Success Stories

EastPack recognised as Tauranga Business of the Year 2019

EastPack, New Zealand’s largest Kiwifruit post-harvest company had a very successful night at the Westpac Tauranga Business Awards 2019 on Friday, picking up four awards including the ACC Workplace Health and Safety award, the Business Innovation award, the Manufacturing and Distribution award, and the supreme award of Tauranga Business of the Year 2019. “Each of these awards would have been a great achievement in its own right but we were delighted and humbled to be recognised across so many categories and to get the big prize at the end of the night,” says EastPack Chief Executive Hamish Simson. The recognition comes as EastPack moves closer to its goal of increasing fruit volumes to over 50 million trays in the next five years. It’s on track, having doubled throughput from 19 million trays in 2012 to 41 million trays in 2018. EastPack has also celebrated a number of industry firsts in recent years including the opening of the industry’s first fully-automated lights out coolstore in May. EastPack is focused on building people, plant and process capability to maintain performance and employee engagement during rapid industry growth. “EastPack is proud to be part of this business community and with our people, culture and enthusiasm for our industry, we will help keep this region a great place to live and work,” says Simson. “I would like to thank our team for their passion and hard work that has enabled us all to get EastPack to where we are today. This is a celebration of how far we have come in the last few years, and gives us confidence that we have the team, culture and ability to make the exciting future ahead of us a great success. “We are proud to be part of this business community and look forward to supporting the […]

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Robotics Plus wins ANZLF Trans-Tasman Innovation and Growth Award

Robotics Plus, a world-leading robotics and automation company developing innovation to unlock new levels of productivity in some of the world’s most labour-intensive food and fibre value chains, has won an ANZLF Trans-Tasman Innovation and Growth Award. The awards celebrate innovation, growth and impact of emerging businesses in Australia and New Zealand. Robotics Plus was founded in 2013 by Steve Saunders and Dr Alistair Scarfe with a simple goal in mind: to improving the quality, productivity and sustainability of the horticultural and other primary industry supply chains. The company’s R&D efforts focus on automation, vision, robotics and AI, to solve the growing challenges in the primary industry globally such as: labour shortages, sustainability for growers and producers, pollination gaps and yield security. Steve Saunders, Chairman and Founder of Robotics Plus, says: “It’s an absolute honour for the team to receive an ANZLF Trans-Tasman Innovation and Growth Award. It is validation of the hard work of a lot of people over a number of years and celebrates our innovation, culture and diversity. “Receiving such a prestigious award provides a valuable opportunity to showcase Robotics Plus to the world. We would like to recognise our fantastic partners and collaborators in the commercial, research and Government sectors, without them this would not be possible.” Robotics Plus CEO Dr Matt Glenn says the company is experiencing strong growth on the back of increasing demand for its world-first platform technologies. “Over the last 18 months Robotics Plus has launched two commercial products, entered the US and European markets, completed a US$10M Series A investment with Yamaha Motor Company and grown from a team of 12 to over 50. We also have a number of new products in the pipeline and expect our growth to continue at the same rate for the foreseeable future. “We’ve been able to […]

Beyond meat? The market for meat substitutes is way overdone

Paul Wood AO Adjunct Professor in Biotechnology, Monash University Meatless burger maker Beyond Meat has just reported quarterly earnings of US$67.3 million – much better than market expectations of US$52.7 million. It is now forecasting sales of US$240 million for the 2019 year, nearly three times that of 2018. But the company is yet to make a profit, let alone one big enough to justify its current market valuation of about US$13 billion. Since it listed on NASDAQ in May, its shares have surged more 700%. Investors’ enthusiasm reflects high hopes in the future fortunes of a company promising to put the sizzle into a meat substitute. Interest is booming in plant-based meat substitutes and lab-grown meat alternatives. The appeal is summed up by Beyond Meat’s mission statement: “By shifting from animal to plant-based meat, we are creating one savoury solution that solves four growing issues attributed to livestock production: human health, climate change, constraints on natural resources and animal welfare.” How realistic is this? The data suggests not very – that meat alternatives might play a positive role but in no way are going to save the planet. Investment appetite Predictions about the market potential for plant-based or lab-made meat vary. A lot of it appears to be only slightly better than sheer guesswork. One prediction, by the well-known Barclays, is that the market could be worth US$140 billion, or 10% of the US$1.4 trillion meat market, in the next 10 years. It’s such projections that have fuelled investors’ appetite for companies working on ways to make plant-based protein look and taste like meat. There’s Impossible Foods, for example, whose burger “bleeds” beetroot juice and is the meat (substitute) in Burger King’s Impossible Whopper. The privately held company has reportedly raised more than US$500 million, and is valued at US$2 billion. Other players in […]

