Central Today Magazine Issue #68

Issue 68 | March/April 2012

Green

Gold

Simon Limmer reveals how Zespri plans to take over the world… well the kiwifruit one anyway The state of our nation If Alan Bollard is optimistic, things must be improving. Mustn’t they?

An economic necessity Why the Government needs to drive export growth

Working smarter Looking after your staff in a tight economy

Digital life Managing the connected consumer

Wheels Lifting the lid on Jaguar’s quickest convertible ever

Destinations Taking time out in New Caledonia

News | Initiatives | Interviews | Personalities | Information | Success | Profiles | Finance | Property | Sustainability | Export | Transport | Retail | Solutions | ISSN 1174-9520

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I cook my dog’s meals myself at home, why should I still feed Canino Toppers?

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should I switch to using a 4. Why topper instead of feeding an occasional canned food?

Unless your dog is allergic to a certain type of protein, Canino Toppers complement all dry diets. Providing your dog with different types of proteins in a single meal ensures that your dog receives nutrients in different forms, which is a good thing. Apart from being extremely convenient, Canino Toppers are created to give you and your dog more variety in life so each mealtime is worth looking forward to.

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Puppies have different nutrient needs from the adults; can I feed them Canino?

Unlike complete meals, Canino Toppers act as a topping to make your dog’s meals more satisfying.

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Issue 68 March/April 2012

Contents in this issue...

Central Today

Issue 68

13,691 ABC circulation as at 31/12/11

www.centraltoday.co.nz Head office Academy House 47B Birmingham Drive Middleton PO Box 1879 Christchurch

Viewpoints

Features

Business

6 Society

5 Quick Questions

21 Focus

Ten trends we’re over

Selling online in the internet age

Riverstone Design Studio marks a decade of delivering brand identity

6 Management

12 The state of our nation

Pathways to growth in 2012

Despite shaky times, Reserve Bank governor Dr Alan Bollard reveals measured optimism

7 Accounting Revenue recognition changes are being ignored

14 Cover story

An everyday habit that ruins careers

Zespri’s Simon Limmer talks about challenges facing the kiwifruit industry and solutions to secure an industry’s future

8 Digital life

General manager

Managing the connected consumer

Rebecca Harris

administration Kylie Moore admin manager Kelly Clarke Kimberley Wells Judy Slater Tayla Brown

Grant Williams Rob Cochrane Steve Dando Mogens Petersen George Ziegler Miranda Telfer Kent Caddick

Jonathon Taylor editor Bridget Gourlay chief reporter Marie Sherry Kayte John 03 961 5050 0800 555 054 editor@academy.net.nz

16 Love your company Put a little love in your work and signs your job might not be as bad as you think

Maximising social media

17 An economic necessity 9 Behaviour

sales executives

newsroom

Phone: Fax: Email:

8 Online

Making emotional-health your priority

sales & advertising

Looking after your staff in a tight economy

7 Productivity

managing director Gary Collins

13 Working smarter

Michael Barnett, chief executive of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, explains why the Government needs to drive export growth

9 Finance Emergencies, money and you

19 Lifestyles

10 Gadgets

A top spot, a couple of top drops, something for life outside, the no-hands approach to telling the time and one close shave

Take one tablet and see me in the morning

10 Events diary

22 Initiatives How Ideal Electrical Suppliers helps companies create brighter futures, Nautiques NZ makes waves with some of the best sport boats in the business, and ES Plastics’ ability to develop products for companies who want something different

28 Hospitality Quality Bakers Huntly gluten-free dedication, step inside The Cook Café and Bar’s history rich home and Hamilton’s Palate Restaurant has more than enough to make the mouth water

33 Business development Centra Forklifts lifts its game in Palmerston North, the Aviation Industry Cluster’s five years of success

36 Goods and Services How clothing company Kilt stands out in a crowded marketplace by doing things a little differently

38 Transport and Motoring Motor Truck Distributors – the people to see when your business needs serious wheels

20 Destinations Time out in New Caledonia

What’s on near you

42 Motoring Lifting the lid on the quickest convertible Jaguar’s ever built

production

38

Ian Knott production manager Carolynne Brown production co-ordinator Sarah Betman designers Kirsty Opie Jarred Shakespeare Janelle Pike Phone: Fax: Email:

03 940 4732 0800 555 054 production@academy.net.nz

32 Disclaimer: This publication is provided on the basis that A-Mark Publishing is not responsible for the results of any actions taken on the basis of information in these articles, nor for any error or omission from these articles and that the firm is not hereby engaged in rendering advice or services.

A-Mark Publishing expressly disclaim all and any liability and responsibility to any person in respect of anything and of the consequences of anything done, or omitted to be done, by any such a person in reliance, whether wholly or partially upon the whole or any part of the contents of this publication.

Advertising feature articles are classified as advertising content and as such, information contained in them is subject to the Advertising Standards Authority Codes of Practice.

Contents Copyright 2012 by A-Mark Publishing (NZ) Ltd. All rights reserved. No article or advertisement may be reproduced without written permission.

ISSN 1174-9520 (Print) | ISSN 2230-4991 (Online)

www.magazinestoday.co.nz 4 | March/April 2012 www.centraltoday.co.nz

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Quick Questions | Selling online

Quick questions Lucy Arnold

The internet age is truly upon us. Booking a flight, buying tickets to a show, checking the bus timetable, communicating with overseas friends… it’s hard to imagine all those things were once done in person, on the phone, or even (hilariously) by letter.

The internet age has even permeated the shopping world. It seems unlikely people would buy items like clothes and shoes online, but figures show online shopping has been sky-rocketing.

In fact, some retailers exist entirely in cyberspace –no shop, no browsing, no sales assistants. New Zealand business www.felt.co.nz is one of them. It’s an easy to navigate website which sells handmade crafts. Paintings, necklaces, toys, there’s a veritable host of items for sale made by sellers from around the country that can be purchased at the click of a button. Bridget Gourlay talks to founder Lucy Arnold about the concept.

about selling online

When did you start up Felt?

