August 2021 - Bay of Plenty Business News

AUGUST 2021 VOLUME 5: ISSUE 8 

WWW.BOPBUSINESSNEWS.CO.NZ 

FACEBOOK.COM/BAYOFPLENTYBUSINESSNEWS 

the 

LEADERSHIP 

ISSUE 

• We ask BOP Business leaders, 

‘What makes a good leader?’ 

page 11 

• Port of Tauranga’s new leader 

talks about the challenges 

of leading NZs busiest port 

company page 6 

PRIVATE INVESTMENT 

Craigs appoints new 

CEO. 

P3 

CREDIT CONTROL 

Why debt chasing can be a 

waste of time. 

P7 

TECH TALK 

Why your business needs 

a recovery plan. 

P10 

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August 2021 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS 3 

Craigs Investment Partners 

appoints new chief executive 

Tauranga-headquartered Craigs Investment Partners has announced the appointment of a 

new chief executive officer, Simon Tong, to replace his outgoing predecessor Frank Aldridge. 

By DAVID PORTER 

Craigs’ chair Sir Ralph Norris made 

the official announcement recently 

and Tong is expected to take up his 

new role in August as head of one of the 

country’s largest investment companies. 

Tong has been previously chief executive 

of Paymark and of Fairfax NZ Ltd, 

and is currently ASB Bank’s executive 

general manager digital, data and brand. 

Norris noted Tong’s strong background 

in technology and strategy and said he 

was highly regarded as a leader who had 

driven change, performance, and customer 

centricity at the companies he has worked 

with. 

As Craigs embarks upon the next phase 

of its growth, the board determined that 

Simon’s track record and leadership attributes 

were those characteristics that fit the 

company’s ambitious objectives. 

Aldridge worked for the company for 

24 years and became chief executive at the 

age of 31. 

Surprise role for Craig 

Craigs founder Neil Craig told Bay of 

Plenty Business News that Aldridge’s 

announced departure after some 16 years 

heading the company came as something 

of a surprise. But he noted Aldridge had 

worked especially hard dealing with the 

consequences of the pandemic for the 

firm. 

“It was what Frank wanted to do,” said 

Craig. “It was what he wanted. He came 

back after Christmas and said he wanted 

to spend some time away. He’s done a 

great job for the firm and it was what he 

wanted.” 

Craig noted the former executive was 

still close to the firm and remained a 

shareholder – as do some 260 shareholder 

members of the firm. 

“It’s a sort of plum 

position in the finance 

industry in that Craigs 

is not a highly regulated 

bank. It is regulated, but 

not to the extent of a 

bank.” – Neil Craig 

“Of course when you get that situation 

and it’s happened quicker than you 

thought it was going to, I had to step in as 

chief executive and fill in,” said Craig. “I 

can see now why Frank needed a break.” 

Craig is practically the only person 

who knew all parts of the business inside 

and he told Bay of Plenty Business News 

it had been quite a pleasant experience 

running the business directly until Tong 

takes change. 

“You see things in a different perspective 

than when you’re sitting on 

the board.” 

Craig said the company had done 

a thorough internal and external 

search in filling the position. 

“It’s a sort of plum position in 

the finance industry in that Craigs 

is not a highly regulated bank. It is 

regulated, but not to the extent of 

a bank. For people in the industry 

there’s not that many opportunities 

other than banks. We can 

operate differently from a listed 

corporate or a bank, with greater 

flexibility we’re a little bit more 

agile.” 

Tong’s technical background 

is relevant, said Craig, adding that 

the reason he stood out from the 

field was that he had vast experience 

of genuine leadership roles in 

challenging businesses. 

“He’s worked with and got along 

with very commercially adept people and 

he has a very strong technology bias. And 

technology is a piece we need to devote 

more resource to.”. 

Craigs is one of New Zealand’s largest 

full-service investment firms, with 

approximately 600 employees, 173 

investment advisers across 19 branches 

and c.$25billion* of client funds 

under management. (*as at 31 May 

2021) 

Neil Craig 

26 Fourth Ave 

Tauranga 

0800 225 999 

LINKBUSINESS.CO.NZ 

Accounting Business $450,000 

Bay of Plenty 

· Established & flourishing accounts & 

bookkeeping 

· High quality client base, great profits 

· Stable & experiened staff, excellent location 

· Indicates significant growth opportunities 

· 

Manufacturing Design $290,000 


· Trading for 40yrs, excellent reputation 

· Wholesale clients approx 80% of turnover 

· Currently a one-man band operation 

· Growth potential with additioanl revenue 

streams 

· Earning on average $89k+ per year 

Established Manufacturing $4,700,000 


· Large database of loyal customers 

· 28 skilful and reliable staff 

· Average $10M+ turnover per year 

· Profits on average $1.3M+ per year to 2 

working owners 

· Extended “handover” period 

linkbusiness.co.nz/BOP00317 

Roger Brockelsby 027 919 5478 

roger.brockelsby@linkbusiness.co.nz 


Camella Anselmi 02274 454 121 

camella.anselmi@linkbusiness.co.nz 


Grant Jacobson 027 454 0432 

grant.jacobson@linkbusiness.co.nz 

National Master Franchise $330,000 


· Great weekly income, multiple income streams 

· Excellent branding & proven training methods 

· Train & support franchisees 

· Growth potential, room to sell more franchises 

· Suited to a practical, business person with 

sales or marketing skills 

Sales, Install + Service 

$680,000 


· Great staff, offers lifestyle options for owner 

· Consistent work from corporate customers 

· Contract in place with Government Agency 

· Turnover approx $2.3M/yr, great net profit 

· Further growth potential 

Iconic Holiday Park $1,975,000 


· First time on the market in 20yrs 

· Motel, cabins + 2 homes onsite 

· Approx 15.5 ha. leasehold land 

· Hot pools provide consistent sales 

· Prime location; quality facilities 


Lynda Smyth 021 270 4271 

lynda.smyth@linkbusiness.co.nz 


Grant Jacobson 027 454 0432 

grant.jacobson@linkbusiness.co.nz 


Izaac Kershaw 027 454 0432 

izaac.kershaw@linkbusiness.co.nz 

Unique Hospitality Business $465,000 

North Island 

· Exceptional service creating true dining 

experiences. 

· Impressive reputation & loyal following. 

· Faultless systems, processes, & procedures 

· Turnover forecasted to be $800K for this 

financial year. 


Lisa Lloyd 027 685 4556 

lisa.lloyd@linkbusiness.co.nz 

Gorgeous Florist $150,000 


· Busy central city location 

· Established clients, including key businesses 

· Sound lease & ordering systems 

· Qualified staff in place 

· Producing great profits for the owner-operator 


Lisa Lloyd 027 685 4556 

lisa.lloyd@linkbusiness.co.nz 

Established Transport Business 

$375,000 

Tauranga 

· Lucrative transport business over 12 years 

· Nationwide pick-up and delivery service 

· Secure depots throughout North Island 

· Can be operated from anywhere in NZ 

· Excellent online rankings, ratings & reviews 

· Skilled and experienced staff 


Neil Cammell 027 2133 100 

neil.cammell@linkbusiness.co.nz 

Essential & Profitable $995,000 


· Established over 40 years 

· Large client base & market share 

· Average annual profit $350K 

· Reliable long-term staff 

· Generous hand over period 


Mike Fraser 021 932 633 

mike.fraser@linkbusiness.co.nz 

95% 

of businesses sell within 4% 

of our original brokers 

opinion of value 

Source VALU.LINK historic results analysis 

All LINK NZ offices are licensed REAA08


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From the editor 

I wasn’t a 100 per cent advocate of the plan to turn over Tauranga 

Council control to the four government-appointed commissioners, 

led by former National MP Anne Tolley. And I remain sceptical 

they will finish their job and get out of town under their announced 

timetable. But somewhat to my surprise, they have so far performed 

efficiently and quickly during their term. 

Late July saw the commissioners 

adopt their 

announced rate rises, 

which will see average residential 

rates rise by 15 per 

cent, and average commercial 

rates go up by 33 per cent for 

2021-22. 

That includes the cost of 

the new kerbside bin emptying 

service. The higher commercial 

rise is the result of the 

council changing the commercial 

differential from 1.2 to 

1.6. 

The overall 22 per cent 

average rise was set in late 

July by commissioners at the 

conclusion of deliberations 

over the Long-term Plan 

2021-31. 

It bears restating that 

the commissioners were 

appointed because, under 

the tenure of previous mayor 

Tenby Powell, the council 

had been reduced to a squabbling 

group of factions who 

had demonstrated they were 

unable to agree on the way 

forward. 

Council general manager 

of corporate services Paul 

Davidson was reported as saying 

the rates rise was consistent 

with the draft that went 

out for public consultation. 

According to the commissioners, 

they received public 

written feedback from around 

1800 ratepayers. 

The commissioners put 

forward basically two options: 

Under option one, the proposal 

was to invest $4.6 billion with 

an increase in rates including 

water charges and the new 

rubbish connection service, 

paid for by rate payers. And 

mostly an average commercial 

Development contributions 

are critical to ensuring 

Tauranga can provide the key 

infrastructure needed for our 

growing city. The cost of infrastructure 

continues to rise, and we need to keep 

pace with these increases.” 

– Anne Tolley 

Being honest about decisions – p13 

rate rise of $32.45 per week 

per commercial property. 

Option two proposed 

investing $4.5 billion with a 

slightly lower increase in residential 

rates (excluding water 

rates) and a slightly higher 

increase in commercial property 

rents. 

According to the commissioners, 

a narrow majority 

supported option one. 

Commissioner chairwoman 

Tolley said that, on the 

whole, she felt: “comfortable 

that a significant number of 

the population were positive 

about the changes as long as 

we deliver.” 

Clearly, not all ratepayers 

supported an increase – but 

The commissioners were appointed 

because, under the tenure of previous 

mayor Tenby Powell, the council had 

been reduced to a squabbling group 

of factions who had demonstrated 

they were unable to agree on the way 

forward.” 

then they seldom have. But it 

is undeniable that Tauranga 

has been remiss in being willing 

to pay for the surges it has 

seen in development in recent 

years. 

The NZ Taypayers Union – 

the rather obscure organisation 

fronted by Jordan Williams, 

which is reluctant to reveal 

David Porter 

its funding or makeup – managed 

to assemble a group of 

some 150 protesters to complain 

about the proposed 

changes when they were 

adopted by the commissioners 

in July. 

Council finance manager 

Kathryn Sharplin said the new 

rubbish and recycling collection 

service was a significant 

part of the residential rise. 

“Rates were up 7 per cent 

plus the cost of the new waste 

service. So for the average 

person, the rise equates to $7 

per week or $364 per year for 

a median residential property 

worth $655,000. 

“It would be $31 per week 

or $1612 per year for a median 

commercial property valued at 

$1.07m. 

According to Tolley, the 

commissioners had taken 

community feedback into 

account and the phased 

approach would hopefully 

help ease the impact of these 

“unavoidable charges”. 

The skills shortage is having a 

massive impact over all industries 

and will continue to do so over the 

coming years.” 

– Kellie Hamlett 

Breaking news for 

essential skills 

visa holders and 

employers – p19 

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WESTERN BAY IS 

APPROACHING FULL 

EMPLOYMENT 

Western Bay is approaching full employment 

The Labour Report 

Now and in the future 

Jobseeker Most jobs Support in the benefit last 5 years university students in demand 

JOBSEEKER SUPPORT - WORK READY 

Western Bay is approaching full employmentnumbers were created have been in: steadily for internship opportunities. 

Tauranga City Western Bay of Plenty District 

dropping. • The Construction total of 2,838 In some cases there have not 

people • in May Administration 2021 for the been enough students to meet 

Jobseeker Support benefit 

JOBSEEKER SUPPORT Western Bay is only 600 more 

3,529 - WORK READY 

• Health Care 

demand from local employers. 

Western Bay is approaching full employmentnumbers than in • have 

March Hospitality been steadily 

2020, showing 


dropping. • The Professional, total 2,838 

2,202 almost all have been re-employed. 

1,730 

people Jobseeker in May Scientific Support 2021 & benefit for Technical the 

JOBSEEKER SUPPORT 1,118 - WORK READY 

Western Bay is only 600 more 

3,529 

numbers have Services been steadily 

512 

636 


than dropping. When March The 

we 

total 2020, look 

of 

at showing 2,838 

subjects 

almost Western all have Bay been school re-employed. leavers 

2,202 people 

1,730 

are going 

in May 

on 

2021 

to study 

for 

in 

the 

higher It is projected 

Western Bay is only 600 more 

3,529 1,118 

education, there are significant 

2019 

512 

636 than in March 2020, showing the Western 

gaps when compared to our 

2020 2021 

2,202 almost current all and have future been growth: re-employed. Bay will create 

1,730 

• Education 

MSD 

1,118 

• IT 

25,000 new jobs 

512 

636 

• Agriculture 

Jobseeker 

2019 

Support benefit numbers 

2020 

have been steadily dropping. 

2021 

The total of 

by 2038 and 

Local job • ads Health continue to climb, 

2,838 people ADVERTISED in May 2021 JOBS for the Western Bay is only 600 more than in March 

MSD 

2020, showing almost all have been re-employed. 

as we hear about skills shortages 

a staggering 

Competition for talent 

TradeMe Seek 

across all industry sectors. Our 40,000 new jobs 

2019 


recent 

Local The job 

business Western ads continue Bay survey is currently found 

to climb, 

that 

by 2050.” 

MSD ADVERTISED JOBS 

recruiting 

as we facing hear a skilled skills about and skills talent experienced 

shortages mismatch 

TradeMe Seek 

staff 

across 

is 

all 

the across 

industry 

greatest most 

sectors. 

challenge. of our key 

Our 

employment sectors. 

recent Local job business ads continue survey found to climb, that 

ADVERTISED JOBS 

We are hearing about pressures 

hear on skilled market about and salaries skills experienced shortages across Future proofing our 

recruiting as we 

TradeMe Seek 

staff across multiple is all the industry greatest sectors locally sectors. challenge. in Our the workforce 

recent competition business for survey talent. found that 

recruiting There skilled is demand experienced for people 

at all stages, with current campaign aims to ensure the 

Priority One’s Future of Work 

Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun staff is the greatest challenge. 