Shot by James Griffin of Edgeline Photography | www.edgeline.co.nz

High recognition of strong contribution to the dairy sector

DairyNZ congratulates passionate environmentalist, Taranaki dairy farmer Trish Rankin, on becoming the 2019 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year. “This is a very well-deserved recognition of Mrs Rankin’s commitment to dairying, her passion for environmental work on farm and the multiple roles she plays in the sector and community,” DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle says. “We are very lucky to have Mrs Rankin involved in a number of key initiatives with us that are making a difference.” Mrs Rankin is a DairyNZ Dairy Environment Leader (DEL) – a group of farmers who work to achieve better outcomes for the environment and farming. They make things happen in many areas such as water quality and assist other farmers to improve their environmental performance. They are active in their communities at grass-roots level in different ways, such as on boards and local committees. Mrs Rankin is the chair of the Taranaki DEL group. Among a wide range of roles, Mrs Rankin is a contractor to DairyNZ as a Dairy Women’s Network module developer, a NAIT technical user advisor, and is involved in the Dairy Industry Awards. In 2018 she was elected onto the National Executive for the NZ Dairy Awards and last year was selected as a DairyNZ Climate Change Ambassador as part of the Dairy Action for Climate Change. DairyNZ Climate Change Ambassadors are a group of 15 farmers throughout the country who work with farmers to build their understanding of climate change, and they also provide a farmer voice. “Mrs Rankin is always involved in things that are going to benefit the dairy sector, the environment and the community,” Dr Mackle says. “She is also keenly interested in contributing to the public perception of dairying.” As well as being a part-time teacher, Mrs Rankin and her husband Glen sharemilk […]

Robotics Plus signs global deal for robotic apple packers

Jamie Lunam and Dr. Alistair Scarfe. Deal highlights demand for agricultural automation technology; follows recent investment from Yamaha Motor Co. to accelerate company’s growth. Robotics Plus, a New Zealand agricultural robotics and automation company, has signed an agency and distribution agreement with GlobalPac Technologies which will see the company’s revolutionary robotic apple packers go global. The deal, which will initially target the US, Australian and New Zealand markets, is fuelling a period of accelerated growth for Robotics Plus as industry demand for its innovation grows. GlobalPac Technologies is a joint venture between United States company Van Doren Sales and New Zealand-owned Jenkins Group. Robotics Plus CEO Steve Saunders says between the two companies, Van Doren and Jenkins have a presence in almost every packhouse in New Zealand, Australia and the US. “We see enormous potential in our new relationship with GlobalPac Technologies. Naturally their global packhouse relationships offer exciting opportunities for us to expand distribution of our apple packers to markets beyond New Zealand, but more importantly, they share our vision for the future of packhouse automation. Together we aim to transform the global horticulture industry.” Jenkins General Manager, Jamie Lunam, says: “Apple packhouses already use automation extensively for sorting and grading, but the process of arranging apples in trays for export is still highly labour intensive. “Labour shortages are a major and growing concern in New Zealand and many other food producing countries. We see Robotics Plus and their packing technology as game-changing for the industry. It is a very exciting time to be involved in helping to affect this positive change.” Van Doren CEO, Brett Pittsinger says the global apple industry has been packing apples the same way for decades. “Labour shortages are now causing major headaches for packhouses in the United Sates. It’s exciting to see the […]

Company Profile: MSugar finds their sweet spot

“The less human intervention the better, that’s what customers want to see,” says MSugar Managing Director Jay Spittal. MSugar relocated to premises in East Tamaki in mid-2017, and just last month commissioned a new, state-of-the-art fully-automated liquid sugar processing plant to serve customers in the food and beverage manufacturing and beekeeping industries. “Humans make errors and errors can cause contamination, so we’ve built the highest spec plant we could to eliminate that risk,” says Jay. Building a new plant was the way forward MSugar has been trading cane sugars and other food commodities since 2009. Four years ago, the company also began supplying liquid sugar to beekeepers, who use it as a food supplement for bees, and to small-to-medium size food grade customers. “We used a contract manufacturer to start with and they were very good, but after two years we’d built the business up to a point where capacity was holding us back and building a new, automated processing plant was the only way forward.” “With financial analysis and the advice of our accountant and business adviser Karen Tobeck at Monteck Carter we built a business case and took that to our bankers, and thankfully they gave us their support and the funding we needed.” The market for liquid sugar is large in volume terms – millions of litres – but it’s not a spectacular growth market. The commitment to building a new processing plant was one piece in the strategy that MSugar is pursuing to carve out a competitive position in liquid sugar and to succeed by providing exceptional service and a quality product. “With our trading background we understand that ‘sugar is sugar,’ though we’d also argue there are quality differences determined by refining sources and processes. We identified ways to serve customers better by doing things […]