I began it in 2007. There was a site called etsy.com in America, which started the year before I did, and I was selling on it. It wasn’t really set up well for New Zealand sellers and I saw that New Zealand could benefit from something similar to it. I guess it’s like eBay and Trade Me. I found other people to list their crafts on Felt by just talking to people at crafts markets, looking online and going through craft blogs. It was just a matter of finding people and emailing them.

How successful has Felt been over the last five years– have you been getting good sales?

We’ve doubled in size every year. I wouldn’t want it to grow any faster than that as that would get unmanageable!

How exactly does it work? How do you make a cut of it?

It works like Trade Me. Sellers have a pre-paid account and Felt gets a fee every time they make a sale, plus a five percent commission which gets deducted from their pre-paid account. I don’t really sell anything myself on there any more – I’m too busy running it!

That must make it easy for both Felt and a seller to test the waters.

Yes. We’ve got 2500 sellers. Some sell a lot, but they usually have their own websites and are at craft stalls, sell into shops and galleries, sell on Trade Me and Etsy as well. Others are medium sized and some are just getting started. Felt is just a tool really.

Do you think there’s a growing market for NZ-made things?

People are recognising, especially with the recession, that it’s important to support local people - its money going back to our economy. There’s been a backlash against the global brands, buying local is bringing a human link to shopping, and with Felt people do like a direct contact with the seller.

With the online aspect - are people prepared to buy things they haven’t seen/ touched?

There is some hesitation still. New Zealand lags behind the rest of the world in online shopping. Hesitation depends on the product, some sell really well such as jewellery. It’s easy to see what it looks like, but clothes are much harder, people want to try those on.

People are becoming more savvy, both the buyers and the sellers – buyers know what websites to trust - the internet isn’t seen as a dodgy thing anymore.

How do you advertise?

My advertising is largely done through Facebook and Twitter – I’ve got a lot of followers. Firstly I just advertised to the crafts community because I needed sellers, but now Felt is really well known in the crafts community – it’s a household name. I’m now focusing on making it more mainstream.

I have started to buy some ads in niche magazines that target my core market – women, aged 20-40 who are mums and/ or professionals. We are at craft markets and things like the Women’s Expo. But largely sales come from word of mouth.

Are there just New Zealand sellers?

What advice would you give someone starting up their own online shopping business?

I’d say 95 percent of my sellers are New Zealand-based, but there are a few from overseas such as Australia.

Don’t expect to make money really fast! It’s quick to get a business up and going online but it takes time for the profits to come in. www.centraltoday.co.nz March/April 2012 | 5

Viewpoint | Society/Management

Ten trends we’re over

Ways to grow in 2012

By Jonathon Taylor

Cloud computing Excuse me for being a bit backward, but what exactly is the ‘cloud’? It sounds like off-site IT with a fancy name. And what happens if someone, in that magical information land, trips over the cord? The cloud makes an already murky realm even more anomalous.

The occupy movement OK, you made your point; unchecked corporate greed destroyed lives and nearly ruined our rather imperfect world. But dressing like hippies and camping in public spaces for weeks on end isn’t really helping change anything; it’s actually obstructing progress and is now just annoying.

Greek bailouts Well knock me over with a feather – a nation with a lax attitude to taxation that used the Euro zone’s triple A credit rating to borrow more than it could afford is in financial strife. Fact is, Greece has defaulted on its external sovereign debt obligations at least five previous times in the modern era (1826, 1843, 1860, 1894 and 1932). Whether it’s horrendous fiscal miss-management, or simply cooking the books, we’re sick of hearing about it.

Climate change denial Climate change denial seems to be spreading like an infectious disease. Now there’s nothing wrong with healthy scepticism and reasoned individuals should embrace vigorous debate about the causes, consequences and role human endeavour might, or might not, play in climate change. But simply denying any change is occurring flies in the face of what is being observed.

Insipid Facebook status updates All hail the electronic altar of the self important. If you update your status more than daily you’re attention whoring.

The exodus to Aus It’s estimated that during the past three years, around 100,000 Kiwis have jumped the ditch, unable to resist the appeal of higher wages and a supposedly more prosperous future. And yes, the wage gap between New Zealand and Australia is now said to be around 40 percent, and growing.

But buyer beware; the cost of living is higher, property prices in Sydney are obscene and you could be mistaken for thinking the stereotypical Aussie’s attitude to immigrants is ‘naff off – we’re full’.

If making more money is the sole criterion by which you value your quality of life – then away you go, waltzing Matilida all the way.

Republican Party lunacy Extending constitutional rights to zygotes, eliminating restrictions on big oil and returning Wall Street to its pre-crash unrestricted ways were some the best and brightest ideas from GOP presidential contenders. Michelle Bachman’s genius plan to reduce federal spending was simple, stunning and beyond scary; closing down the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Even Sarah Palin and the Tea Party look viable by comparison, as politically irrational and nonsensical policies have lurched it from a party to a sect. One that interprets Abraham Lincoln’s famous utterance of a government “of the people, by the people, for the people,” as “of the elite, for the elite, by the duped”.

Vampires

Like anything, reality TV has its good and bad. But because ‘good’ shows are now endangered species, being eaten alive by increasingly common trash fests, the entire genre needs putting out to pasture.

Unless you were 12 with a crush on a 24 year old passing themselves off as a teenager, vampires were never ‘in’ to begin with. So enough already – the concept isn’t original or scary.

Bad reality TV is the bastard cousin of the low-brow chat show, which basically exploits individuals whose attention desperation disorder means they’ll do anything to get on ‘telly’ because of its association with status and importance. Jerry Springer set the tone these shows still dance to.

The US economy still drags on seemingly directionless, the Eurozone (especially Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain) countries appear destined for deeper recession, and Australia is experiencing higher unemployment.

So what chance do we have to grow?

Reality TV

Passing off scripted scenarios as being ‘real’ fools only fools and insults everyone else’s intelligence, meaning the loudest laughs are from network executives, whose advertising revenue to production cost ratios are off the chart.

Kevin Vincent is a director at Vincent Nugent Limited, a Christchurch based business improvement consulting company. He is a specialist in the disciplines of leadership and organisational management, sales and marketing, and business and strategic planning.