Western Bay’s current and 

future workforce is equipped 

to adapt and fill predicted 

labour shortages. 

It is projected the Western 

Bay will create 25,000 new 

jobs by 2038 and a staggering 

40,000 new jobs by 2050. 

The campaign focuses on 

showing young people that 

Tauranga Moana is a great 

place to have a fulfilling career 

now and in the future. 

Tauranga job perks on 

offer as market heats up 

We are hearing about pressures 

on market salaries across multiple 

sectors locally in the war 

for talent. 

It is currently a candidate 

led market, and traditional 

recruitment methods are not 

necessarily working as well as 

they used to. 

The Labour Report has been 

provided courtesy of Priority 

One / Ara Rau Pathways to 

Work 

TradeMe and SEEK 

Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun 

The future of work 


Each time we analyse job types 

ADVERTISED TradeMe and SEEKJOB TYPES As at 14 June 2021 

being advertised, proportions by 

Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun 

500 

sector remain the same. Trades, 


Manufacturing, Professional 

400 

364 

379 Each time we analyse job types 

ADVERTISED TradeMe and SEEK 

303 JOB TYPES As at 14 June 2021 

Services, 

being advertised, 

Healthcare, Construction 

300 

271 

and Hospitality 

the Western proportions 

are in greatest 

Bay of by Plenty will create 25,000 new jobs by 

500 


191 

demand. 

200 

162 159 

Manufacturing, 2038 and Professional a staggering 40,000 by 2050. 

400 

364 

379 Each time we analyse job types 

ADVERTISED JOB TYPES As at 14 June 2021 

Services, Healthcare, Construction 

100 

303 

73 

71 

being advertised, proportions by 

300 

271 

44 

27 

and Hospitality 

The thrust 

are in 

of 

greatest 

their message, ‘You don’t have to leave your 

500 


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191 

demand. 

200 

162 Manufacturing, Professional 

400 

364 

159 

379 

Trades 303& Services 

Hospitality & Tourism 

Services, Healthcare, Construction 

300 

100 Manufacturing, 271 Transport & Logistics 

73 

Agriculture 

71 

44 

and Hospitality are in greatest 

27 

Professional Services 

Engineering 

0 

191 

demand. future’. 

200 

Healthcare 

162 159 IT 

Construction 

Trades & Services 

Hospitality Government && Tourism Council 

100 

73 

71 

Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics Agriculture 

Other 

44 

27 

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Engineering 

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Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics Agriculture 

Other 

TradeMe Tauranga Professional and SEEKServices 

job perks on Engineering offer as market heats up 

Healthcare 

IT 

We Construction are hearing about pressures on market Government salaries across & Council multiple sectors locally in the war for talent. 

It is currently a candidate led market, and Other traditional recruitment methods are not necessarily working 

TradeMe as well and as SEEK they used to. 

Local job ads continue to climb, as we hear about skills shortages across all 

industry sectors. Our recent business survey found that recruiting skilled and 

experienced staff is the greatest challenge. 

Tauranga job perks on offer as market heats up 

We are hearing about pressures on market salaries across multiple sectors locally in the war for talent. 

Each time It is we currently analyse job a candidate types being led advertised, market, and proportions traditional by sector recruitment remain the methods are not necessarily working 

same. Trades, Tauranga as well 

Manufacturing, 

as they used job Professional 

to. perks Services, on Healthcare, offer as Construction market and heats up 

Hospitality are in greatest demand. 

Ground Floor, We Rydal are hearing House, about 29 Grey pressures Street, on Tauranga market salaries across multiple sectors locally in the war for talent. 

PO Box 13057, It is Tauranga currently a 3141 candidate led market, and traditional recruitment methods are not necessarily working 

as well as they used to. 

priorityone.co.nz 

Ground Floor, Rydal House, 29 Grey Street, Tauranga 

PO Box 13057, Tauranga 3141 


Ground Floor, Rydal House, 29 Grey Street, Tauranga 

PO Box 13057, Tauranga 3141 


According to Priority One’s recent Future of Work information 

own backyard to have an amazing future – Tauranga Moana 

is the perfect place to have a fulfilling career, now and in the 

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BOP 

PERSONALITY 

PROFILE 

Sampson takes over top role 

at Port of Tauranga 

Leonard Sampson – who has just taken over from the long-serving Mark Cairns as chief executive 

of Port of Tauranga – was quick to remind the Bay of Plenty Business News that he had known and 

worked with his predecessor for many years. 

By DAVID PORTER 

Before joining the Tauranga 

port in 2013 as commercial 

manager for six years, he held 

senior roles at KiwiRail, Carter Holt 

Harvey and Mainfreight. He was subsequently 

the port’s chief operating 

officer for 18 months before taking 

over Cairns’ role. 

Cairns told Bay of Plenty Business 

News in a recent interview that 

he was a strong supporter of Sampson’s 

elevation to the top job and also 

encouraged him to take up a recent 

three-month intensive Harvard Management 

Programme on-site course in 

the US. 

“I already knew the port quite 

well and negotiated contracts with 

the Metro port in Auckland and knew 

Mark well,” Sampson said when he 

sat down with us for his first interview 

in his new role. 

The new chief executive noted that 

he was already involved in a lot of the 

strategy of the port’s business and its 

delivery. 

‘It’s difficult to say we’re going to 

need wholesale change and not also 

assume responsibility for things that 

are already being done,” he said. 

Good strategic initiatives 

underway 

“From a business perspective we’ve 

got some really good strategic initiatives 

underway. We’ve got a lot of 

growth in the industry. For example, 

the kiwifruit industry is growing and 

we need to be able to respond to those 

changes.” 

Sampson noted that there were 

still changes evolving in shipping 

dynamics with vessels continuing to 

get larger. 

“We will continue to see the consolidation 

of carriers,” he said. “In 

our view, essentially as the vessels get 

larger there will be fewer ports and 

greater levels of transhipment. “ 

Port of Tauranga is already now 

effectively the busiest port in New 

Zealand, he said. 

“We have 2 million containers 

through the terminal a year at the 

moment,” he said. “We are the largest 

container terminal nationally by 45 

per cent. We move 45 percent more 

containers than Auckland.” 

Sampson was cautious in being 

drawn into comment on Ports of 

Auckland activities. However, he 

said Auckland clearly faced some 

challenges. 

“From a NZ supply chain, and 

from a Port of Tauranga perspective, 

we really need them to get back to 

some level of productivity, but they’re 

not there yet unfortunately,” he said. 

Automation challenges and 

labour issues in Auckland 

“That’s a combination of automation 

challenges and labour issues. It 

doesn’t really matter what they are, 

but from our perspective we just need 

them back. 

“We need vessels to arrive on 

schedule and we need them to be 

worked on schedule and that just does 

not happen at this point.” 

The onset of Covid-19 has clearly 

played a role, but there were also 

delays in Auckland, he said. Most 

observers have noted the increased 

incidence of vessels being moored 

outside the port awaiting access to 

space at wharves inside Tauranga. 

“The reality is we have had 100 

less container vessels through the port 

this year compared to the same period 

last year,” said Sampson. 

“Our schedule relies on the ship 

calling on Auckland first then discharging 

at other ports and picking up 

Leonard Sampson: was the in-house 

choice as new port CE0. Photo/Supplied. 

empties, and then moving on to Tauranga. 

Once it does that and it’s late, 

then everything is late.” 

Sampson recently noted the chair 

of an international container lines 

committee in NZ stated they were 

accessing eight less voyages a year 

because of the delays. 

Sampson was quick to point out 

that the Tauranga port had been fortunate 

to have quite a good diversity of 

cargoes that had performed strongly 

this year. “It’s been a tough year, but 

one that will be OK,” he said. 

Covid-19 was certainly causing 

delays and congestion in some other 

ports in the world, including China 

and Singapore, he said. 

“By the time the vessel reaches NZ 

there is typically a transit time – this 

affords the ability to catch up on some 

of those delays. 

“They might get to New Zealand 

to three days off schedule. But that’s 

not the significant difference. When 

the vessel calls into Auckland first 

and discharges imports and then takes 

another seven days, the ability for us 

to catch up on time around the coast 

is difficult. 

“There are more ships having to 

wait to get in because our berth windows 

are being extended – they’re all 

arriving off schedule.” 

Berth extension plan still 

underway 

The Port of Tauranga recently 

attracted news attention because its 

announced plan to extend the scope 

of its berthage was knocked back. 

However, Sampson insisted the plan 

remained unchanged. 

“Because of the growth and the 

response to the growing trade, we 

need to develop the Sulphur Point 

container terminal and as part of that 

we are going through a process to 

consent the development of up to 380 

metres of a new container berth with 

the initial development likely to be 

280 metres,” he said. 

The extension is to the south of 

Sulphur Point. 

“This has been in the longterm district 

plan for over 20 years.” 

Last year the port was instead 

invited to participate with the extension 

in the government’s planned 

“shovel ready” projects. 

Sampson noted there were some 

300 jobs likely to come from the Sulphur 

Point extension, where geo tech 

work has already been undertaken. 

“That’s because of the growth 

we are going to have there in terms 

of trade, but we were unfortunately 

declined through the ‘shovel ready’ 

projects,” said Sampson. 

“We weren’t looking for funding, 

just to get going.” 

Sampson said instead, this May 

the port expansion plan was admitted 

under the BOP Regional Council’s 

conventional consent process and it 

has also requested a direct referral to 

the environment court. 

The relevant minister had suggested 

that was the path the port 

should look to undertake given the 

importance of the development. 

“It hasn’t been knocked back, but 

just put on another path,” he said. 

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Why debt collection is 

often a waste of time 

Over the past 15 years I have loaded thousands of debts for collection and one thing that has 

always rung true is that those that will pay will pay and those that won’t pay won’t pay. This 

may seem like a simplistic view of an entire industry until you drill down into why it is so. 

Why does debt collection 

sometimes work? 

The reason that debt collection 

sometimes works 

is that the debt collector 

is not the creditor and there is 

a feeling of escalation, giving 

the debtor the impression that 

if the debt remains unpaid it 

will continue to escalate to an 

unknown conclusion such as 

default listing or court action. 

In these cases the debtor 

will often pay the debt to get it 

out of the way or in some cases 

they have simply forgotten to 

pay and the embarrassment of 

this is enough of a prompt. 

Why debt collection 

often doesn’t work 

Debts mainly occur for the following 

reasons: 

1. An underestimation of what 

something will cost. 

2. A dramatic change in financial 

liquidity on the behalf 

of the debtor. 

3. A genuine dispute around 

the provision of services 

and or products. 

4. A miscommunication 

between the parties 

involved that turns toxic. 

5. A practiced recidivist 

debtor who never intended 

to pay in the first place. 

6. An oversight in payment. 

In my experience only two 

of the above can be resolved 

quickly and easily by using 

traditional debt collection 

techniques. 

The debt collector is either 

the reminder to pay or the 

threat of further action and 

cost is enough for the debtor 

to reprioritise the payment 

or access funds from another 

source to pay the debt. 

With the other four reasons, 

not only can traditional techniques 

fail to render payment, 

they can actually make the 

debt harder to resolve by causing 

the debtor to entrench their 

position forcing the debt into 

the disputes tribunal or higher 

court, creating a chronological 

and financial drain on both 

parties and rendering the relationship 

unrepairable. 

In my experience once a 

debtor states their position 

three times to a creditor it is 

very, very unlikely that they 

will back down from this, irrespective 

of its validity, as they 

feel unheard and the non-payment 

becomes one of principal 

despite the consequences that 

this may have as they see the 

fight as a noble one. 

So what is the solution? 

What I have found is that the 

difference between successful 

“Debt Collectors” and those 

CREDIT CONTROL 

> BY NICK KERR 

Nick Kerr is a Business Advisor at NJK Advisory Ltd. 

He is also director of International Private Investigations Ltd. 

Nick can be reached at nick@nzipi.com 

who just play the percentages 

game is that the successful 

ones know how to mediate the 

situation that underlies the non 

payment and allows both parties 

to feel heard. 

Thus payment of the debt 

In my experience once a debtor states 

their position three times to a creditor it 

is very, very unlikely that they will back 

down from this.” 

is not an admission of wrongdoing, 

but rather the logical 

conclusion to the conversation 

where outstanding issues are 

resolved. The outcome of this 

is not only that the creditor 

gets paid, but also the situation 

is resolved with no residual ill 

will. 

Through my work with IPI 

we have mediated situations 

where the parties were at such 

a level of toxicity towards 

each other that merely seeing 

each other in public would 

lead to a physical confrontation. 

After the mediation, the 

parties shook hands and were 

both noticeably unburdened 

from the stress surrounding the 

situation. 

Many people believe that 

once a debt is paid then that is 

the end of the matter. 

However, in this age of 

connectedness there is no way 

of knowing how many current 

or potential clients a business 

could have lost because of 

how a situation is resolved 

or through the actions of an 

aggrieved party, such as negative 

reviews, social media 

posts or even going so far as 

to personally call large potential 

clients of the creditor in an 

attempt to dissuade them from 

using the business. 

I see this time and time 

again, especially in the construction 

industry. It is imperative 

to consider the future 

while addressing the past. 

Just a thought 

NEWSBRIEF 

Seeka announces an 

equity investment in 

Fruitometry 

New Zealand’s largest 

kiwifruit grower 

Seeka [NZX:SEK] 

announces an equity 

investment in Fruitometry 

an innovative horticultural 

agritech. 

In its first year Fruitometry 

successfully delivering 

a new commercial 

Digital Crop Estimation 

(DCE) service to kiwifruit 

growers, managers and 

packhouses in the North 

Island. 