NZ’s top ag consultants named

Three winners have been named in the third annual Farmax Consultant of the Year Awards in Ashburton overnight. The winners are: Sully Alsop of Baker and Associates in Masterton who won the Beef + Lamb NZ Sheep and Beef Consultant of the Year title; Phil Journeaux of AgFirst Waikato who won the DairyNZ Dairy Consultant of the Year; and Lycinda Lett, also from AgFirst Waikato who was named the NZIPIM Emerging Rural Professional of the Year. Sponsored by Dairy NZ, Beef + Lamb NZ, New Zealand Institute for Primary Industry Management and the Ministry for Primary Industries, the awards are open to all agricultural consultants and the prizes won by each category winner include: • A Windows tablet • A paid overseas study trip • Funds for personal development; and • 40 paid hours to undertake a research project to benefit New Zealand’s agriculture industry. Sully Alsop Alsop trained at Smedley Station and Massey University and for the past nine years, has worked as a sheep and beef consultant and director for Baker & Associates in Masterton. He also runs a 3000-unit sheep and beef farm with this wife. Alsop also recently came second in the ANZ New Zealand Young Farmers Contest. Farmax general manager Gavin McEwen said Alsop is a great example of the “new breed” of consultant. “Sully promotes excellence, gets involved and puts himself out there,” he said. “His areas of expertise are strategic planning, business management and high performance sheep and beef production.” Phil Journeaux Journeaux joined AgFirst’s Waikato office in 2012, after 25 years with what was then the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. He has worked in agriculture all of his working life, covering a wide range of the industry. Farmax general manager Gavin McEwen said that Journeaux was not your typical consultant. “He […]

Vitafoods Asia Strengthens its Position in the Nutraceutical Industry

Singapore: Vitafoods Asia, the only Pan-Asian event dedicated exclusively to the nutraceutical industry, recently concluded its fourth edition on a high note, reinforcing its status as the definitive exhibition for the market. More than 170 suppliers from all over the world, including ADM, Chr. Hansen, Epax, Huisong Pharmaceuticals and Malaysian Biotech Corporation, showcased the latest nutraceutical innovations in ingredients, raw materials, as well as functional food and drinks during the two-day event. Held in Hong Kong’s AsiaWorld-Expo from 3 to 4 September 2014, Vitafoods Asia welcomed a total of 2,474 trade professionals from across the region, which represented an 11% increase in visitor attendance. This year, a large proportion of visitors were senior decision-makers, including executives from companies such as Danone, Blackmores, Korea Yakult, Tate and Lyle, and a number of leading distributors. As the Asian nutraceutical market continues to gain strong interest on the international stage, industry players expect the region to increase in dominance. Analysis by Frost & Sullivan confirms this, as the Asia Pacific region generated the largest demand for the global nutraceuticals market in 2013, contributing to 37% of total market revenue, which is valued at US$175 billion. Chris LEE, Portfolio Director, Vitafoods, said, “The Asian nutraceutical market has performed extremely well in the last decade and there is every indication, both empirical and anecdotal, that Asia will continue to lead the global market in the years ahead. The show is well poised to support the region’s growth, and we look forward to bringing more of the industry together to help them realise the full potential that the market possesses.” Professional and Specialised Trade Event Exhibitors at this year’s event were pleased with their decision to participate, citing the show’s specialised audience, the focus on doing business, and its level of professionalism as key benefits. Some […]

Moving goods around the world

Secureaload, a member of The Gavan Group of companies, is appearing at Foodtech Packtech on Stand 3057. The Gavan Group commenced business in 1988 when the Directors, Gavin Condon and Andrew Corstorphine, perceived the need for a company to supply all parts and accessories required by Intermodal marine transport equipment operators, hence the formation of Gavan Container Products. Since this time the Gavan Group of Companies has expanded through the network of branches to become the world’s largest supplier of Shipping Container related products. With eighteen (18) warehouse and office operations in nine (9) countries throughout Australasia, New Zealand, the Pacific Rim, South East Asia and Mainland China they will continue to expand their operation throughout Asia, providing a professional and efficient equipment service. Gavan has over 24 years expanded the product range from Shipping Container repair spare parts and accessories to include a wide range of Transport, Cargo Care / Protection products, Lifting and Safety Products, Marine Lashing, Rail and Rolling Stock Lashing systems, Military Lashing Systems, Light Engineering and Manufacturing, as well as a Plastic Pallet division. Supplying quality products sourced locally and from around the world at competitive prices Gavan Container Products use a sophisticated computer controlled stock inventory, dispatch and accounts systems providing customer tailored billing to ensure customer satisfaction. In 1998 Gavan formed a strategic alliance with two major container parts suppliers one based in Europe and one based in America; this then led to the formation of the “Intermodal Equipment Alliance” which gives the Gavan Group a truly global reach and coverage. Gavan Container Products staff has a unique blend of experience and skills in the international container/shipping, transport industry and rigging industries. This experience is invaluable when ensuring the correct parts and accessories, are supplied. The commitment of the management and staff will […]

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