Celebrity comments I’m sorry, but when I want information about the ongoing financial crisis, or sectarian unrest in any particular global hot spot, I’ll listen to what an economist, historian or political scientist has to offer not a Hollywood A-lister. Their professional expertise extends to looking good while remembering anywhere up to three scripted sentences at any one time. Yes, even as impressive as this is, perhaps specialist subjects are best left to studied experts.

Well, there is some good news. We still have a good margin of currency advantage to export to our trans-Tasman neighbours and the US (and I suspect this may actually widen), and we can feel somewhat comforted by the fact that the Christchurch rebuild affords significant opportunity with outcomes likely to be less unemployment and an improved GDP. With so many and varied economic interpretations to choose from it is hard to know exactly how things will pan out, but one thing remains clear - growing a business in 2012 will never be as easy as it has been in the past.

I often read with dismay how organisations focus on staff reductions, redundancies and cutting costs. I recall reading Tom Peters who wrote “You Can’t Shrink Your Way to Greatness” and I believe this to be so true.

I think this is typically short term gain and long term pain. It is not a growth strategy!

If you want to increase sales revenue, improve profit margins and drive new business growth in 2012, you should consider the following business growth suggestions.

1. Spend marketing resources on creating value Showing customers what value your product or service provides will generate top line sales revenue. Spend more on marketing campaigns where the customer can experience your product’s value.

2. Encourage new prospects Differentiate your company by focusing on how you solve your customers’ business problems. Problem solving for clients adds real and tangible value.

3. Be future focused Forget about how your business performed last year. The past is the past. This year it’s a new game. The rules have changed and the players are different. What worked last year will not return the same results. Re-evaluate your industry, competition, marketing strategy, sales strategy and financial management. Implement proven best practice business growth strategies.

4. Measure What you measure is what you will get. So measure and monitor your key business growth indicators weekly. How do you know where to improve if you don’t know how you’re performing? For example, what is your customer conversion ratio, tradeshow ROI, closing ratio, marketing ROI, advertising ROI, sales cycle times, new prospect calls per week number, deal size by industry, profit by product line, etc.

5. Work on your business - not in it Focus more on strategic priorities. Delegate and empower your staff and or external expertise to handle day to day issues. Many CEOs and senior executives spend too much time micro managing. That time would be far better invested in making sure your strategy is sound. Work on what can improve business performance in our changing business environment.

Become a 2012 – 2020 company; identify where you are and what developments you need to do to ensure you don’t miss the 2012 bus!

Remember, you can only produce so much new product, produce only so many units, set up so many new systems, but at the end of the day – you need sales! It is sales that will define your success or failure. So think big and take action.

INTELLIGENT FLEET LEASING AND MANAGEMENT Call 0800 743 5338 or visit www.sgfleet.co.nz

6 | March/April 2012 www.centraltoday.co.nz

Viewpoints | Accounting/Productivity

Revenue recognition changes are being ignored

An everyday habit that ruins careers Karen Degen is the owner of Set Free with EFT, a company that changes mindsets to create business success. Email: karen@setfree.co.nz or visit www.setfree.co.nz

Mark Hucklesby is the national technical director at Grant Thornton New Zealand

New Zealand businesses currently lead the world in their lack of awareness of proposed changes to the way that revenue is recognised in financial statements.

Recent research from a Grant Thornton International business report which surveyed 2,800 businesses globally, found that 86 percent of New Zealand business owners were not aware of revenue recognition changes being proposed by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).

Of the 40 countries surveyed only Poland (96 percent), France (92 percent) and Finland (90 percent), showed greater ignorance of the proposed changes. The global average was 58 percent. The United States had the best knowledge of what was happening with only 40 percent of businesses being unaware of the proposed changes.

Given the significance of the proposed changes, particularly for smaller businesses that provide turn key product and service solutions, it is disappointing to see this complacency.

How revenue is accounted for is extremely important. It is almost always the largest dollar amount reported in any set of financial statements and for many listed companies it is the first number that gets reported by the media. Auditors, as one might expect, spend a lot of time checking the revenue figures.

What has been overlooked by many, is that later this year a global accounting standard for accounting revenue will be introduced.

For businesses in New Zealand, now is the time to ask “do these changes work for us?” This is why this standard has been reexposed for comment a second time by the IASB. For example, is separating out goods and services as separate revenue streams feasible, and is the guidance on separately accounting for warranty provisions reasonable?

The aim of the changes proposed by the IASB and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) is to improve and converge the financial reporting requirements of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) and US General Accepted Accounting

Unlimited Access

Principles (US GAAP) for revenue (and some related costs) from contracts with customers.

The proposed changes improve current IFRSs and US GAAP by: • providing a more robust framework for addressing revenue recognition issues; • removing inconsistencies from existing requirements; • improving comparability across

companies, industries and capital markets; • providing more useful information to users of financial statements through improved disclosure requirements; and • simplifying the preparation of financial statements by streamlining the volume of accounting guidance.

The core principle of this proposed standard is that an entity recognises revenue from contracts with customers when it transfers promised goods or services to the customer. The amount of revenue recognised would be the amount of consideration promised by the customer in exchange for the transferred goods or services.

I am staggered at the figures for New Zealand, as business owners in this country are usually pretty savvy about these matters, but our global survey clearly indicates these proposed changes have not received the attention they deserve.

While the closing date for submissions to the IASB and the FASB on revenue recognition is March 13, 2012, New Zealand companies have been asked by the newly created External Reporting Board (XRB) to have submissions ready by 20 February 2012.

Given the importance of revenue to almost every business in New Zealand, this is an opportunity to have your views heard. Failure to comment may result in companies having to paying tax on earnings earlier than they previously have, given the Inland Revenue’s policy decision to use IFRS as the platform for revenue recognition for almost every large company in New Zealand.

Moneyback Guarantee

Procrastination isn’t just a bad habit, it’s an affliction ruining the lives of nearly one million New Zealanders. Research has found that one person in five suffers so badly from the problem that their careers are threatened. At its best procrastination is time wasting and at its worst it’s a form of self sabotage.

The economic implications are huge. It’s been estimated that procrastination costs the USA one trillion dollars per annum, or $9,724 per employee. Not only are these conservative figures, but they are at least 10 years old. Economist Gary Becker, who won the Nobel Prize for economics, commented that “In a modern economy, human capital (the work people do) is by far the most important form of capital in creating wealth and growth. With a quarter of each person’s work day spent dithering, procrastination is going to be costly.”