Fruitometry’s exclusive 

technology enables the 

$3billion kiwifruit industry 

by growers being able 

to measure fruit set and 

growth by row throughout 

the growing season. 

Fruitometry CTO 

and Founder Christopher 

Miller said “We are 

delighted with our performance 

after commercially 

scanning a thousand hectares. 

Grower feedback has 

been fantastic; it affirms 

our hard work to transform 

a challenging concept into 

a horticultural metrics provider 

in three years. 

Seeka is an ambitious, 

growth-oriented leader. 

Their investment is rocket 

fuel to rapidly scale our 

operation, broaden our 

product line and launch 

innovative tech towards 

additional crops and 

beyond New Zealand.” 

Fruitometry’s new service 

utilises advances in 

telemetry, imaging and 

artificial intelligence (AI) 

using deep neural networks 

that quickly digitise 

orchards to provide 

insightful reports for targeted 

orchard management, 

horticultural process 

control and supply chain 

fruit volume estimation. 

Their proprietary software 

streamlines realtime 

image processing, AI 

training annotation, data 

warehousing, analytics 

and comprehensive report 

generation into a scalable 

service. 

Seeka CEO Michael 

Franks says “We identified 

Fruitometry as an innovative 

start-up that will 

enable us to better manage 

our orchards and provide 

accurate pre-harvest fruit 

volume estimation. With 

his proven track record 

developing inventive 

America’s Cup technologies, 

Chris and the team 

really bring the X-factor to 

designing innovative solutions. 

We believe there is a 

lot of value for both companies 

in this investment.” 

Seeka’s minority 

investment of $2.6 million 

values Fruitometry at $10 

million. Fruitometry will 

continue to operate independently 

while expanding 

their service. 

Fruitometry’s head 

office is in Katikati, Bay of 

Plenty. Fruitometry’s purpose 

is to provide knowledge 

that empowers growers 

to efficiently manage 

their orchard, maximise 

their yield and provide 

accurate pre-harvest crop 

estimation for the entire 

value chain. 

Fruitometry has been 

supported by Callaghan 

Innovation with a research 

and development project 

grant. 

Fruitometry Director 

and Co-Founder Mike Ullrich 

said “We are thrilled 

to work with Seeka who 

are a significant leader in 

New Zealand horticulture. 

This investment will help 

us accelerate our product 

development, continue to 

build our innovative intellectual 

property and scale 

up our team and services. 

“Agritech is a key 

driver to improve productivity 

and provide a competitive 

advantage for New 

Zealand companies and we 

are excited to be leading 

the way. We look forward 

to sharing more of our 

innovative services in the 

future.” 

Our city’s expanding, so is our team 

From property to roading to large-scale subdivisions, Holland Beckett is thrilled to welcome 

Jaimee Kinzett’s big city experience back to Tauranga. 

Jaimee has recently returned home to the Bay, with more than a 

decade of practising law in Auckland giving her all the experience 

she needs to deal with all your pressing property issues. 

Jaimee has spent the last three years at Auckland Transport 

as a specialist in Technical Property Services, working closely 

with Auckland Council, Kāinga Ora and large-scale property 

developers. Prior to this, she spent 10 years in a leading specialist 

commercial property and resource management firm advising 

a listed national property company, institutional investors, 

corporate and private clients. 

Jaimee brings vast experience to the Holland Beckett team, including 

acquisitions and disposals; commercial, industrial and retail leasing; 

developments/subdivisions; due diligence investigations; 

Public Works Act and Local Government Act matters including 

acquisitions and disposals; and roading matters, including 

road stoppings, legalisations and encroachments. 

Jaimee Kinzett 

Associate 

DDI 07 577 8680 Mobile 027 230 3338 

jaimee.kinzett@hobec.co.nz 

hobec.co.nz 

HOB26338 BOP_BN


Digital hub brings benefits to Katikati 

Katikati’s new digital hub in The Centre – Pa _ tuki 

Manawa has fast become a hot spot for people 

seeking to connect and easily access the technology 

they need to accelerate their business, learning and 

participation. 

The hub is in the heart of Katikati 

and is equipped with top notch 

digital technologies, meeting 

rooms and resources. 

Its purpose is to provide residents 

of Katikati and the surrounding area 

with access to the digital technologies 

needed to adopt digital tools and learn 

new skills. 

Western Bay of Plenty District 

Council’s Customer Service and 

Governance Manager Barbara Whitton 

says the digital hub has become a 

valuable community asset, especially 

for hosting workshops and training 

in digital skills. “We’ve had good 

demand for our training space, hosting 

everything from codeclub to basic 

computer skills.” 

Other bookings have included 

a ‘Better Digital Futures’ course 

designed to help seniors with computers 

and devices, and a ‘Digital Boost’ 

workshop for local business owners 

to grow their digital marketing skills 

with social media marketing, ecommerce 

tips and website building skills. 

Barbara says, “Use of the meeting 

rooms and hot-desking spaces is also 

growing. Facilities include four bookable 

rooms for meeting, video conferencing 

and training, and 12 hot desks 

hireable by the half day. 

“The facilities are well suited to 

running programmes, teen studying 

areas, meetings, and learning in an 

open environment. Our team are keen 

to help make it happen.” 

The digital hub is self-service and 

open 24/7 for registered users. A staff 

member is present from 10am-12pm 

on weekdays to assist anyone who’s 

keen to check out the facilities or 

want to chat with staff about booking 

a space or the technology available. 

Booking for all rooms and hot 

desks can be made online through the 

Pātuki Manawa Digital Hub website 

www.pmdh.nz 

The digital hub is located in The 

Centre – Pātuki Manawa, 21 Main 

Road, Katikati. 

Tech Tuesday 

World-leading app to train teachers in 

Te Reo Māori 

Bay of Plenty teachers now have access to 

a world-leading Te Reo Ma _ ori app, through 

a Ministry of Education initiative aimed at 

strengthening New Zealand’s education 

workforce in Te Reo. 

Reo Ora is a fully automated 

Te Reo Māori 

app developed by one 

of New Zealand’s leading linguistics 

and Māori language 

experts, Dr Rāpata Wiri (Te 

Arawa, Ngāti Ruapani) and 

built by Rotorua-based Salt + 

Tonic. 

Dr Wiri said the multi-dialect 

app is the only one of its 

kind, accepting answers in all 

different Māori dialects based 

on tribal differences. 

Salt & Tonic director Josh 

Dillner said it also features 

the world’s first transcription 

service for Te Reo by Te Hiku 

Media, where students can 

record themselves speaking 

and transcribe it into text. 

“It’s been a privilege to 

deliver world-class technology 

with a local solution at the 

core.” 

Reo Ora is working alongside 

Te Taumata o Ngāti 

Whakaue Iho Ake Trust with 

the Ministry of Education’s Te 

Ahu o Te Reo Māori initiative, 

with the aim of training 10,000 

teachers and support staff in Te 

Reo Māori nationally per year, 

including 1,000 in the Bay of 

Plenty. 

“Reo Ora will initially be 

Josh Dillner with Dr Ra _ pata Wiri showcasing the Te Reo Ma _ ori app. 

used to train 470 people in the 

wider Bay of Plenty region, 

including Rotorua, across 

early childhood, primary 

and high schools,” Dr Wiri 

explains. 

The app is currently being 

used through Ngati Whakaue’s 

Māori language strategy to 

encourage a revitalisation of 

the language within the iwi 

and is also generally available 

to anyone who would like to 

learn Te Reo Māori through 

www.reoora.com. 

Dr Wiri says there is a massive 

national demand for Te 

Reo courses. Many institutions 

like Te Wānanga o Aotearoa 

cannot cope with the demand 

and have long waiting lists. 

He explains the app is an 

effective way of teaching and 

delivering material, as well as 

overcoming common hurdles 

students face when learning a 

new language, such as the fear 

of mispronouncing a Māori 

word or phrase, in public. 

“The motivation for many 

students learning through the 

app comes from not wanting 

to say it wrong in front of a 

class. 

“If they’re on Zoom, they 

can listen; they can practice 

on Facebook and go at their 

own pace. We call it self-determined 

learning and it’s the 

new way of doing things.” 

The Reo Ora app supports 

students to become competent 

Te Reo Māori speakers in 12 

weeks by teaching the 329 

most commonly used words 

and the 30 most commonly 

used sentence patterns in the 

Māori language. These words 

and patterns make up 65% of 

everyday conversation. 

“Ours is a formulaic 

method. It’s based on patterns 

and repetition of sentence pattern, 

which is the most effective 

way to learn a language,” 

Dr Wiri said. 

“We have taught over 

250 students who have completed 

the Level 1 course with 

remarkable results.” 

Liquid Financial Advisors 

owner and director Peter 

Moore is currently doing the 

Reo Ora course, motivated by 

his whanau history. 

“My grandmother spoke 

fluent Te Reo, then my dad 

was told he shouldn’t as it 

would impact on his ability to 

get ahead – it also meant I was 

never given the opportunity – 

looking back, it’s a tragedy. 

“So, I looked around for 

ages trying to find ways to 

learn Te Reo, researching textbooks 

and a range of other 

options. Then I came across 

Reo Ora. 

“I’ve come such a long way 

with this course, which is great 

through the app as I’m too 

busy to attend lectures. 

“Te Reo has a grammar 

structure that is crucial to 

understand – the way this 

course is structured has helped 

me to pick that up. I’ve learnt a 

lot. Discovering my language 

has been a privilege – it would 

have been lovely to have had 

the opportunity to kōrero with 

my grandmother,” Mr Moore 

said. 

Dr Wiri has been a Māori 

language lecturer within universities 

in New Zealand and 

Hawai’i for the last 30 years. 

During this time, he has taught 

thousands of students to 

become confident speakers of 

Te Reo Māori. 

Dr Wiri shares “No reira, 

kia kaha ki te ako mai i to 

tatau reo taketake o Aotearoa! 

Be vigilant in learning our 

native language of Aotearoa/ 

New Zealand!” 

He encourages everyone 

to practice these sayings in 

Māori: 

• Mauri tū, mauri ora! – An 

active life force is a healthy 

life force! 

• Mā te whakaharatau e tika 

ai – Practice makes perfect.


Anchor AIMS Games. Photos Dave Lintott 

Trustpower Arena is turning 10! 

In August Trustpower Baypark Arena is celebrating its 10th 

anniversary. The Arena has been an integral part of the 

Tauranga community now for 10 years, hosting more than 

4 million guests over a wide range of events, some of 

which are the largest of their kind in the region. Baypark 

Arena has also facilitated and supported many local 

sports clubs and community groups over this time. 

To mark this monumental occasion 

Trustpower Baypark will 

be hosting a Family Fun Day on 

Sunday 29 August from 10am – 2pm. 

Mark your calendars for free entertainment, 

activities, giant cake and 

much more for the entire family. 

Canvas Tauranga Careers 

Expo 2021 

Which University is best? How do I 

get into the trades? Am I doing the 

right courses? Should I leave school 

now? Can I retrain? How can I make 

an impact in my job? 

The Tauranga Careers Expo 

2019 brings it all together in one 

huge arena, helping you find direction 

for your next career move. This 

expo brings together leading businesses 

from across the Western Bay 

of Plenty’s diverse industry sectors, 

alongside the best Universities, trade 

and tertiary training providers from 

across New Zealand. Don’t miss this 

free expo on 30 & 31 July from 10am 

– 3pm. 

University of Auckland – 

Tauranga Future Student 

Evening 

Future Student Evenings are an 

opportunity for whānau, parents, 

caregivers and students to hear about 

what the University of Auckland has 

to offer. You want the best for your 

family member. You want them to 

earn a quality degree that will help 

equip them for the paths they choose 

to take. 

But you also want to know that 

during their time at University they 

are happy, safe, supported, and that 

they are making the most of the 

opportunities presented to them. 

The University of Auckland 

Future Student Evening on 2 August 

was designed to answer the questions 

you may have as a parent or guardian, 

so you can help them make an 

informed choice – a choice that will 

help set them up for life. 

Battle in the Bay 2021 

Based in the heart of Tauranga, 

the Bay Twisters is the only not for 

profit cheerleading club with USASF 

Coaches in New Zealand. 

In 2016 Bay Twisters hosted the 

first cheer leading competition in 

the Bay of Plenty, the event proved 

extremely popular. 

There were local and international 

celebrities, TV appearances and a 

Guinness World Record attempt to 

name some of the excitement. Now in 

its 5th year and a 2 day event, Battle 

in the Bay 2021 promises to be a 

memorable event. 7 August – Teams 

Compete & 8 August – Specialities 

Compete. 

Benee 

Formidable indie-pop sensation 

and rising global superstar BENEE 

announced a nationwide regional 

Benee 

tour for August. 

BENEE will visit 

every corner of 

the country, hitting 

eight different 

towns and cities 

throughout the 

month. 

The ‘Supalonely’ 

singer has had an 

incredible 18 months, 

from releasing her debut 

album ‘Hey U X’, to sharing 

the album with Kiwi crowds on a 

sold-out eight-date tour in late 2020 

and being named on Forbes 30 under 

30 Asia 2021 list. Worldwide streams 

in the billions have made her one of 

the most exciting new acts to have 

emerged anywhere. 

Following the success of her October 

tour, BENEE recognised that fans 

outside the main centres don’t often 

get the opportunity to experience fullscale 

pop concerts in their own backyards. 

Throughout August, she will 

bring her trademark infectious energy 

to crowds across Aotearoa to get people 

up on their feet for a groove-worthy 

night. 

Anchor AIMS Games 

BENEE will perform eight headline 

shows across the country, visiting 

New Plymouth, Palmerston North, 

Porirua, Invercargill, Nelson, Tauranga, 

Napier and Hamilton. 

For complete tour, ticket and VIP 

information go to www.livenation. 

co.nz. 

