2 minute read
Manager recognised for helping young people succeed
By Victoria Harris : Summerfruit NZ
Tim Hope sees great value in developing young people in the horticulture industry. This is what led him to win the Mack Nicol Award for Commitment to Excellence at this year’s Summerfruit NZ conference. Operations manager at CentralPac in Cromwell – a cherry orchard growing premium fruit for export – Tim oversees up to 350 staff at peak season and thrives off the daily challenges of the job. “Cherries are a tough game, but you stick at it,” Tim says. “It’s about the people and they are all good people I work with.”
He said winning the award came as a bit of a surprise. “I prefer to stay under the radar. My success comes from how well others do, rather than how I do.” But admittedly, he said it was nice to have recognition of all his hard work and like anyone who chooses horticulture as a career, they understand the huge commitment involved.
“You’re up in the middle of the night, it affects your free time, and for us, the best time of the year is when everyone else is at the lake.”
The judges said Tim was selected for the award after not only showing huge dedication in pursuit of excellence, but also his superb people and communication skills. “If the award was just based on how well you did your job, you could get pretty depressed,” Tim joked. “The cherries get rained on, they split…” Born in Taranaki and originally an equestrian trainer, Tim believes it was his relationships with horses that helped him understand people. His sensitivity and reading people’s body language are very similar abilities to those developed working with horses. “I feel like I know how people are feeling before they even say anything.”
CentralPac Cromwell operations manager, Tim Hope, with his Mack Nicol Award for Commitment to Excellence
This is important as a leader in the industry, particularly when dealing with young staff and how they manage themselves in a work environment.
The move from horse training to horticulture came after living in Christchurch and needing extra money. He tried his hand at picking apples and from there, was offered a full-time job. A supervisor position then came up in Alexandra. Arriving in the middle of winter, he recalls he wasn’t all that impressed with the climate. “ “It was freezing and the temperature never rose above 3 degrees Celsius.” Tim took the punt anyway and reaped the benefits. He is now also a Primary ITO accessor – a role he loves as he gets to see young people succeed. In horticulture there is never any guarantee of success, but Tim understands exactly how to roll with the punches – particularly after two lockdowns. “Nature drives the work plan so you have to go along with it.”