Most people have no conscious idea why they procrastinate. A trained therapist will find the hidden blocks in the subconscious mind that are causing it, and will know how to clear them. Some common blocks are: Fear of failure or fear of not doing a ‘perfect’ job can stop us even starting. Not meeting our own high standards is hard to live with. If we don’t start the task we can’t possibly fail. Not trying is much easier for our egos to stomach than trying hard and still falling short.

Fear of success. There may be implications to completing a particular job or activity.

Completing it could lead to something you are not yet ready for.

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Write down the task you are procrastinating on.

List, in order, the actions involved in completing that task. You may need to work backwards (i.e. before I can do that I need to…).

Look at the downside of completing this list, because if you don’t you may be subconsciously unwilling to complete the task and you will continue to self sabotage.

Repeat step three for all of the actions on your list.

Finally, begin working on the first action on your list. Keep only that action in your mind and don’t think ahead until you’ve completed it.

Dr Wayne Dyer said “Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.” Seek professional help if you need it. It’s not an easy affliction to overcome on your own.

Even the best of us however cannot get everything done and we cannot be perfect.

The famous physicist Professor Stephen Hawking said “One of the basic rules of the universe is that nothing is perfect. Perfection simply doesn’t exist.”

What a liberating thought! It’s scientifically impossible for you to be perfect. You can deal with your procrastination, or alternatively you can forgive yourself and be at peace with what remains undone.

The task is too big or too hard. Tasks seem overwhelming which makes us feel it’s futile to even try.

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OR PHONE 0800 4 TODAY (0800 486 329) www.centraltoday.co.nz March/April 2012 | 7

Viewpoints | Social Media/Digital Life

Managing the connected consumer

Maximising social media

Suzanne Carter is the business development manager for website design and development company Limelight Online Ltd, and has 15 years website industry experience. Visit www.limelightonline.co.nz

John Walsh is Professor of Marketing at IMD. This article is based on a presentation that he gave during the Orchestrating Winning Performance programme, on which he teaches.

Companies have often grappled with the ‘ownership’ of their brands. Ultimately, the brand is simply what it represents in the minds of consumers. And they can develop a strong sense of ownership and an equal willingness to criticise decisions that affect that brand in ways they do not like.

It used to be said that consumers having a negative experience might tell as many as 10 people, whereas those with positive experiences might tell only as few as three. In other words, negative word of mouth spread faster than the positive. The advent of the internet and various social media facilitates opinionated consumers to exchange ideas and influence others. Word of mouth has been turbo charged. Opinions reach billions. Consumers have formed a collective.

The free-flowing exchange of information, the inter-connectedness of consumers, has changed the marketplace. Now, the market bears many of the characteristics of an organisation, albeit a loosely formed one.

Managing customers 1. Communication: The connected consumer places high demands on the brands they buy and are not afraid to ridicule communications that are inconsistent or poorly thought through. A brief scan of YouTube illustrates the point – countless user-generated parodies of advertisements are available, with many viewed much more than the original.

2. Motivation: What motivates consumers to buy or to be loyal to a brand is even more important nowadays. As the number of touch-points between the brand and the consumer proliferate, it is important that the messaging from the brand is consistent with the motivations of the consumer.

3. Delegation : Many companies are already involving the connected consumer in a variety of interesting ways. Companies are now co-creating products and solutions with consumers. The key issue, is what to delegate to consumers and what to keep for determination by anagement. Involving consumers in even the most simple of decisions can have unintended consequences; such as customers selecting a model or direction that doesn’t reflect a company’s ‘image’.

4. Accessibility: Brands should have an open invitation to consumers, whether it is to complain or compliment. Many companies now go beyond passively waiting for consumers to contact them and operate a sort of outreach program, where blogs or chat rooms are scanned to address issues being discussed among consumers.

5. Learn from mistakes, openly: Good managers learn from their mistakes and the same is true when dealing with connected consumers. Marketing-savvy companies have grappled with the impact of Facebook or Twitter, where opinion, whether ill-informed or ill-intentioned, can flow freely.

The connected consumer is here to stay.

Firms should accept that relationships between consumers play a greater role in consumer decision making than before, with a consequent diminution of the relationship of the consumer with the brand.

platforms you can engage with them in real time to try and resolve the issue, before too much bad ‘word of mouth’ gets out.

As a relatively recent tool used for online marketing, social media can be used to build networks and/or connections by posting interesting content for other users to share and engage with.

This allows you to reach out and engage with a wider audience than you perhaps could with offline forms of marketing. This in turn can help with driving more business.

Think of it as the modern day version of ‘word-of-mouth’.

The most common forms of social media are Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and more recently Google’s own +1 button and social media platform, Google+.

Watching the competition: Businesses need to be aware of what is happening in their industry and what their competitors are doing. Social media allows you to follow your competitors to track what they are doing in real time.

Publicity: Sharing information in real time can be really beneficial for instant publicity for new products or services. It’s a lot faster than having to wait for a print or radio ad to be released. If you come up with an idea, you can put it into action then and there.

Networking: Beginning business relationships via social media is happening all the time. You can network online with any business in your industry or your target market. If they are in your area then the networking can continue offline.

Thousands of companies have jumped aboard the social media movement with the objective of achieving the particular goals outlined below: Feedback: Friends or followers are easily able to give feedback on products or services. Feedback is valuable to a business.

If it’s bad feedback you can work to fix the problem, if it’s good you can thank people accordingly.

Website traffic: The more people that visit your website the more leads and sales you are likely to get. Google is also recognising social media activity i.e. ‘signals’ when it assessing the relevancy of your site for ranking purposes.

Attention: There are so many people in New Zealand and across the world that you might not normally have the opportunity to reach out to. Social media allows businesses to do this relatively easily through a few simple Facebook posts or Tweets.

As you can see it is certainly very important to the growth and perception of your business to engage with social media. It does have to be done consistently though i.e. a little bit every day rather than just dipping in and out of it every now again.

Customer service: Great customer service is key to creating a great company. If someone expresses a problem with a product or service via social media

Getting started on social media may be quite daunting at first, but it can soon become fun and develop into an integral part of your marketing plan.