Anchor AIMS Games 

Anchor AIMS Games is an interschool 

sporting competition for 

young sportspeople across New Zealand 

and the wider South Pacific. 

On 4 – 10 September many 

thousands of 11 to 13-year-olds 

will gather in Tauranga to compete 

against their age in a variety 

of individual and team sports. 

For many, this is their first 

experience of a super-scale sports 

event, complete with an opening 

ceremony, professional livestream 

coverage and world-class facilities. 

Anchor AIMS Games encourages 

an active life, fair play, and participation 

across a variety of sports. Many 

professional Kiwi athletes have come 

through the Games on their way to 

specialisation and achievement on the 

world stage. 

Premier Venue 

Battle in the Bay 

Trustpower Baypark is Tauranga’s 

Premier Venue for conferences, meetings, 

entertainment and exhibitions. 

Offering a complete package in 

one convenient location that features 

state of the art meeting rooms, 

in-house catering, audio visual services, 

professional conference organiser 

(PCO) and marketing/promotional 

services. 

For more information on any events, enquiries for Trustpower Baypark venues, BayStation activities or service on/off site from BayCatering, BayAudioVisual 

visit www.trustpowerbaypark.co.nz or email events@bayvenues.co.nz.


What is a Disaster Recovery and 

Business Continuity plan and why 

your business needs one? 

TECH TALK 

> BY MARIETTE TOLMAY 

Mariette Tolmay is the marketing lead at Stratus Blue. 

She can be contacted at mariette@stratusblue.co.nz. 

What is disaster 

recovery and business 

continuity? 

In today’s ever-evolving business 

landscape, there’s zero 

tolerance for downtime, a simple 

human error, a cyberattack 

or natural disaster could bring 

your business to a standstill. 

Having a comprehensive business 

continuity and disaster 

recovery (BC/DR) response 

plan is key to business resilience 

and for the survival of 

your organisation. 

Without getting too hung 

up on definitions, let’s say that 

disaster recovery is getting the 

IT infrastructure back up and 

running, while business continuity 

is a broader discipline 

that gets the business back up 

and functioning once the lights 

are back on. 

Disaster recovery and business 

continuity (DR/BC) are 

like any other type of insurance: 

People generally understand 

its importance but tend 

to not pay attention until it is 

too late. It’s just an unpleasant 

topic. BC/DR enables organisations 

to adapt to and bounce 

back from disruptions while 

maintaining continuous business 

operations. 

Why every business 

needs a robust BC/DR 

plan in place: 

With organisations going 

through digital transformations 

and more employees working 

remotely, cybersecurity 

is a top priority for almost all 

IT teams. Businesses must be 

prepared for cyberattacks and 

unexpected IT outages such 

as network outages and server 

failures. In fact, in the 2019 

State of IT Operations Survey 

Report, nearly 61 percent of 

the survey respondents who 

had a security breach in the 

past year, had two to four IT 

outages. 

In the past, some companies 

were under the impression that 

only large enterprise organisations 

needed BC/DR plans. 

However, it is just as critical 

for small and midsize businesses. 

The 2019 Verizon Data 

Breach Investigations Report 

showed that “43 percent of 

[security] breaches involved 

small business victims.” 

When it comes to running 

a business, no phrase rings 

truer than “time is money.” So, 

the moral of the story: downtime 

is a big deal. Without a 

robust BC/DR plan in place a 

business is at risk of serious 

financial loss and reputational 

damage. Incidents are not only 

potentially toxic to customer 

trust and loyalty. They’re also 

the financial grim reaper. 

The average cost of downtime 

is $5,600 per minute for 

medium enterprises, according 

to a 2014 study by Gartner. 

The research firm is quick to 

point out, however, that this 

is just an average. For small 

businesses, that number drops 

to the lower-but-still-significant 

tune of $137 to $427 per 

minute. And although we often 

focus on the loss of revenue 

and productivity due to downtime, 

according to independent 

data protection and security 

research firm, Ponemon, the 

largest share of downtime 

cost is business disruption, a 

category that includes reputational 

damage and customer 

churn. It’s clear that minimising 

downtime should be a priority 

for companies of any size 

and across all industries. 

Having a proper BC/DR 

plan in place means in the 

event of a disruption, a business 

can quickly recover mission-critical 

data, restore IT 

systems, and smoothly resume 

operations. Giving an organisation 

the ability to maintain 

essential processes before, 

during, and after a disaster. 

Therefor minimising both the 

downtime and the cost of a 

disruption and ensures that a 

business can operate as close 

to normal as possible after an 

unexpected interruption, with 

minimal loss of data and reputational 

damage. 

If your organisation doesn’t 

have a BC/DR plan in place, 

start by assessing your business 

processes, determining 

which areas are vulnerable, 

and the potential losses if those 

processes go down for a day, a 

few days, or a week. 

Next, develop a plan. This 

involves 6 general steps: 

1. Identify the scope of the 

plan. 

2. Identify key business areas. 

3. Identify critical functions. 

4. Identify dependencies 

between various business 

areas and functions. 

5. Determine acceptable 

downtime for each critical 

function. 

6. Create a plan to maintain 

operations. 

And finally, TEST that 

plan. 

NEWSBRIEF 

Bike tech brake sensor and app to 

seek investment 

Potential investors have plenty of options to choose from at the 

Rotorua Pitch Night on 28 July. 

Six businesses are lined 

up to pitch, from a 

range of industries, 

including bike tech, tourism, 

gin and vodka distilling, 

ag tech and peer lending 

platforms. 

Matt Miller is pitching his 

company BrakeAce. He has 

developed the worlds first 

brake sensor and app to help 

mountain bikers improve 

their speed. 

“Currently there are more 

than twenty companies that 

offer data products such as 

Strava and Garmin, but no 

company offers a tool to 

help riders improve the way 

they ride. BrakeAce changes 

that.” 

“I really struggled as a 

mountain bike racer and 

wanted to understand what 

made some riders faster and 

others slower. 

“I studied the science all 

the way through my Phd, 

where I really focused on 

braking and how this impacts 

overall trail speed.” 

“BrakeAce has been five 

years in development and has 

been trialled extensively by 

riders at all levels.” 

“The sensor measures 

the data and the app does 

the number crunching to 

provide riders with the top 

three things to improve their 

speed.” 

“Users have averaged a 

five second improvement 

in just one day from using 

BrakeAce.” 

“The global mountain 

bike market is projected to be 

worth US$10 billion by 2026 

and is worth $13.5 million 

per annum in Rotorua alone. 

I’m pitching to raise funds to 

take BrakeAce to this market 

and help mountain bikers get 

faster without the need to get 

fitter.” 

The Rotorua Pitch Night 

event has the aim to introduce 

investment ready businesses 

to prospective investors 

and be the start of an active 

local investor community in 

Rotorua. The event is being 

run by Firestation, Rotorua 

X and Rotorua Economic 

Development Limited. 

Businesses had to apply 

to pitch. Event Director Darren 

McGarvie said interest in 

pitching was high and they 

only accepted half of those 

that applied. 

“We were blown away 

with the level of interest in 

pitching, and the calibre of 

the businesses. We had more 

than 10 applications and had 

to make some tough decisions 

on who should pitch on 

the night.” 

“Pitch Night will be an 

interesting evening with 

a wide range of industries 

covered, with a mix of some 

asking for equity investment, 

some for lending or a combination 

of both.” 

Other pitches on the night 

include Wire Adventures, 

a new tourism adventure 

offering, Copperhead Road 

Matt Miller 

Vodka Distillery, CipTech 

an ag-tech for better dairy 

plant, vat cleaning and milk 

quality, Indigishare a peerto-peer 

lending platform and 

Pink and White Geothermal 

Gin. 

An expert panel will provide 

feedback to the pitches 

on the night and ask questions. 

The panel includes 

Destination Rotorua CEO 

Andrew Wilson, commercial 

lawyer Mark Copeland, 

Stoked NZ founder Debs 

Brocklesby, Rhythm &Vines 

founder Andrew Witters and 

Rotorua deputy mayor Dave 

Donaldson. 

Audience attendance is 

limited to genuine individual 

and corporate investors, 

pitch team supporters and 

event partner sponsors and 

members. 

People interested in 

attending must register 

to attend to receive event 

details. Audience registrations 

will be accepted until 

venue capacity is reached. To 

register to attend go to www. 

thefirestation.nz/pitch-night/


the 

LEADERSHIP 

ISSUE 

This month we decided to ask a number of Bay of Plenty business leaders to give 

us their thoughts on business leadership. We put out our feelers to a wide range of 

business leaders across the region and asked them to respond to three questions: 

• What does it take to be an exceptional leader in business in 2021? 

• What tips do you have for other BOP business leaders? 

• What are the big opportunities you see for new business growth in the region? 

We felt this leadership focus complemented nicely the BOP Personality Profile 

piece on Port of Tauranga’s new chief executive Leonard Sampson (see page 6). 

We were pleased with those who responded, but there are still a lot of other 

leaders out there we’d like to hear from. 

PUBLISHER’S NOTE 

Thank you to those leaders who 

responded, we appreciate you 

sharing your thoughts with the 

wider business community. We 

also acknowledge the challenge of 

answering our questions in such 

a brief form – your answers are 

illuminating. We will be running 

another leadership forum in our 

December issue. In particular, we 

would like to see a far broader and 

more diverse range of comment 

from right across the region; I 

for one look forward to reading 

comments from more women 

leaders, seeing a wider range of 

cultures represented and making 

sure the entire region is well 

represented. So, the challenge 

we are issuing: please reach out 

to us so that we can share your 

experience, insights and stories. 

Alan Neben, Publisher 

UNIVERSITY OF WAIKATO – ALISTER JONES 

Leading with vision 

As Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor of The University of Waikato, 

Professor Alister Jones is proud to have led the development of the 

new campus space in Durham Street, Tauranga. 

What does it take to be an 

exceptional business leader? 

Leading with vision, as well 

as integrity, compassion and empathy. 

We also need to move beyond seeing 

people as resource – staff are a source 

of ideas and you need to galvanise their 

continued buy-in and commitment. This 

is particularly important in the complexity 

of the current working environment, 

where the workforce wants increased 

flexibility and real purpose. 

The staff are the power house of 

a successful business. It’s important 

to empower your people, to connect 

and stay connected, and to develop a 

culture where everyone knows and is 

contributing to the broader business 

strategy. This means developing a shared 

understanding of success, having an 

aspirational but realistic implementation 

plan that focuses on the how, and 

clear measures of achievement. A 

compassionate leader also works with 

staff as ‘whole’ people – staff feel valued, 

and believe that their well-being is 

important. These are all easy things to 

say – it’s far more difficult to embed this 

culture through an organisation. 

What tips do you have for other BOP 

business leaders? 

It’s important to stay the course, and to 

be resilient and flexible, responding and 

adapting to changes as they emerge. Be 

open to taking risks, but fail fast and 

learn continually. Take action when it’s 

needed rather than delaying, while also 

making time to reflect and consolidate. 

Take a data-driven approach to decision 

making – what seemed to work yesterday 

may not still be the best solution. 

What are the big opportunities you see 

for new business growth? 

PROFESSOR 

ALISTER JONES 

Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, 

University of Waikato 

Alister is currently the Senior 

Deputy Vice Chancellor of the 

University of Waikato. A former 

Dean of Education and Research 

Professor, Alister has had a long 

involvement in international 

education as well as building 

educational research capability in a 

number of countries. 

Businesses are not islands – 

partnerships are important. However, 

these partnerships require purpose, 

collaboration, and integrity. Through high 

quality, flexible qualification pathways, 

the University of Waikato is contributing 

to the Bay’s pool of talent, including 

growing business leaders. 

We’re in the business of growing 

people, and there are fantastic 

opportunities for businesses to 

partner with the University across a 

range of areas, including research 

and development, internships, and 

accommodation and student services. 

The University’s increasing presence and 

connections across the Bay, nationally 

and globally, will support a growing 

knowledge economy across the region. 

OUT 

NOW 

YEAR 

BOOK 

C E L E B R A T I N G B A Y B U S I N E S S | 2 0 2 1 

Alister, don’t miss out on Yearbook 2022 – we’d love to 

have the University of Waikato profiled in the 2022 edition 

https://bopbusinessnews.co.nz/year-book/


BROTHER INTERNATIONAL (NZ) LTD – GRAHAM WALSHE 

People centric 

agile leadership 

A 

people centric agile leader 

understands that people buy 

from people and in a market of 

rapid change the need for agility 

to adapt and transform to the needs of 

customers and employees is vital. 

The most successful people centric 

leaders will focus their entire attention 

on the real reason for their being, - the 

customer, and the single most important 

driver will be the leader’s ability to 

ensure customers become advocates. 

They do not measure success against 

competitors but instead concentrate all 

efforts on exceeding customers’ needs 

and expectations and measure success 

against this. 

People centric leaders will recognise 

that the number one asset in the 

business is their people, each individual 

employee who are valued recognised 

rewarded and empowered. Employees 

who embrace a clear vision, mission and 

core values that reflect the very essence 

of the business and its focus on people. 

Employees want to know their roles and 

importantly how their efforts contribute 

to the business fulfilling its purpose. 

Customers and employees are 

critically examining businesses and 

choosing them for their sustainability 

not only economically in terms of profit 

but their contribution to society and the 

environment. Customers and employees 

want authenticity, an ethical pathway for 

the business through the leadership to 

meet these goals and be able to align 

their own goals to see them met. 

The people centric agile Leader will 

embrace the Technology (ICT) revolution 

as the biggest enabler for transformation 

where the greatest certainty is the 

new paradigm of uncertainty. Leaders 

recognise the need to be agile and 

collaborative responding to this exciting, 

changing environment where use of 

digital and e-commerce platforms 

speak directly to their customers and 

employees. Emerging Global trends prior 

to Covid have accelerated with stronger 

work life emphasis and balance and 

WFH(work from home) and LFH (Learn 

from home) mandated by this. 

