world with a move to a more boutique 

business – their focus is on delivering 

a customised solution that is tailored to 

each unique job and person. 

Director Jill Cachemaille states: “I never 

get tired of that moment when you know 

in your heart that you’ve made a real 

difference to people’s lives. It’s equally 

rewarding to see a candidate excited 

about a new job and their future as well 

as your client who completely trusts you 

to deliver exactly what they want.” 

The team at The Staffroom have 

cemented a reputation for good 

old-fashioned values ensuring clear 

communication is centric to everything 

they do. 

Natalie Brant says they are proud of the 

way they do business. 

“People are constantly giving us 

feedback and praise on how we 

keep them informed throughout the 

recruitment process. It’s also our policy 

to ensure we get back to everyone.” 

A genuine interest in their client’s 

business needs and outcomes helps 

in providing the right staffing solution 

for the long term. The Staffroom are 

big on getting amongst the culture 

and environment of their customer’s 

workplace to get the feel for the mood 

and tone of the people within that 

organisation. “ 

That on-site presence is a key element 

in recommending the right candidates 

for the job. The team at The Staffroom 

are often complimented on how they 

achieve the right fit for all parties. 

With a strong position in the BOP 

recruitment market, The Staffroom is well 

set to secure future opportunities and 

continued support from their regular 

clients, with a healthy mindset, positive 

outlook and realistic approach to 

connecting the right candidates with the 

right roles. 

Connect with The Staffroom to tap into 

their vast knowledge and expertise in 

the recruitment world. 

07 572 1100 

WWW.STAFFROOM.CO.NZ 

JILL CACHEMAILLE (LEFT), AND 

NATALIE BRANT. 

PROFESSIONAL 

OFFICE BASED ROLES: 

• Temporary & Permanent 

• Legal 

• Administration 

• Customer Service 

• Marketing 

• Insurance 

• Sales 

• Operations 

• Accounting & Finance 

• Shipping & Logistics 

• Middle Management 

• Executive 


Kerr’s unique approach and 

knowledge in the industry has 

made him a sought-after speaker 

at conferences and industry 

training events. He is also 

a valued contributor to the 

Bay of Plenty Business News. 

NICK KERR. 

NJK ADVISORY LTD 

Nick Kerr – Expert advisor on 

credit risk and recoveries 

NICK KERR IS ONE OF 

Australasia’s leading 

credit advisors with 

more than a dozen 

year’s experience. 

Through this work, he 

noticed a real gap in 

the advisor market. There were plenty of 

people that were happy to give advice 

on what to do when you had debt, 

or when you were owed debt. They 

offered interesting ways of escaping 

from or obtaining more debt. But noone 

seemed interested in advising how 

to avoid debt. 

So Kerr decided to specialise in this 

and research debtor behaviour, market 

reaction to different credit strategies and 

how to identify the company behaviour 

that precedes insolvency events, so he 

could be as effective for his clients as 

possible. Using this knowledge and skill 

base, Kerr estimates that his clients have 

been able to avoid approximately $16- 

$20 million in debt that would otherwise 

have had to be written off. 

He has been involved in the credit 

control industry since 2007 through 

his work subcontracting to EC Credit 

Control, advising clients on terms of 

trade and debt collection methods. 

In 2015, after a major motorcycle 

accident, believing that a career change 

was on the cards, Kerr formalised his 

passion for investigations and became 

a Ministry of Justice-licenced Private 

Investigator, later incorporating as 

International Private Investigations LTD. 

This allowed him the opportunity to 

gain real and applicable knowledge in 

the debtor analysis area. He was seeing 

first-hand the deceptive and oftentimes 

ingenious methods that debtors will use 

at each stage of the payment process, 

allowing him to put in place systems that 

can assist in the filtering out of these 

potential debtors and help clients to 

make slight process changes that result in 

a real decrease in lost income . 

In 2017, an opportunity arose for 

International Private Investigations LTD 

to purchase NZ Repossession Services 

Ltd, which specialised in medium- to 

high-risk repossessions. That was yet 

another avenue to further understand 

the credit process and gain a deeper 

understanding of debtor culture on a 

face-to-face level. 

Kerr was also fortunate enough in 2017 to 

meet logistics and behavioural specialist 

Karl Wards and since then they have 

completed more than 400 successful 

medium- to highrisk repossessions. 

The NZ Repossession Services ethos is to 

always come with a spirit of respect and 

reconciliation, which has resulted in an 

industry-leading success rate and letters 

of thanks – even from debtors. 

He is always willing to have a no 

obligation meeting with any business to 

review any credit management concerns. 

Kerr’s unique approach and knowledge 

in the industry has made him a soughtafter 

speaker at conferences and 

industry training events and he is also a 

valued contributor to the Bay of Plenty 

Business News. He also has the honour 

of being a trusted advisor to thousands 

of businesses in the Bay of Plenty and 

across Australasia and is a full member 

of the World association of professional 

investigators and the NZ credit and 

finance institute. 

027 713 2128 

NICK.KERR@ECCREDITCONTROL.CO.NZ 

NICK@NZIPI.COM 


THE STRATEGIC PAY TEAM. PHOTO/SUPPLIED. 

STRATEGIC PAY 

delivering strategic rewards 

HOW DO YOU 

ENSURE THAT the 

right remuneration 

is paid in the right 

way to the right 

employees? How 

do you choose the 

right remuneration system for your 

organisation? 

If you are not sure about the answers 

– you are not alone. They are not easy 

questions. And, they present a challenge 

for both business owners and HR 

professionals. 

What are the factors that underpin 

remuneration systems? We advise 

that it includes understanding your 

organisation’s strategy, the market 

in which you operate, and how you 

will attract and retain key staff. It is 

also important to determine how 

performance is measured and rewarded. 

CATHY HENDRY, SENIOR 

CONSULTANT, TAURANGA. 

PHOTO/SUPPLIED. 

“Strategic Pay is a responsive 

and knowledgeable specialist 

remuneration service provider, with 

a large data base that covers key 

operational roles in our business.” 

– Port of Tauranga 

Strategic Pay is New Zealand’s largest 

source of remuneration knowledge. 

Businesses rely on us to provide 

unmatched advice, innovation and 

information in strategic reward and 

performance development. 

We report across every sector, most 

industries and at every level. We are 

experienced and knowledgeable in 

interpreting and using data and have a 

depth of understanding of stakeholder 

expectations. However, our core 

strength is that we tailor solutions to suit 

your organisation. 

With the broadest, most comprehensive 

remuneration data services available, 

and an approachable, responsive team 

of experts across the country, no other 

specialist is as well-resourced or ready to 

help clients achieve their business goals. 

Being based locally is central to how we 

do business in the Bay of Plenty, in terms 

of both local knowledge and being 

accessible to our local clients. Time and 

again, our clients choose Strategic Pay 

not just for our data, but for our specialist 

and tailored consulting advice and the 

strong relationships we develop with 

our clients. It is the depth and breadth 

of both our database and consulting 

knowledge that sets us apart. 

07 834 6581 

WWW.STRATEGICPAY.CO.NZ 


tompkinswake.co.nz 

Which local law firm is backed by 

an award-winning national team 

of experts? We are. 

We’ve been part of the Bay of Plenty region’s history 

* 

and success since 1898. Behind your local team is our 

entire firm. We are here to help, when you need us. 

P 07 347 9466 

Rotorua 

Tauranga Hamilton Auckland 

* Tompkins Wake merged with Davys YEAR Burton BOOK in 2020 2014| 51

We sell the Bay of Plenty’s finest 

homes & lifestyle properties. 

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LICENSED REAA 2008

Year Book 2020

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