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Freephone 0800 22 22 68 | P 04 4999 035 | E info@accountsonline.co.nz 8 | March/April 2012 www.centraltoday.co.nz

Viewpoints | Behaviour/Finance

Emotional-health goals must be your priority

Emergencies, money and you Alan Clarke has just written his first book called “Retire Richer”, a practical guide for all New Zealanders.

Alan, an Authorised Financial Adviser, has been a financial adviser for 24 years.

For more information visit: www.retirericher.co.nz.

Dr Mary Casey is a conflict resolution specialist and founder and CEO of the Casey Centre, a leading integrated health and education service. Visit www. caseycentre.com.au

A healthier diet and regular exercise are arguably the most common New Year’s resolutions, but improving your emotional and mental health shouldn’t be ignored, because exercise, diet and other tangible goals are then easier to meet.

The reason we make resolutions in the first place is to be happier, more creative, more aware of our direction in life, and improve our sense of wellbeing. Arguably the largest obstacles to these are negative emotional states.

altogether from particularly toxic people.

Your health will thank you for it.

4. Reassess your happiness at work. This is must for those in negative work culture that’s leaving them feeling overworked, uncertain of their future, anxious or stressed. It’s important to know that as an employee you can address the issue with your manager. If you know you can’t, it may be time to look for a healthier work environment.

5. Review your daily routine. It takes courage to admit there are decisions we ourselves make that deflate us emotionally – from accepting a job with a long work commute, to running around too much, Negative emotions are hugely toxic to our to not giving ourselves enough ‘down’ health. It’s now commonly accepted that time every day, to spending too much and holding onto stress, resentment, anger and putting ourselves in financial stress. By fear for years at a time can lead to myriad resolving to develop a strategy to solve health problems, including high blood pressure, thyroid diseases, hair loss and heart them, you can be in an entirely different disease. In fact, it has become accepted by place by the end of 2012. And you’ll be health professionals that most diseases in glad for it. some way have a stress-related component.

6. Don’t let any negative emotions It’s surprising, then, that more of us don’t control you. Negative emotions – however focus on improving our state of mind. small – can overwhelm anything positive.

My top Seven resolutions for 2012: Resolve to develop awareness of when you’re feeling upset or frustrated before 1. Prioritise your happiness and health. it spoils your day. Examine your part in It’s important to decide your health and this. What can you do personally to make happiness number one. As simple as it yourself feel better? Each time you begin to sounds, if you don’t have these, you are not in a position to contribute to others or feel down, take a walk in the park or go out yourself. Everything stems from here. in the sun to help centre you. Nature and 2. Spend more time with the right people. movement nurture positive emotions.

Rather than resolving to spend more time with everyone – which can be exhausting – spend time with people who are naturally positive and uplifting, and who are going in the direction you want to go in. You’ll find these people have an energising effect on you.

3. Deal with toxic relationships. You can identify relationships by the way they make you feel. Stand your ground, set your boundaries and make it clear to them what behaviour you won’t accept – even with family. You may need to disengage

7. Strengthen your relationships. Deep and meaningful relationships, not just with your life partner but with all those close to you, are important for a fulfilling life.

Make a list of all the factors you need for a meaningful relationship, identify what you do not want, and stick to your guns. You can also find deep fulfilment and connection in philanthropic or charitable work, so try getting involved in a community group, nursing home or the like, and volunteer some of your time.

We are told by most financial commentators to pay off our mortgages as fast as we can. If you have some surplus income or money, you will hear the same story again – reduce your mortgage, and in theory this is the correct advice.

would have barely been enough for a lot of people.

However, what about building up an emergency fund? There are good reasons to do so and all too often this is overlooked in New Zealand. If you were to build up an emergency fund, you would have room to move in the midst of a financial crisis, or tough times, and keep the bank (or other creditors) off your back.

The first consideration is not in the bank where you have your mortgage. If you miss a mortgage payment, the bank can move money from one of your accounts to another without even consulting you.

Rental property, beach houses, forestry and commercial buildings are not suitable as emergency funds either as they are not liquid. Money from these assets can take months, if not years to unlock.

It is usually quite easy to borrow money when we have jobs / normal health, but almost impossible to borrow if things are bad; like if you are made redundant, cannot work, are ill, or have had a bad accident.

Liquidity (access to money) Emergency funds need to be liquid - they must be easily accessed. There is not much point having an emergency fund unless it is readily available within say two weeks.

Where not to put it

Nor should it be all invested in shares, since Murphy’s law says they are all too likely to be down at the time you need the money. None of these assets are suitable as Remember “A bank is an organisation that will emergency funds. lend you an umbrella when the sun is shining, Where should emergency money be but they will want the umbrella back when invested? it starts to rain.” For all the reasons given above, it would be very wise to build up an Hopefully you will never need the money emergency fund. for an emergency, and so it should be invested, but in a conservative place. Ideally Dead money vs an asset it would be invested in a conservative diversified portfolio, with a portion offshore.

We cover a lot of risks using life, fire, and If it is invested, it will grow, and if it is general insurances, but the premiums are never needed, it will become part of your ‘dead’ money that you don’t get back, and retirement funding. all too often insurances often do not cover the emergencies that arise. Conversely your What sort of investments is recommended? emergency fund is an asset – if you never need it, you still have it.

A highly diversified conservative portfolio of about 75 percent in bonds and 25 percent How much should be in your emergency in shares is suitable. Bonds over many years fund? have paid one percent to three percent better than short-term bank deposits. Shares The rule of thumb I was taught in NZ back in 1991 was three to six months income. Rocket have had a bad patch recently but over the longer term shares have out- performed science is not needed here though, and any amount is better than none. Getting started bonds by three to five percent. Therefore, is the most important step! In the USA they over time, returns from a correctly structured recommend everyone keeps eight months conservative portfolio over the medium to income in emergency funds. Given the extent long term are likely to be about two percent of the credit crunch in the USA, eight months per annum higher than bank rates.