The people centric agile leader will 

not just look at providing what they 

GRAHAM WALSHE 

Executive Chairman – FNZIM 

40 years as Chairman Brother NZ 

and Pacific, 13 years Brother Group 

Leader for Corporate/Marketing 

Asia Pacific Middle East Africa, 11 

years Deputy Chair Of PCF. Brother 

NZ team has won numerous 

Brother Global President awards for 

Management -Marketing. 

are required to do by the very good 

legislative laws that make and hold 

them accountable. These Leaders will go 

the extra mile for their customers and 

employees recognising that there are 

no traffic jams there and they will be 

rewarded for this with brand loyalty and 

long service. 

Significant opportunities exist in the 

Digital transformation, e-commerce-web 

design-people to people 1x1 marketing 

through social media, training and 

distance learning and many others. 

To be able to build business around 

sustainable economic social and 

environmental platforms will open the 

business out to growth opportunities that 

are rapidly expanding. 

The fastest growing group of socially 

responsible investors are people looking 

for companies like this so without being 

cynical – it is great for business all round. 

Psychological 

Safety: 

Why it Matters 

for Managers in 

Today’s Workplace 

FREE SEMINAR 

Tauranga, Friday August 20th, 9am-10:45am, Hotel Armitage 

To Register for Tauranga: 

www.eventspronto.co.nz/21TPS01 

Investment: FREE 

Programme Schedule: 

www.eventspronto.co.nz/dalecarnegie 

Contact Us: 

Dale Carnegie BOP Waikato 

Michael Shaw – 0275 429144 

Michael.shaw@dalecarnegie.com 

www.bop-waikato.dalecarnegie.com 

What You’ll Learn 

The difference Psychological Safety makes to: 

• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 

• Organisational Agility 

• Employee Engagement 

• Staff Retention 

• Resilience 

How to Create Psychological 

Safety in your team 

SWIPEDON – HADLEIGH FORD 

Act with decisiveness 



It goes without saying, in the 

last 18 months we’ve all been thrown 

significant challenges. For a number of 

businesses, just navigating the year is 

celebration enough. These challenges are 

something we’ve observed on a global 

scale across our customer base, as we’ve 

worked alongside them. 

I’m not sure about being “exceptional”, 

but what’s become clear is that leading 

and growing a business is a journey that 

doesn’t stop until the last day you walk 

out the doors. I’ve personally grown 

exponentially since starting the business 

and the only thing I’m sure about is that 

I’ve got further to go. 



Leading truly is a journey, and one thing 

I’ve learnt is that you don’t have to know 

the answer to everything at the drop 

of a hat. Take your time to think things 

through and then, act with decisiveness. 

Thinking you “know it all” may work 

for the majority of the time, but it’s 

events that happen outside of ‘business 

as usual’ where organisations can 

be derailed and strategic plans are 

questioned. 



I’m biased, but I see a lot of opportunity 

for emerging tech businesses within the 

Bay of Plenty. Covid showed us we don’t 

need to be in-person to be productive. 

The tyranny of distance has disappeared 

and this presents exciting opportunities 

for all corners of the globe including and 

our piece of paradise. 

New Zealand has been reliant on the 

primary export sector for a long time 

and until recently it’s been a highly 

successful, but concentrated approach. 

Shifts in shipping costs, the labour 

market, environmental concerns and 

HADLEIGH FORD 

CEO – SwipedOn 

Hadleigh Ford is the founder and 

CEO of SwipedOn, a leading visitor 

management solution. SwipedOn 

is used in 7,000 locations, in 

74 countries globally. In 2018 

SwipedOn was acquired by UK listed 

SmartSpace Software. Hadleigh 

stayed on as CEO under the public 

company. He is also a Master 

Mariner and former Harbour Pilot 

with a lengthy seagoing career. 

scarcity of land have posed significant 

challenges to this sector and raised 

questions around our sole reliance on it. 

Technology on the other hand is 

often referred to as a “weightless export”. 

At SwipedOn, up to 90 percent of our 

revenue is derived offshore, allowing us 

to reinvest in the local economy. All we’ve 

needed are a handful of desks, some 

talented individuals and a lot of hard 

work to grow this organisation to what it 

is today. If you extrapolate this out across 

a number of international technology 

businesses that could be based in 

the Bay, the net positive is likely to be 

significant for the region. 

Here’s to continuing the hard work and 

a few more “weightless exports” leaving 

our shores (and keyboards!) soon. 

Ingham-Sears. 

Your authorised Mercedes-Benz retailer for sales, service 

and parts in Mt Maunganui and Bay of Plenty region. 

www.mbinghamsears.co.nz


BALLANCE AGRI-NUTRIENTS – MARK WYNNE 

Building on Covid learnings 



Pivot is the catch word of 2021, 

when exceptional leaders trust in and 

support their people, the ability to pivot 

and create great stuff from what at the 

outset appears to be a massive roadblock 

(like Covid) is immense. We have all 

learnt about the value of flexibility over 

the last 18 months, making minor, but 

significant changes to the way we think 

about the traditional way of working. 

The leadership opportunity is to 

build on the learnings from Covid, which 

brought to the fore how important 

connection is to people’s wellbeing 

and sense of belonging. We all need 

to encourage greater empathy around 

what is happening outside of work and 

the importance of people being able 

to balance the two. We are walking the 

talk with our own health and safety 

programme, which is driven by care and 

ownership, and is called C.O.W.S – Care, 

Ownership, Wellbeing and Safety. 



The core behaviours of good leadership 

haven’t changed: 

• Leaders need to trust their instincts, 

then test their thinking with people 

you know think differently to you. 

• Be transparent and operate with 

integrity. 

• Be a valued member of your 

employee’s community – your people 

are part of the community outside 

of work, so it’s equally important 

for them to feel that they are part 

of a business that is making a real 

difference. 

• Always be prepared to front, no matter 

how difficult the challenge/issue. 



Tauranga city and the Bay of Plenty region 

is facing some exceptional challenges, 

but the opportunities to attract talent 

are boundless. You no longer need to 

live in a big city to have access to great 

jobs. The changes to the way we work 

means we can live at the beach and work 

MARK WYNNE 

CEO – Ballance Agri-Nutrients 

Mark Wynne is the CEO of Ballance 

Agri-Nutrients, a 100% Kiwi owned 

co-operative. The head office 

is based in the Bay of Plenty, 

with six manufacturing plants 

located through-out New Zealand, 

employing approx. 800 people. 

Mark has extensive experience in 

agribusiness, including 20 years 

in the dairy industry. He was 

previously President South Asia for 

Kimberly-Clark, growing the United 

States multinational’s market 

share with brands like Kleenex and 

Huggies. 

remotely, it’s incredibly easy to work with 

people from all round the country and 

all round the world from your own home. 

With more flexibility, and awareness that 

people don’t need to be at a desk in the 

office to do great work, this opens up a 

huge breadth of talent, as there is not 

the same pressure to relocate as there 

used to be. That said Tauranga is a great 

location, easy access to other major 

cities, the Port, transport efficiencies for 

freight, availability of land and people 

want to live in our beautiful city. There 

is very little you couldn’t do here. The 

opportunities are only as limited as your 

imagination! 

OUT 

NOW 

YEAR 

BOOK 


See the Ballance Agri-Nutrients Business Profile 

on pages 56 and 57 

https://bopbusinessnews.co.nz/year-book/ 

TAURANGA CITY COUNCIL – ANNE TOLLEY 

Being honest about decisions 

A successful outcome is not measured only in the ‘bottom line’. 

Tauranga City Council is a significant 

business, managing assets worth 

more than $4.7 billion, but it is 

also a community organisation, 

charged with representing the interests of 

150,000-plus residents. 

Having now served for five months as 

Chair of the Commission which provides 

the council’s governance function, I can 

tell you that making decisions which 

provide the best possible outcome for 

the entire community is not always a 

simple task. 

Looking at my role in the governance 

team, which is effectively that of a Mayor, 

there are a number of requirements. 

While it’s simply not possible to please 

everyone, it’s essential that anyone who 

wants to express a view on a Council 

matter is heard and treated with respect. 

That means being honest when 

a decision is not likely to satisfy the 

individual or organisation involved, but it 

also means listening with an open mind 

and making changes where they will 

create a better outcome. 

Governance also requires decisiveness, 

making good decisions based on 

evidence and then sticking with those 

decisions and being ready to advocate 

for them in the face of criticism, where 

necessary. 

I hesitate to offer advice to the 

region’s business leaders, but I would 

say that a successful outcome is not 

measured only in the ‘bottom line’ – it 

also considers whether the interests of 

stakeholders (i.e. everyone affected by 

our business activities) have been wellserved; 

and whether we’ve done the right 

thing by our environment. 

It may be something of a cliché, but 

there really is no ‘Planet B’, so let’s do our 

best to leave our world in a better state 

than we found it. 

Again, my take on opportunities for 

ANNE TOLLEY 

Commission Chair – Tauranga City 

Council 

Anne has been deeply involved 

in local and national politics for 

the past 35 years, highlighted by 

nine years as a Cabinet Minister – 

holding the portfolios of Education, 

Police, Corrections, MSD and Local 

Government. After retiring as 

East Coast MP in 2020, she was 

appointed Chair of the Commission 

which fulfils the governance role at 

Tauranga City Council. 

regional business growth is shaped by 

my role. It’s my job to make Tauranga a 

better place to do business, by building 

upon our natural strengths – climate, 

fertile hinterland, great environment, the 

country’s best deep-water port, etc. 

The successful business of the future 

will be sustainable and will want to 

establish here because we understand 

and implement sustainable practices; and 

because we have invested wisely in the 

community facilities and infrastructure 

that make Tauranga a great place to live. 

Affordable housing for staff and their 

families is a big part of that picture. 

If that resonates, we hope you will find 

your place in our wonderful part of the 

world. 

OUT 

NOW 

YEAR 

BOOK 


See the Commissioners’ Business Profiles 


https://bopbusinessnews.co.nz/year-book/


QUAYSIDE HOLDINGS LTD – SCOTT HAMILTON 

Create a positive space 

Creating a positive space enables employees to flourish both as 

contributors to the business and as individuals. 



In today’s world, leaders 

need to lift their game in how they are 

connecting with, and looking after, their 

people. People expect more from their 

employer than ever before. 

With such a nation-wide labour 

shortage, leaders across all parts of an 

organisation must be aware of the need 

to engage and connect, creating a future 

for employees they want to be a part 

of. Connection and alignment through 

carefully created people strategies is 

vital. 

All business leaders need to 

understand what drives their employees 

(the why) in order to understand the 

what and the how. Create a positive 

space for employees to flourish both as 

contributors to the business, as well as 

individuals. Take time out to celebrate 

successes and milestones. 



Covid initially made us all look inwards 

within our organisations and potentially 

restructure to ensure the business and its 

people would succeed. 

Take some time now to focus on 

new external opportunities, growth and 

productivity benefits, to allow our region 

to grow and remain attractive. 



The Bay has a strong backbone of capital 

for investment through its local financial 

SCOTT HAMILTON 

Chief Executive 

Emerging from the investment and 

banking world, Scott Hamilton has 

led Quayside Holdings for over 10 

years with a clear sense of strategy, 

opportunity, and innovation. 

Scott is an active member of his 

community, both through his role 

as Chief Executive as well as serving 

on a variety of Boards. Scott 

believes leadership and culture are 

vital in creating a high performing 

team. 

eco system, the strength of the Maori 

economy and investment vehicles like 

Quayside. 

However, as a region we are highly reliant 

on the primary sector and logistics via 

the Port of Tauranga. 

Quayside’s industrial-style Business 

Park at Rangiuru is an exciting 

opportunity for the Bay of Plenty region, 

attracting more industry to our region 

with 148 hectares of land on offer. 

Such development helps our region 

diversify beyond being port-centric, to 

embracing new industries that make 

us more resilient to change, including 

adding value through secondary 

processing of our primary industry 

strength. 

OUT 

NOW 

YEAR 

BOOK 


See the Quayside Business Profile 


https://bopbusinessnews.co.nz/year-book/ 

TAURANGA CITY COUNCIL – MARTY GRENFELL 

Collaboration is the key 

Local government is a sector that 

provides 24/7 service delivery 

for every individual, group and 

business in our community. The 

ability to form relationships and work 

alongside the range of communities that 

make up the city is key to successful 

local government leadership. Recognising 

the common threads and appealing to 

human dynamics, working together on 

shared goals and building credibility with 

the community provides Council with the 

social licence it needs to operate and get 

on with the job. 

It important for leadership to create a 

safe and open environment that allows 

staff to be themselves, unleashing the 

ideas, innovation and skills that each 

of them bring to work every day. I relish 

the challenge of leading and developing 

dedicated professionals – people who are 

committed to delivering better outcomes 

for the people they serve every day. 

By working alongside our community, 

building their trust and confidence 

and providing positive and memorable 

experiences through the services we 

provide, we can create a city we are all 

proud to call home. 

The Bay of Plenty has outstanding, 

talented business leaders who continue 

to contribute to the future of the region 

through investing in the development of 

people, plant and business innovation. 

The region punches well above its 

weight in business development, growth 

and innovation, supported by wellestablished 

networks and leaders. 

Our social, cultural, economic, 

technological and environmental norms 

are changing at an ever increasing pace 

and the successful businesses of the 

future will be those which understand, 

embrace and adapt to change, allowing 

them to capitalise on opportunities and 

effectively manage risks. 

This goes well beyond ‘complying with 

legislation’ – it requires a different level 

of leadership to rise above and push 

organisations and support communities 

on the journey to places not currently 

envisaged. 

MARTY GRENFELL 

Chief Executive 

Marty joined Tauranga City Council 

in 2018, after leading Whakatane 

District Council for seven years. 

He has nearly 40 years of public 

service experience, including senior 

roles with NZ Police and local 

government prior to Tauranga 

City. He and his Executive team are 

committed to creating a highperforming 

organisation that 

understands and works alongside 

the community and provides 

decision-makers with high quality 

information and support. 