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Viewpoints | Gadgets

News | Events Diary

Take one tablet and see me in the morning

Events diary What’s happening on the business and entertainment front

SUNDAY, MARCH, 11-16

Ian Knott has been commentating on various forms of technology for the last 16 years. He’s had columns on gadgets, gaming, computing and digital entertainment in many newspapers, magazines and websites in New Zealand and overseas.

Laptops have been around longer than most computer users have been alive.

It was 1975 when IBM introduced the world’s first ‘portable computer’ and like most electronic devices, the race to make them smaller and cheaper has been a competitive one until it hit a brick wall with the recent relative failure of ‘Netbooks’.

The weight difference is surprisingly noticable with the SGT 10.1 feeling perfectly natural to hold and handle for extended periods of time. The screen has a small but sufficient non-touch sensitive area surrounding it for when you need to pass the tablet around between people.

Their failure wasn’t due to any fault on their behalf but more due to the emergence of iOS and Android touchscreen tablets and in fact any internet capable mobile phone.

The Samsung one-ups the iPad 2 in almost every way. The cameras are better (to be fair, you can’t get much worse than the iPad’s camera quality), it has a 4-way accelerometer and gyro (compared to the iPad’s 3 way), has better speakers and browser Flash support.

There would be few in the know who would debate Apple’s domination of the tablet market with its iPad range, but quality tablets running Google’s Android operating system are rapidly taking chunks out of Apple’s market share.

Easily the best of the Android tablets, and also the one with the most publicity and controversy surrounding it is Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1. Apple certainly saw the threat very early on and pulled out all the stops with lawsuit after lawsuit. All in vain of course as the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is now available in all its glory.

A hair’s breadth thinner than the iPad2, the SGT 10.1 weighs a considerable 36g lighter at 565g despite the almost half inch larger screen.

Running the Android Honeycomb 3.1 operating system, the SGT 10.1 is open to features that are currently unavailable on most other Android tablets.

However, I only experienced six hours battery life as opposed to ten hours on the iPad2 (Samsung boasts nine hours, but this review unit could have been well abused).

The proprietary charging cable is also an annoyance with a standard mini USB being far more desirable. The simple Bluetooth file transfer made adding photos, music and apps a breeze though.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 slotted into my lifestyle so seamlessly that Samsung had to almost pry it out of my hands to take it back. I’m a definite Android tablet convert and there’s no better available than this.

The Ultimate Relationship – an evening with Sri Yanchiji A once in a lifetime opportunity – Sri Yanchiji offers you an uncensored spiritual wake-up call using humour, profound insight and real talk on real matters. His point of view affects everything, from culture and politics to your personal life. For more information visit www.tour2012.co.nz WENESDAY, MARCH 14 Techniques for Effective and Efficient Auditing - NZ Institute of Chartered Accountants, Hamilton The course will help you develop audit planning skills and auditing techniques to increase the profit in your audits. To register, visit http://events.nzica.com/ SATURDAY, MARCH 17 13th Multicultural Festival – Tauranga Experience great entertainment, a huge variety of authentic ethnic food, arts, crafts, and sport displays from many countries. For more information visit www.trmc.co.nz

TUESDAY, MARCH 20 Understanding your Financials – National Bank workshop, Gisborne This workshop is for business owners who want to understand their financial accounts in more depth and how to use these accounts for the betterment of their business. To register, visit www.businessresourcecentre.co.nz FRIDAY, MARCH 30 Jonathan Watts: Let’s learn environmental lessons from China, Taupo China faces major environmental challenges with fossil fuel pollution, water shortages and deforestation tied to its extraordinary economic growth. Jonathan Watts, Guardian Asia correspondent and author of ‘When a Billion Chinese Jump’ will talk about the dramatic impact of people and industry on China’s environment and the lessons and opportunities for New Zealand. For more information visit www.paraserv.co.nz THURSDAY, APRIL 19 Maximising the Value of Your Business – Business Resource Centre, New Plymouth Don’t wait until you want to, or have to, sell your business - start planning today. The benefit of this strategy is that, in the shortterm, you can end up with a more profitable business and, in the long-term, a business that’s more appealing to those looking to buy a business. To register, visit www.businessresourcecentre.co.nz

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10 | March/April 2012 www.centraltoday.co.nz

News | Alan Bollard/Volatile Markets

The state of the nation

By Bridget Gourlay Euro in crisis Trouble in Europe has been hitting the headlines as the continent struggles with serious debt.

Dr Allan Bollard

“The European sovereign debt crisis owed much of it origin to the GFC but also to the imbalances that had built up in many economics, through large unsustainable fiscal deficits, persistent current account deficits and demographic and other public liabilities,” Bollard explains.

The European crisis is complicated, Bollard says, and 2012 could be a difficult year.

At the start of 2011, life was very different in New Zealand.

Christchurch had been hit by the September 4 and Boxing Day earthquakes, but was well on the way to recovering. While things were looking tricky in Europe, we didn’t think we’d lose track of how many times Greece could get bailed out by the year’s end.

The economic effects of the European sovereign debt crisis and the February 22 earthquakes were the topic of Dr Allan Bollard’s address to the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce in Christchurch in late January.

While he acknowledged the jolts they gave to the economy, his speech was tinged with optimism.

“A disorderly Greek default with funding markets seizing up for other governments and banks would have a major negative effect on the euro zone and the rest of the world economy. In a worst-case scenario this could lead to the break-up of the European union,” Bollard says, although he doesn’t think this is very likely.

“We believe the euro-zone will stay in tact… looking ahead, the current economic recovery is very slow and fragile and there will be more problems ahead; it may take some years for Europe to get back on to the previous growth track.”

So what does this mean for us? Sadly, our geographical isolation is no protection from economic events abroad. If major world economies have a significant economic problem then that is going to affect us too, as New Zealand has seen in our export commodity prices, currency and funding our foreign debt.

“New Zealand’s increasing reliance on Asia as a trading partner reflects export market flexibility and has helped growth, but could not shield us from the slowdown in world

demand or the drying up of financing even if it has meant a smaller drop in demand for our exports.

“Economies in the Asia-Pacific (including Australia) account for around 60 percent of New Zealand’s merchandise exports by value, a significantly larger share than exports to the euro area (at just 7 percent).”

Put simply, a recession in Europe could spark a slowdown in Asia, pushing down commodity prices, and having a marked impact on Australia and New Zealand.

This is a positive statistic that means serious reconstruction money will be flooding in.

Christchurch’s rebuild is expected to add one percent to New Zealand’s GDP growth this year.

Bollard says the uncertainty of last year is somewhat over.

“In terms made famous by Donald Rumsfeld, we are moving from ‘unknown unknowns’ to Seismic shocks ‘known unknowns’. We cannot expect to have The earthquake changed life forever in complete clarity for 2012. Unexpected things Christchurch and a year on from that crisis its will continue to happen and there will be effects are still being felt. After what has been more aftershocks, both financial and seismic; for many Canterbury people the most difficult the effects of both shocks could continue to year of their lives, things are beginning to rumble on for some time.” look up for the region economically as the rebuild starts.

“Reconstruction is projected to eventually provide a boost to demand similar to the mid-2000s housing boom. Residential and non-residential investment will lift growth sharply,” Bollard says.

Bollard also said Christchurch was in a unique position when it comes to re-insurance. With 80 percent of Christchurch reinsured, capital is less of an issue than in other countries.

Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce CEO Peter Townsend says when disaster hit in Haiti only one percent of buildings were insured and in Turkey that figure was four percent. In developed but earthquake-prone Japan the figure was 17 percent and in Chile 27 percent. In Christchurch, the figure was 80 percent.

Don’t let fear rule decisions in volatile markets Market volatility is likely to continue in 2012 and traders can best equip themselves by understanding how the market responds to events and not acting in a knee-jerk fashion.

CMC Markets head of analysis and education, David Land, has analysed volume and trading data over the past year to form three top themes to help traders in the year ahead: Theme one: price versus volume. The past year has shown us volume and price are not always linked and in fact while volumes have increased, the dollar value per transaction has slowed. Therefore it is important for traders to realise the value of turnover, not turnover levels, is the most accurate gauge of how much actual money is moving in the market.

Theme two: Trading conditions have changed over the decade. It’s easy to think there is 12 | March/April 2012 www.centraltoday.co.nz

All this means reconstruction money will be soon flowing in – and the economy will be boosted by the large reconstruction workforce that will require accommodation and services as the city rebuilds.

After 10 years as Governor of the Reserve Bank, Alan Bollard steps down in September 2012. Appointed in September 2002, Dr Bollard is in his second five-year term. Dr Bollard says he will be fully focused in his remaining months on the serious economic and financial challenges facing New Zealand.

The chair of the Reserve Bank Board, Dr Arthur Grimes, says the Board will search in New Zealand and abroad to identify a successor to Dr Bollard. The Governor is appointed by the Minister of Finance on the recommendation of the Board.

above average volatility at the moment, but while there has without doubt been some significant spikes in the past few months, overall average market moves over the long term have not been that variable.

Theme three: Misery loves company. An analysis of price versus volume in 2011 shows downwards spikes in the share market correspond with upward spikes in volume.

What this means is traders are getting out of the market due to fear, when what they are actually doing is exiting when the market is at a low - at the worst time.

“The trading world is likely to remain turbulent and difficult to navigate in the year ahead and predicting periods of volatility will be virtually impossible,” he says.” The best thing a trader can do is arm themselves with solid knowledge of how the market responds to events and understand they are part and parcel of the share market. They should avoid making trading decisions based on fear.”

News | What works 2012

Looking after your staff in a tight economy

By Bridget Gourlay

With a messy economic situation in the EU, Kiwi businesses are tightening their belts as the prospect of another recession looms. All this means pay rises are not something many companies feel they can afford right now.

You might think for staff it’s all about the money, but studies have continually shown that staff members often rate a fair salary as just one of the ingredients in workplace happiness. In fact, its job satisfaction and a feeling of harmony and happiness in the workplace that employees are after. Here are some tips on how to look after your staff when the money is tight.

Keep the social club going. Quiz nights, fun runs, guess the baby picture contests, regular Friday drinks – they are all ways of helping people relax and connect.

Offer “duvet days” for hard work. If you can’t reward your staff with money, try giving them some R&R time. For example, a staff member landing a new account could be given a day off of their choice. Studies have shown that a day of relaxing recharges the batteries beautifully, making your staff even better employees when they return.

Offer more training. This shows staff you are willing to invest in them and gives them the chance to expand their potential. They feel challenged and supported at work, and that’s something money can’t buy.

Praise and recognition. Honestly thanking a staff member for going above and beyond, for meeting all their deadlines, etc can mean the world to them. It doesn’t take you very long to say it, but it would be the highlight of their day.

Lead from the top. If everyone’s on a pay freeze because of the recession, don’t turn up in your new flash car. This will make your employees feel worthless and then morale and productivity will suffer.

Top Tips: Asking for a payrise

Show me the

money

By Bridget Gourlay

Late nights, weekend work, big results… but you’re still on the same salary you were two years ago! When it’s time to talk pay there’s a number of things employees need to do to present the best possible case.

Be prepared Firstly, go in prepared. Felicity Ryan, founder and CEO of Ryan Recruitment says to bring in evidence of the hard work you’ve done. For roles where you actively bring money into the company, such as sales, show how much money you generate. But if your role isn’t money-generating, don’t despair.

“Discuss the money you have saved the company or the quality of your work, the way you’ve trained new employees, or if you’ve won awards for the business,” Ryan advises.

And leave the personal life at home. If your wife is expecting another child, or you’re saving to buy a house, leave that out of the pay discussions.

“Focus purely on work related matters.

What is going on in your life is your life.

Your personal choices or decisions have no bearing on your job.”

Be honest Employees sometimes get offered new jobs, either because they’ve actively looked for them or because they’ve been headhunted.

Ryan says honesty is the best policy in this case.

“It doesn’t pay to leverage one company off another. In reality it happens – sometimes unintentionally, sometimes it’s strategic.

It’s bad form and you are not enhancing your future relationship with your current employer.”

Again be honest when negotiating the pay rise. If you earn $60,000 and expect a pay rise of five percent, don’t ask for more and then negotiate down to five percent. Forget the mind games and be honest about how much you think you are worth.