Change is always difficult, particularly 

when the future is unclear, and a key 

role of leadership is to be able to gather 

resources, mobilise people and navigate 

organisations through uncharted territory 

with confidence and humility. Who would 

have thought that space travel would 

ever be a reality? 

Fortunately, space travel isn’t high on 

Council’s agenda, but changing this city 

is. In simple terms that means creating 

a future for everyone, step-by-step, 

day-by-day. 

I’m proud and privileged to be leading 

an organisation whose staff front-up to 

deliver on our vision of creating a better 

Tauranga, every day.


BAY VENUES LTD – SIMON CLARKE 

The war for talent is on 

Simon Clarke’s experience in a widely diverse range of governance 

roles makes him well qualified to comment on leadership issues. 

His roles in the Bay of Plenty in particular provide a valuable 

insight into leadership issues specifically related to the region. 



The exceptional leaders that 

I’ve had the benefit of working for (and 

learning from) largely focus on one thing…. 

and that’s people. 

If you nurture, develop, empower, and 

trust your staff they remain highly engaged 

and that engagement and positive culture 

shines through to your customers and 

the communities in which your business 

operates. 



Double down on your investment in your 

people and your organisational culture. 

The war for talent is on and human capital 

is scarce. 

Highly engaged passionate people 

that are aligned to the purpose of your 

organisation will always be your main 

competitive advantage. 

BOP leaders should be leveraging the 

natural advantages (lifestyle, climate, 

quality of life) of the BOP to attract and 

retain talent. 

The other thing I’d say is that 

organisations should be designing their 

services (or products) from the customer/ 

consumer back, as well as digitising 

and automating all their systems and 

processes. All businesses need to be 

digital businesses and you need a strategy 

for a digital business not a digital strategy. 

Like people, technology also needs to 

be considered as an “investment” not a 

“cost”. 

Investing in technology and digitisation 

not only creates massive productivity 

improvements it also leads to infinitely 

better customer and user/staff 

experiences. It also creates opportunities 

for further innovation and new business 

models. 

This is a road that Bay Venues has 

already started on and I’m excited to be 

able to provide their highly capable team 

with strategic direction in this area. 


for new business growth in the region? 

The Bay of Plenty is an exciting area 

to be in and I think it presents lots of 

opportunities for sustainable business 

growth across several sectors. 

We obviously have an advantage being 

in the golden triangle (Auckland-Hamilton- 

Tauranga) and have a world class port 

in the Port of Tauranga. We also have a 

very strong horticultural and agriculture 

pedigree across the region and those 

sectors have been going well. 

On top of these traditional advantages, 

we also have a burgeoning technology 

and innovation sector and the arrival of 

the University of Waikato campus into 

Tauranga is adding some impetus to that. 

SIMON CLARKE 

Chair – Bay Venues Ltd 

Simon Clarke is a professional 

Director and strategic advisor 

through his business, Matua 

Governance. He is currently the 

Chair of Bay Venues, the Chair of 

Priority One and is a Director of 

Dunedin based electricity lines 

business, Aurora Energy. His mission 

is to help organizations make a 

positive difference to the prosperity 

& sustainability of New Zealand’s 

environment, society & economy 

through strong governance, strategic 

direction, and advice. 

The investments through the Provincial 

Growth fund in the Eastern BOP and in 

Rotorua have also created some great 

opportunities in those areas. 

However, notwithstanding the recent 

growth of the Bay of Plenty economy, our 

wage rates remain too low relative to other 

economies (and that is even more so for 

Māori). 

A low average wage rate together with 

our high house and rent costs has created 

a big problem in growing inequality and 

we need to ensure that the “tide of our 

prosperous economy lifts all boats”. 

Businesses can’t stop house price 

increases, but they can lift wages, create 

sustainable high wage jobs, and pay 

people competitive market rates. 

There are also some great 

opportunities for businesses to partner 

and collaborate to help grow and 

develop the Māori Economy and provide 

great investment and employment 

opportunities for Māori. 

We are also lucky enough to have some 

large Community Trusts in the Bay of 

Plenty that have significant balance sheets 

and are always looking for investment 

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NEWSBRIEF 

Council purchases 

land as part of 

marine precinct 

strategic review 

Tauranga City Council is set to buy back 

a key area of land at Sulphur Point as 

growth plans for the Tauranga Marine 

Precinct continue to be developed. 

Council sold the land at 6 Cross Road to 

Pacific 7 Ltd in 2016 to help fund the development 

of the marine servicing hub ‘Vessel 

Works’ – a council entity that opened in 2018 

and provides a marine servicing facility for 

commercial and recreational boats. 

Recently, Tauranga City Council had the 

opportunity to repurchase this site. 

Tauranga City Council General Manager 

of Corporate Services Paul Davidson says 

“the opportunity to buy was taken as it allows 

time to review how changes to the ownership 

of this landholding may impact the wider 

precinct and its users”. 

“A strategic review of the marine precinct 

is currently underway, so it made sense for 

us to purchase the land while the review is 

completed this year. This will also allow 

progress to be made on other future land sale 

opportunities as part of planned future development,” 

says Paul. “The goal of the strategic 

review is to ensure the marine precinct 

is developed and best positioned to deliver 

benefits for the local industry and the wider 

community in the future.” 

Marine precinct users will be included in 

this strategic review. “We value the stakeholders 

in our local marine industry, and we 

are committed to working alongside them to 

understand how our goals may align in the 

future,” says Paul 

Greener leases 

There is significant dialogue happening in the office sector currently around ESG – environmental, 

social and governance – and how these three pillars or performance indicators are used to assess a 

company or investment project to determine its sustainability. 

Office tenants are increasingly 

seeking to adopt 

a strategic approach to 

sustainability, given expectations 

about carbon footprints and the 

balance sheet benefits that energy 

efficiencies can bring to a business 

operation. 

With 40 percent of carbon 

emissions coming from the built 

environment, the “E” component 

of ESG and commercial property 

are firmly in the spotlight and the 

corporate world is transitioning 

to a lower carbon, more sustainable, 

and more resilient future 

where people and community are 

paramount. 

Cost-effectiveness and 

energy-optimisation 

Having an energy management 

plan based around cost-effectiveness 

and energy-optimisation 

is central to a business’ sustainability 

goals and Steve Rendall, 

Bayleys national director office 

leasing, said “greener” leases 

are becoming more prevalent 

– particular among corporate 

occupiers. 

“Today’s commercial property 

occupants and their employees 

expect landlords to take 

meaningful steps to improve the 

sustainability footprints of the 

building they occupy. 

“As awareness of climate 

change increases and the built 

environment comes under greater 

scrutiny, landlords will be under 

growing pressure to be proactive 

in the sustainability space. 

“Larger public sector and 

corporate occupants are depending 

on measurable and reliable 

sustainability data for reporting 

back to stakeholders, so landlords 

and/or their facility managers, 

will need to be across the 

terminology, the standards and 

the expectations.” 

Rendall said conversations 

around sustainability need to be 

upfront at the time of establishing 

or renegotiating a commercial 

office lease, with clear definitions 

around who is responsible 

for what. 

“The more proactive tenants 

are, the more likely the sustainability 

narrative will get traction. 

“Occupiers need to ensure that 

the leases they sign reflect the 

sustainability principles that are 

important to their business, their 

employees and stakeholders.” 

The Covid-19 scenario has 

heightened the need for buildings 

to be healthy places for people to 

work in. Office occupiers need to 

be able to attract and retain staff 

and commit to the health and 

wellness of its employees, while 

doing the right thing by its community, 

and the environment. 

Issues for the switched on 

landlord 

A switched on landlord will need 

to consider many factors contributing 

to a building’s energy 

efficiency, from building design, 

operation and maintenance, to 

building management and occupant 

behaviours. 

Energy performance needs 

to be trackable, measurable and 

tenants and landlords will need 

to work closely to achieve a common 

goal of energy efficiency. 

New Zealand’s goal is to 

attain net-zero carbon emissions 

by 2050, so the government has 

tasked itself to make the public 

sector carbon-neutral by 2025, 

and to be an exemplar for the private 

sector to follow suit. 

All government departments 

and ministries are now 

required to measure their emissions 

and offset the ones they 

cannot remove by 2025, and to 

only occupy buildings meeting 

energy-efficient thresholds with 

NABERSNZ ratings. 

Paula Bennett, Bayleys’ director 

strategic advisory, said there 

is now a clear opportunity for the 

government to lead on the sustainability 

front and to be definitive 

in their expectations. 

“More can be, and needs to be, 

done as we seek to lower emissions 

in New Zealand.” 

www.bayleys.co.nz/workplace/ 

office/insights 

At Bayleys, we believe relationships are what businesses are built on and how they 

succeed. We understand that to maximise the return on your property you need: 

Professional property management 

A business partner that understands your views and goals 

Contact the Bayleys Tauranga Commercial Property Management team today. 

Bayleys Tauranga 

Commercial Property Management 

07 579 0609 

jan.cooney@bayleystauranga.co.nz 

SUCCESS REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008 

ALTOGETHER BETTER 

Residential / Commercial / Rural / Property Services


Three options for income starved 

investors 

With the economy having recovered strongly from the 

events of 2020, the Reserve Bank is paring back its 

monetary stimulus programme. 

By MARK LISTER, 

Head of Private Wealth Research 

– Craigs Investment Partners 

Interest rates are set to rise from 

record lows, and we’ve already seen 

mortgage rates and term deposit 

increase in recent weeks. 

However, this will be a gradual 

process and interest rates are still 

likely to remain below historic averages 

for an extended period. 

In the meantime, what options are 

there for New Zealanders relying on 

their investments for income? 

1. You can adjust your lifestyle 

and spending habits to match 

the lower levels of income 

Spending less is a valid option. Many 

of us spend more than we need to and 

would do fine being a little less frivolous. 

Last year’s lockdowns taught 

us that. 

But where’s the fun in that? Especially 

when you’re working hard to 

be able to retire with a bit of capital 

behind you to enjoy a good standard 

of living when you’ve hung up your 

boots. 

2. You can modify your 

investment strategy and seek 

out higher yielding assets 

Another option is to give up on 

low-yielding conservative assets and 

shift those funds into shares or property, 

which offer higher returns. 

The New Zealand sharemarket 

is offering an annual gross dividend 

yield of 3.6 per cent, on average, with 

some sectors and companies much 

higher than that. Similarly, according 

to the Real Estate Institute the rental 

yield on a Bay of Plenty property is 

3.3 per cent, while some other regions 

are higher still. 

In addition, both shares and property 

have historically provided attractive 

capital growth on top of those 

income returns. 

There’s a catch though. Dividends 

and rents are far from guaranteed, 

and in the short-term capital growth 

can be non-existent or even negative. 

The last thing you want is to be in the 

position of needing to cash up your 

share portfolio or sell your property 

during a rough patch. 

Moving into riskier assets can be 

an acceptable and logical course of 

action, if you have a reasonable time 

horizon and you don’t overdo it. 

3. You can stay the course but 

eat into your capital to make 

up the shortfall 

The third option is to spend the 

income your portfolio is generating 

and when you need more, spend a little 

of your capital from time to time. 

One of the best things 

about shares is their 

liquidity, giving you the 

option to sell small parts 

of your holdings easily 

and cheaply.” 

Many Kiwi investors are averse 

to this approach, and are determined 

to leave every last cent to the next 

generation. 

However, the total return (the 

combination of the capital gains and 

the income) of an investment portfolio 

should be considered a pool of 

income available to be drawn on as 

required, not just the interest or dividend 

payments. 

One of the best things about shares 

is their liquidity, giving you the option 

to sell small parts of your holdings 

easily and cheaply. You can’t do that 

with many other asset classes, and 

investors can use this to their advantage 

when managing cash flow and 

income requirements. 

A key advantage of this approach 

is that there is no need to dramatically 

adjust your investment philosophy or 

risk profile, for the sake of boosting 

yield. 

Viewing returns as returns – 

regardless of where they come from 

– means you can maintain a well balanced 

portfolio of assets that matches 

your tolerance for risk and continue 

enjoying the good things in life. 

For quality investment strategies 

contact your local Craigs Investment 

Partners branch. 

Tauranga branch – 07 577 6049 

tauranga@craigsip.com 

Rotorua branch – 07 348 1860 

rotorua@craigsip.com 

craigsip.com 

This information is of a general nature only and 

does not constitute regulated financial advice. It 

does not take into account your particular financial 

situation, objectives, goals, or risk tolerance. 

Investments are subject to risk and are not guaranteed. 

Past returns are no guarantee of future 

performance and returns can go down as well 

as up. Before making any investment decision 

Craigs Investment Partners recommends you 

contact an investment adviser. Craigs Investment 

Partners Limited is a NZX Participant Firm. For 

more information on Craigs financial advice services 

please see craigsip.com/tcs. 

Sharp Tudhope Lawyers welcomes 

James Dow to the Partnership 

Sharp Tudhope is delighted to announce the addition 

of James Dow to the Partnership. 

James is a commercial, corporate and projects expert with extensive experience 

across many sectors gained from his time at top tier law firms in New Zealand 

and internationally at a global law firm in London. He provides practical solutions 

to complex commercial issues and in his first few months with the firm has already 

forged strong relationships with our clients. 

He says, “I’m thrilled to be joining the Partnership at Sharp Tudhope. The firm 

has an amazing reputation with clients nationwide and this year we celebrate 125 

years of providing legal services in the region. I’m excited about continuing to 

strengthen the business relationships I have made since joining Sharp Tudhope 

and proud to be part of a firm that has such a long and illustrious history.” 

James brings a timely wealth of experience to the Bay of Plenty as its thriving 

industries continue to experience unprecedented growth. 

Partner Richard Hoare says, “Since joining us in March, James has quickly established 

himself and has demonstrated that he will be a key contributor to the firm and its 

progress. He brings a valuable skill-set to the Partnership and we are delighted to 

confirm his appointment.” 

Level 4, 152 Devonport Road 

Tauranga 3110 

07 928 2000 

lawyers@st.co.nz 

www.sharptudhope.co.nz 

James Dow


The world has changed, again 

Over a couple of articles written in mid-2020 I made some 

predictions around the post-Covid 19 economic and social 

environment and its influence on franchising in New Zealand. 

To start, my assumption 

that we were entering a 

period we could define 

as “post Covid”, was completely 

incorrect, and should 

have been post lock-down 

mark 1. 

We’re going to be living 

with Covid for quite some 

time, and if international 

trends are any indication, we 

are going to be extremely 

lucky to escape further significant 

lock-downs. 

Having addressed the elephant 

in the room, let’s look at 

the five trends that I called at 

the time. 

1. Recession 

Not a lot needs to be said here 

other than I was not alone on 

getting this wrong. 

The implication for franchising 

is that franchising is 

generally counter-cyclical and 

it looked at the impact recession 

has on employment. 

Employment had remained 

extremely high statistically, 

but bumpy, and this has fuelled 

a predicted increase in interest 

in franchising. 

2. The best systems 

likely to be more 

successful 

I predicted good systems 

would rise like the proverbial 

cream. 

This is evolving and certainly 

in franchise recruitment 

circles two lines of questioning 

have developed over the 

past 9-12 months – how has 

the system/category faired 

over the past 12 months and 

how did the franchise system 

support it’s franchisees over 

that time? 

Those systems that have 

done well in these two areas 

will do well moving forward, 

I have no doubt. 

3. Diversification of 

models 

By diversification I suggested 

that franchisors would expand 

vertically through integrating 

their offering, and revenue 

base or perhaps horizontally 

by acquiring or developing 

additional brands in different 

categories. 

Whilst it is hard to see any 

significant trend in this direction 

there have been a number 

of acquisitions. 

But I would suggest that 

impetuous for diversification 

has evaporated for many and 

they are back to focusing on 

business as usual. 

4. New rental and 

property models 

Undoubtedly the e-commerce 

stream has gone from strength 

to strength and every business 

must now include this in their 

thinking and offering. What 

we have not seen over the past 

year is any major re-calibration 

of commercial rentals or 

property models. 

5. Rise in 

entrepreneurship 

I predicted we would see a 

renewal in an entrepreneurial 

spirit, largely driven by a rise 

in unemployment. 

I got the unemployment 

driver incorrect, but unquestionably 

there are a growing 

number of people wanting to 

be in business for themselves. 

They may not have been 

made redundant, but have 

decided they don’t want to do 

what they have been doing and 

FRANCHISING 

> BY NATHAN BONNEY 

Nathan Bonney is a director of Iridium Partners. He can be 

reached at nathan@iridium.net.nz or 0275-393-022 

now is the time. This interest 

extends to franchising, which 

remains perceived as a safer 

option for first-time business 

owners. 

In addition to what I did 

predict, there were a couple of 

significant trends that I did not 

anticipate and these are now 

having significant influence. 

1. Labour shortages 

With the prospect that we 

were facing a recession, labour 

shortages did not really factor. 

However, a fuller than 

anticipated employment rate 

and perhaps more significantly, 

immigration policy, means that 

almost all business sectors and 

industries we speak to have 

labour issues or concerns. 

Franchising is not exempt 

from this and I am aware it is 

hampering many businesses 

and systems, both on an operational 

day-to-day basis and 

from a growth perspective. 

2. Inflation and supply 

shortages 

Just this month we have seen 

the release of the highest inflation 

figures in over a decade, 

but there are few businesses 

that would have needed this to 

be aware that costs of literally 

everything have escalated over 

the past nine-12 months. 

Added to this are international 

supply and supply chain 

issues. 

Breaking news for essential skills 

visa holders and employers 

It has been much discussed in employers’ circles that Immigration 

NZ is slow and painful to deal with. But now there could quite well be 

light at the end of that tunnel, where we as employers aren’t having 

to deal with them as often. 

HUMAN RESOURCES 

> BY KELLIE HAMLETT 

Talent ID are Recruitment Specialists and can support you through 

your recruitment process. Please feel free to talk to us about this by 

calling 07 349 1081 or emailing kellie@talentid.co.nz 

Recently the Government 

and Immigration NZ 

gave Essential Skills 

Visa holders paid below the 

median wage the ability to 

apply for a longer visa to 

remain in their current role. 

This decision extends 

the maximum duration of an 

Essential Skills Visa for a job 

paid below the median wage 

from 12 to 24 months. The 

duration of Essential Skills 

visas for roles paid the median 

wage or above will still be up 

to three years. 

Applications still currently 

need to be completed 

via a paper form, but from 30 

August this will all become 

streamlined, and applications 

can be lodged online, saving 

everyone some much needed 

trees and of course some time. 

This is also great news for 

many industries that have been 

hit by the skills shortage since 

the boarders closed last year. 

Many employers have been 

concerned that they would be 

losing even more staff due to 

expiring visas. 

Essential skills demand 

growing 

Looking at immigration New 

Zealand’s current skill shortage 

list, also known as the 

essential skills in demand list, 

it is growing by the day and 

contains many roles in nearly 

every industry. 

There are three lists in total 

including a long-term skill 

shortage, regional skill shortage 

and construction and infrastructure 

skill shortage. 

The lists are put together by 

Ministry of Business, Innovation 

and Employment (MBIE) 

based on industry feedback. 

Skill shortages happen for a 

variety of reasons including an 

aging work force, not enough 

workers with the right skill set 

available and skilled workers 

leaving for greener pastures. 

Obviously closing the borders 

early last year has amplified 

the current shortage, with 

many skilled international 

With the skill shortages impacting 

employers hard – amongst the many 

other challenges business are currently 

facing with supply and rising compliance 

costs – it’s an employee’s market, making 

it incredibly challenging for employers to 

recruit people into their businesses. 

workers being unable to obtain 

the relevant visa’s to enter. 

The skills shortage is having 

a massive impact over all 

industries and will continue to 

do so over the coming years. 

With many school leavers 

choosing to head into the work 

force and filling some of the 

lower-level jobs over attending 

higher level education, we will 

see that the flow on to industries 

such as Finance, Healthcare 

and IT services that have 

already been hit hard. 

With the skill shortages 

impacting employers hard – 

amongst the many other challenges 

business are currently 

facing with supply and rising 

compliance costs – it’s an 

employee’s market, making 

it incredibly challenging for 

employers to recruit people 

into their businesses. 

We are seeing wage and 

salary rates rising quickly, and 

employers having to be creative 

with total remuneration 

packages and benefits. 

It is with this in mind that 

it is imperative that you source 

help from the professionals to 

ensure you have a strategy in 

place for both retaining and 

developing your current team, 

and recruiting your future 

workforce.


NEW APPOINTMENTS 

BBN’S GUIDE TO NEW PEOPLE AND NEW ROLES ACROSS BUSINESS IN THE BAY 

To feature in New Appointments email us at new.appointments@bopbusinessnews.co.nz 

Executive appointments bolster BOP 

August has ushered in a broad range of new executive appointments across the Bay. Please contact us if your organisation has personnel 

changes you would like to share. 

John Holyoake 

John Holyoake has officially stepped 

into his new role as Western Bay 

of Plenty District Council’s CEO. 

The Tamaki Regeneration Company, 

which John has led since 2015, formally 

handed John over to Western 

Bay of Plenty District Council in a 

pōwhiri ceremony held in the Council 

chambers last month. 

John replaces retiring chief executive 

officer Miriam Taris, appointed 

to the role in 2014. 

Most recently John was the chief 

executive of the Tamaki Regeneration 

Company – the largest urban regeneration 

project in New Zealand, a role 

he has held since 2015. Previously, 

John has worked for Serco NZ, Housing 

NZ and Department of Corrections 

in senior leadership roles. 

Originally from Rotorua, John 

says it is great to be back in the Bay 

of Plenty and eager to bring his skills 

and learnings to the rohe (area) and 

the inevitable challenges Council will 

face, particularly with reforms like 

the Future of Local Government and 

Three Waters. 

Western Bay Mayor Garry Webber 

says he and his fellow councillors are 

looking forward to working with John 

on the opportunities that the local 

government reforms will present in 

the coming months. 

Jaimee Kinzett 

Jaimee Kinzett is Holland Beckett 

Law’s newest Associate. Most 

recently, Jaimee worked at Auckland 

Transport as a specialist in Technical 

Property Services, working alongside 

Auckland Council, Kāinga Ora and 

large-scale property developers. Prior 

to this, she spent 10 years in a leading 

Auckland specialist commercial 

property and resource management 

firm, advising a listed national property 

company, institutional investors, 

corporate and private clients. 

Jaimee’s vast experience includes 

acquisitions and disposals; commercial, 

industrial and retail leasing; 

developments/subdivisions; due diligence 

investigations; Public Works 

Act and Local Government Act matters; 

and roading matters, including 

road stoppings, legalisations and 

encroachments. 

Oscar Nathan 

Tourism Bay of Plenty is delighted 

to announce the appointment of its 

new General Manager Oscar Nathan. 

Oscar has been acting Tumuaki 

since April and after a robust and 

highly competitive recruitment process 

has been appointed permanently 

to the role. Chair of the board, Laurissa 

Cooney, says Oscar has been 

chosen for his extensive background 

and expertise in domestic and international 

tourism including roles as the 

head of Tourism Rotorua and Destination 

Rotorua respectively. 

Oscar has a history of visionary 

thinking and delivering in tourism, 

having been a pivotal figure in the 

New Zealand industry for more than 

two decades. He is also a previous 

winner of NZ Young Executive of the 

Year, with an extensive consulting 

background and roles in the private 

sector as Chief Executive for Tamaki 

Tours, Business Advisor for Māori 

Business Trust Poutama, and as acting 

Chief Executive for Tourism Industry 

Aotearoa (TIA) in Wellington. 

“We have a regenerative strategy 

that so many are excited about and 

would like to see what this looks 

like in action. With Oscar leading 

the incredible team we have, we look 

forward to collaborating with our 

stakeholders and host communities to 

bring this vision to fruition, not just 

for us in the Coastal Bay of Plenty, 

but for Aotearoa and the world to 

see,” adds Laurissa. 

Mark Gibb 

Pukeroa Oruawhata Trust have 

appointed Mark Gibb as their new 

Chief Executive Officer. 

“Mark has extensive commercial 

experience in senior leadership roles 

at Westfield, Fonterra and as current 

CEO of Rotorua Airport Limited. We 

are delighted to welcome Mark to 

our team,” says 

Pukeroa Chairman 

Malcolm 

Short. 

“With a 

number of new 

commercial 

projects on the 

go, and others 

planned for the 

near future, it 

will be great 

to have Mark’s 

skills on board to work with us on 

those projects, along with our current 

portfolio.” 

Mark will commence work with 

Pukeroa Oruawhata Trust in early 

October. 

James Dow 

Sharp Tudhope Lawyers is 

delighted to announce the addition of 

James Dow to the Partnership. 

James is a commercial, corporate 

and projects expert with extensive 

experience across many sectors 

gained from his time at top tier law 

firms in New Zealand and internationally 

at a top global law firm in 

London. He provides practical solutions 

to complex commercial issues 

and in his first few months with the 

firm has already forged strong client 

relationships. 

James brings a timely wealth of 

experience to the Bay of Plenty as its 

thriving industries continue to experience 

unprecedented growth. 

New Bay Venues directors confirmed 

The new board of directors, 

which will govern the activities 

provided for Tauranga City by 

Bay Venues Limited, has now been 

confirmed. 

The appointees are Simon Clarke 

(chair), Julie Hardaker (deputy chair), 

Adam Lynch, Jeremy Curragh and 

Nick Lowe, who were amongst 49 

people who lodged expressions of 

interest in the board roles. They formally 

take-up their positions on 1 

July and join the sixth director, Gareth 

Wallis, Tauranga City Council General 

Manager: Community Services, 

whose appointment was confirmed 

last month. 

Bay Venues is a Council Controlled 

Organisation (a company 

owned by Tauranga City Council) 

which operates a number of facilities 

and activities on the council’s 

behalf. These range from non-funded, 

commercially-viable activities and 

facilities (such as Mount Hotpools 

and Trustpower Baypark), to Council-funded, 

community wellbeing-focused 

assets such as halls, community 

centres, indoor sport facilities and 

swimming pools. 

The decision to appoint a largely 

new board was taken by the Council’s 

commissioners on 27 April, to 

increase local Tauranga Moana-based 

representation on the Board and to 

provide a more-integrated governance 

model with a closer focus on 

delivering effective commercial and 

community outcomes. 

Commission Chair Anne Tolley 

says the board will oversee the implementation 

of some key changes to 

Bay Venues’ operations, intended to 

enhance the company’s performance 

and sustainability. These include: 

• Restructuring and simplifying 

the organisation’s financing and 

funding model to provide more 

transparency between rate funded 

activity and commercial activity; 

and 

• Developing a clearer statement 

of intent and performance indicators 

focused on delivering desired 

community outcomes. 

“Other focuses will include working 

in close collaboration with Council 

staff to reposition Bay Venues as 

an integral part of council’s operations; 

investigating the viability of 

moving community halls and community 

centres back under direct 

council management; and looking for 

opportunities to improve performance 

through shared service delivery models,” 

she says. 

“We thank the outgoing directors 

for their service and commitment, in 

particular the interim chair, Mary- 

Anne Macleod.” 

The new director appointments 

were agreed unanimously by an 

Bay Venues Limited directors (from left) Jeremy Curragh, Nick Lowe, 

Simon Clarke (Chair), Gareth Wallis, Adam Lynch. Inset: Julie Hardaker. 

appointment panel consisting of 

Commission Chair Tolley, Commissioner 

Shad Rolleston and independent 

member, TECT Trustee Pete 

Blackwell. 

Incoming Chair, Simon Clarke 

says he is delighted to be taking on 

the role. “Bay Venues is an extremely 

important organisation for Tauranga 

City and I’m excited about working 

with my fellow directors and the Bay 

Venues team to ensure our community 

is well-served and our assets 

are well-managed. I’d also like to 

acknowledge and thank the previous 

Board for their contribution to our 

city.” 

Director profiles 

Simon Clarke is a Tauranga local 

and is the owner/director of Matua 

Governance. He brings a strong governance 

background to the role, which 

includes being the current chair of Priority 

One and BayTrust’s Investment 

Committee. Simon also has an extensive 

executive management background, 

including serving as chief 

executive of Meridian Energy subsidiary 

Arc Innovations, and senior executive 

roles with Trustpower Limited. 

Julie Hardaker is a former Mayor 

of Hamilton and is the current chair of 

the Environment Protection Authority, 

a role which has seen her champion 

Matauranga Māori projects. Her local 

government background gives her an 

in-depth understanding of the public/ 

private/community requirements of 

council-controlled organisations. 

Adam Lynch is an events and 

tourism industry leader who brings a 

wealth of hands-on experience to the 

board. He also has a strong understanding 

of health and safety policies 

and procedures. 

Jeremy Curragh is currently Managing 

Director of accounting firm, 

Findex. He is a Tauranga-based business 

executive whose governance 

career includes serving as a Super 

Rugby franchise director and director 

of netball’s Waikato Bay of Plenty 

Magic. 

Nick Lowe brings continuity and 

experience as an existing Bay Venues 

director. He is the current Chair 

of Beds R Us and has acknowledged 

strengths in strategic analysis, organisational 

performance and community 

governance.


First on the scene 

Photos from the Tauranga 

Chamber of Commerce BA5 

networking event, hosted at 

The Kollective 

Photos by Laura Boucher 

1 

3 

2 

4 

1 Candace Marlowe, Campbell Boyd & 

Dave Jaques (Crombie Lockwood) 2 Gillian 

Houser, Patrice Belcher, Janelle Schreiber 

& Juliet Luxton (Bay Venues Limited) 3 

Tim Taylor (Ruahine Kayaks), Jason Fox 

(Fox Asset Finance Ltd) & Jonathon Berry 

(InPhySec Security Limited) 4 Jacqueline 

Unsworth (Eves Bethlehem), Hannah 

McAllister & Lisa Pepper (Caleys Blinds) 5 

Kathy Webb (SociaLink) & Simon Fowler 

(The Colour Code) 6 Rachael Reid & Mike 

Matson (Synergy Electronics Ltd) 7 Dan 

Allen-Gordon (Graeme Dingle Foundation) 

& Matt Cowley (Tauranga Chamber 

of Commerce) 8 Gordy Lockhart (The 

Kollective) 

5 

6 7 

8 

1 2 

Photos from The Tauranga Gala Dinner, held 

Friday 16 July at Trustpower Arena. 

Photos by Justin Aitken & Events Innovated 

1 Special guests Scotty Stevenson (MC) and Brendon 

McCullum (Former Black Caps captain) 2 Tony Mills and 

Sir Paul Adams (Carrus) 3 Di Barry and Frank Vosper QSM 

(Vosper Realty) 4 Gemma Bond and Callum Ferguson with 

Brendon McCullum 5 Ellissa and Brendon McCullum 6 

Scotty Stevenson, Brendon McCullum, Heath Ingham and 

Amy Kemeys 7 Peter Hikaka and guests enjoy the night 

3 4 5 

6 

7


First on the scene 

Photos from the Business 

Women’s Network (BWN) 

Speaker Series 2021, hosted by 

Tauranga Chamber of Commerce. 

Photos by Salina Galvan 

1 Janine Hellyer, Robyn Mangos, Louise 

Caskey (BDO Tauranga), Cindy McCarroll 

(Inbox PA), Jess Turton (BDO Tauranga) 

2 Deborah Begbie, Jill Beedie (Priority 

One), Linda McWilliam (POD Sales NZ) 3 

Jayne O’Brien, Susan Grey, Shelley Keill, 

Deb Jamieson (Westpac NZ) 4 Francine 

Bennett (Pathways Collage), Diane Hansen 

(ASB Bank), Hayley Nelson (BNZ) 5 Rachel 

Boyte, Nikki Green (Toi Moana Bay of Plenty 

Regional Council) 6 Amanda Barker (Pillar 

Consulting), Sofia Clark Roding (Craigs 

Investment Partners) 7 Debbie Green (The 

Private Travel Company), Nicky Benson (Step 

Up Coaching) 8 Laura Boucher, Roz Irwin 

(Tauranga Chamber of Commerce) 

1 

3 

2 

4 

5 

6 7 

8 

Attendees at the Enterprise Angels Annual General Meeting and 

Pitch Night hosted by Cooney Lees Morgan recently in Tauranga. 

Photos courtesy of Jeanette Mindham 

1 Sam Kidd (LawVu), Jack Shennan (Edapt) 2 Felix Scholz (PickMee), Kelvin 

Chandran (PickMee) 3 Ian Johnston, Alan Hood, Josh Howard (Enterprise Angels), 

Phil Carmichael, Paul Noonan 4 David Thompson, Mike Lovegrove (JRNY), Nina Le 

Lievre (Enterprise Angels), Jake Hoffart (Enterprise Angels), Alan Dick, Josh Howard 

(Enterprise Angels) 5 David Pene (Carepatron), Craig Brown, Matt Flowerday (GPSit), 

Tim Uckun, Jamie Frew (Carepatron) 6 Mike Lovegrove (JRNY) presenting to 

Enterprise Angels members and their guests. 

1 2 

3 4 

5 6


The power of 600 words 

Adrift in the vast sea of information available online, you might 

think a single web page would have little hope of being noticed. 

It’s but a drop in the ocean, up against a torrent of competing 

content all vying for readers’ eyes. 

Estimates suggest there 

are now more than 1.87 

billion websites on the 

internet, but the good news is 

that not all of them are created 

equal. Thanks to the wonders 

of modern search algorithms, 

truly helpful content can still 

rise to the top of potential customers’ 

search results. 

I was reminded of this fact 

recently while working on a 

project for a sports gear company 

in Wellington. 

This business has created 

a new product that can save 

money and make life easier for 

people organising sports and 

recreation leagues and events. 

There’s nothing else like it 

What has really blown me away is that 

with nothing more than a 600-word 

product overview page, this business has 

been able to generate leads and sales all 

over the world.” 

on the market and the problem 

it overcomes has been a longstanding 

pain point for people 

running sports events indoors. 

Strong starting point 

Admittedly, developing a 

globally unique product that 

solves a longstanding problem 

is a strong starting point. 

However, what has really 

blown me away is that with 

nothing more than a 600-word 

product overview page, this 

business has been able to generate 

leads and sales all over 

the world. 

In the two months since the 

product page went live, there 

have already been dozens of 

enquiries from universities in 

Australia and leisure centres in 

Europe. 

Sales have been made to an 

up-market school in California 

and a sports gear distributor in 

Florida. 

There’s even been a purchase 

of the product by a 

community leisure facility in 

Porirua – just down the road 

from my Wellington client’s 

head office. 

This is all happening before 

the product has been officially 

launched. 

Sales will rise rapidly once 

marketing activities begin, but 

this story clearly demonstrates 

that 600 words – well written 

THE LAST WORD 

> BY JAMES HEFFIELD 

Director of Bay of Plenty marketing and PR consultancy Last 

Word. To find out more visit lastwordmedia.co.nz or email 

james@lastwordmedia.co.nz. 

and pitched – can still have a 

truly global reach. 

I’ve been giving this case 

some thought and I believe the 

recipe for success is threefold. 

First, the product itself is 

unique and solves a longstanding 

problem that – for whatever 

reason – has not been 

solved before. 

Second, the 600 words on 

the web page clearly articulate 

the need for the product and 

how it is going to save time 

and money for organisers of 

sports competitions. 

And thirdly, the content 

includes the key words being 

used by prospective customers 

when they are searching on 

Google, ensuring the page is 

easy for them to find. 

Mix those ingredients 

together with an online store 

that makes enquiring, purchasing 

and organising shipping 

easy and it adds up to a winning 

dish. 

It’s worth keeping in mind 

when cooking up content for 

your own website; clearly 

describe the problem your 

product solves and how it 

will solve it, present it all in a 

believable and relatable way, 

and make sure to harness the 

power of storytelling in all 

your way. 

TV is not 

what it 

used to be 

Musings on luxury and leisure, 

post annus horribilis 

Our collective 

consciousness was 

once focused daily by 

the six o’clock news, 

which was … well … 

‘news’.” 

In the beginning there was 

one channel, and it went to 

sleep before midnight. 

We all watched the same 

programmes [sic], because we 

didn’t have any choice. Monday 

morning watercooler conversations 

(actually then they 

were more “tap water” conversations) 

were self-adjudicating 

– we were all watching 

the same coverage of the same 

event on the same TV channel 

the night before – though even 

then we could still disagree on 

the referee’s impartiality, or 

lack thereof. 

Then it was colour and our 

lives were truly enriched. 

TV persisted later into the 

evening – though still no ads 

on Sunday – oh well. 

Then there were three channels. 

We were living the life. 

When TV watching 

began to unravel 

And we get to today, and that’s 

where it started to unravel for 

me. I accept that when my 

TV takes too long to warm up 

now, I probably need to toss 

it into the inorganic collection 

pile and not call the Tisco 

man to come and replace some 

valves. 

But nothing else about TV 

seems easy anymore. A simple 

question, “What channel is it 

on?”, no longer has a simple 

answer. 

The answer I recently 

received to that very question 

still has me scratching my 

head: “If you subscribe to the 

platform, you can stream it on 

any device, though you can get 

a weekend pass which may be 

cheaper – it’s not a pay-perview 

but there are no ads in the 

premium subscription model 

which is way better than the 

free-to-air coverage.” 

W-H-A-T-? I just wanted to 

know what channel it was on. 

This lexicon of media jargon 

may explain why there is 

a whole bunch of new buttons 

on the remote that don’t get 

used. Does anyone know what 

they’re all for? 

It’s a good thing that my TV 

is now internet-enabled and 

globally connected – the internet 

of things is truly a wonder 

to behold. But do I feel more 

LUXURY & LIFESTYLE 

> BY ALAN NEBEN 

Alan Neben is a Mount Maunganui local and experienced New Zealand 

publisher. He has never openly aspired to be a TV newsreader. 

alan@bopbusinessnews.co.nz 

connected, or more disconnected? 

The jury is still out. 

Our collective consciousness 

was once focused daily 

by the six o’clock news, which 

was … well … ‘news’. 

Now my daily stream of 

minute-by-minute notifications 

and alerts have relegated 

the 6 o’clock news to 

an assortment of “old news” 

lifestyle magazine sections 

– first the news headlines 

(which I’ve already seen), then 

the quirky personality piece 

(which I don’t need), then the 

weather (which confirms my 

notifications), then the sport 

(ditto), then the warm fuzzy 

feelgood ending (OK, I like 

that bit). 

Although YouTube is not 

my “TV” channel of choice, 

my demographic is a shrinking 

one. TikTok, whilst dangerously 

addictive, will never be 

my “6 o’clock” news-of-old. 

If TV really is the opiate 

of the people, it appears the 

people have now moved on to 

harder drugs.


NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST (TEAM) WINE 

TASTING COMPETITION IS COMING TO 

TAURANGA AND ROTORUA 

Get your team ready and get ready to compete! Comedy 

Cellar, New Zealand’s largest wine tasting competition 

(and a huge night of entertainment), is coming to 

Tauranga on Friday 3rd December and Rotorua on 

Saturday 4th December. 

The fantastic combination 

of wine, comedy, food and 

entertainment makes for 

a great Christmas function, 

says Strike Events Director, the 

owners of Comedy Cellar, Scott 

Palmer. 

“Participants get the opportunity 

to compete as a team 

alongside friends, colleagues 

and clients for the title of Comedy 

Cellar Champions, Tauranga 

(or Rotorua!). 

“By the end of the evening, 

we will have a local champion 

team worthy of wearing the 

title of Comedy Cellar Champions! 

“But there is a twist; we take 

the average score from all of 

the teams who compete on 

the night, and on our website, 

you can see how your town or 

region compares to other parts 

of New Zealand. So we end up 

with an (unofficial) New Zealand 

wine-tasting champion 

region which is arguable the 

countries most knowledgeable 

and best wine drinkers!” 

The Comedy Cellar competition 

is based on the ‘wine 

options’ format. Four wines are 

served blind on the night and 

each wine has around 7 or 8 

questions asked about it. 

Teams (a table of 8-12 people) 

need to taste, discuss 

and agree on a single correct 

answer for each question which 

is then submitted to Comedy 

Cellars knowing all judge and 

wine expert Bob Campbell for 

review and score allocation. 

Michele 

A’Court and 

Bob Campbell will 

be co-hosting this 

years Comedy 

Cellar. 

Some questions are weighted, 

and time is limited. 

The evening is co-hosted by 

New Zealand’s highly regarded 

wine expert, Bob Campbell, 

and leading stand up talent and 

host Michele A’Court. 

“Our co-hosts are the best in 

their fields and combine to provide 

a great night of wine, competition 

and entertainment,” 

says Palmer. 

Tables are now on sale and 

can be purchased through their 

website, but hurry, there is one 

show only per region. 

This year, Comedy Cellar 

is holding events in Tauranga, 

Rotorua, Hamilton, New Plymouth, 

Masterton and Palmerston 

North, with another 

several taking place in mid- 

2022 in other parts of New 

Zealand. 

Regional and team scores 

are updated after every event so 

people can follow the progress 

and overall position of their 

team and town as more events 

unfold.

24 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS August 2021

August 2021 - Bay of Plenty Business News

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