Because discussing pay with your colleagues is bad form, Ryan suggests looking at other similar jobs advertised, or talking to an HR

company that does remuneration reviews, so you can find out what the market rate is.

Be calm If you don’t get a pay rise, there’s no doubt you will feel really disappointed. It might be tempting to lose your cool and threaten to quit, but Ryan says to keep emotion out of it.

Instead she suggests you calmly tell your employer you disagree and will investigate other options. “Think of the big picture of benefits; what are the benefits of your current job? If you’re with an airline company say, that has travel benefits – is an extra three grand a year really worth leaving that?

“Top employees should not have to ask for an increase, A top employer should go to you and make sure you are happy and well looked after. I realise how idealistic that sounds!

But good employers should be initiating the conversation.” www.centraltoday.co.nz March/April 2012 | 13

Cover Story

Green

Gold

The kiwifruit – how can a fascinating furry brown thing become so popular and responsible for so much success? The kind of success that now means Zespri plans to take over the world… well the kiwifruit one anyway. However, like all good stories there is a twist - an evil arch enemy called Psa. Zespri, located in the Bay of Plenty is the world’s largest marketer of kiwifruit, selling into more than 60 countries and managing 30 percent of the global volume. It has become an iconic industry with the kiwifruit now ingrained in our culture. In June 2010 Zespri shared an ambitious plan to treble export earnings to $3 billion by 2025.

Zespri’s general manager of grower and government relations, Simon Limmer talks to Kayte John about challenges facing the kiwifruit industry and solutions to secure its future.

An achievable ambition This ambitious plan to treble export earnings is backed by Simon, who casually says it’s “very achievable.”

That’s not to say the company doesn’t face challenges. “Of course Psa has come along since we set that objective, the impact has been very well documented. We are still riding that tsunami in terms of where it’s going to take us - as 2012 plays out we will understand more,” he says.

“We are also an exporter, relaying on our revenue from offshore markets. We are currently exposed to a high New Zealand dollar, presenting a real challenge for exporters. Any sort of economic pressure in our key markets is a problem for us and that also reflects through the foreign exchange.”

Simon joined Zespri in April 2008 after 14 years of international general management and business development experience with Veolia Environnement. He graduated from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Management Studies (Commerce/Marketing) before joining the Ford Motor Company – with a stint of professional rugby in France.

Simon Limmer

“

Seeing red

We are beginning to learn more about Psa and how it can be prevented. We have safer techniques, new products and tools we can now use in the orchards – this is allowing us to tip the balance back in our favour.

”

“Zespri has begun pre-commercial grower block trials on two red coloured kiwifruit varieties and its extensive evaluation process means that Zespri will continue to develop new varieties. Consumer research has told us the red variety can be successful, especially in the Asian markets,” Simon explains.

The range of Zespri kiwifruit is wide and unique - from the classic, fresh tasting Zespri green and the exciting, tropical flavoured Zespri gold, to Zespri organic and jumbo kiwifruit.

“We continually strive to find ways to improve all our products and bring new and exciting varieties to the market. We have to keep in “I became highly engaged in the French mind the taste, impact, visual (aesthetics), lifestyle but age caught up with me and storage and if it excites the consumer when I moved back to New Zealand for family producing new varieties. Another important purposes. I had two young children growing criterion is a kiwifruit’s tolerance to Psa - we up in the fabulous city of Paris, which is have found some varieties are tolerant of fantastic for adults, but not for kids when there’s an alternative like New Zealand. Zespri this disease, which is something we are very became a great opportunity and being located happy about,” Simon adds. in the Bay of Plenty also had its appeal.

“Zespri wants to treble its revenue in the next 15 years. This is fairly ambitious for that timeframe especially given we supply about 35 percent of the global kiwifruit sold in terms of volume - but we represent 70 percent of it in terms of value. However, we believe the kiwifruit category has a significant scope for development – it’s currently a very small proportion of total fruit consumed and we believe the attributes of kiwifruit make it a great prospect for on-going growth.”

Zespri believes it can meet this plan by introducing varieties to consumers all over the world.

14 | March/April 2012 www.centraltoday.co.nz

In 1991 Zespri created the juicy and delicious kiwifruit gold – this has been phenomenally successful and has dramatically changed the kiwifruit industry during the last decade.

New varieties are a key part to implementing Zespri’s plan.

The health factor Zespri will also meet its plan to triple export earnings by introducing new consumers, using marketing strategies to promote the health benefits of kiwifruit.

Simon explains that Zespri has ambitious goals for future growth and profitability, underlined by a strong focus on marketing, health and nutrition research. “It is an area we have put research into over the past couple of years. The kiwifruit’s attributes need scientific backing and Zespri wants to understand this

Cover Story

“

We are optimistic that we are in good shape for the season ahead.

Psa was a hiccup not a fatal moment – we should take a balanced optimistic view of the world with forgetting the risk that we take and work our way forward.

”

research. We know that kiwifruit has a high source of Vitamin C and broadly speaking I guess we know it provides great benefits for digestion and its support.

“Zespri’s overriding goal is to grow the kiwifruit category globally by selling the health benefits of kiwifruit to consumers, introducing new consumers to the kiwifruit category through kiwifruit products and the developing markets.”

In 2008, the most widely known health message about kiwifruit was that Zespri kiwifruit is an excellent source of Vitamin C. Zespri wanted to build upon this health message and during 2010/11 Zespri released three key studies into health benefits of kiwifruit. These are: • The naturally occurring enzyme actinidin, found in Zespri’s green kiwifruit can help improve digestion • Zespri’s gold kiwifruit can significantly enhance the uptake of iron • The Vitamin C from Zespri kiwifruit is five times better absorbed by the body than dietary supplement.

Overcoming Psa With these ambitious plans Zespri has not forgotten about Psa, the aggressive strain of the bacterial disease that was discovered in kiwifruit – growing in heartland Te Puke just over a year ago. Simon says the outbreak of the airborne disease last year represented a significant challenge for the industry, but one he is certain it could beat.

“Confirmation that Psa was found in New Zealand was a blow to our industry. Very little was understood about how and when the disease arrived. Last year was tough, with a stuttering economic recovery, rising oil prices, seasonal challenges, the impact of Psa on our orchards in Italy and in this country. We are beginning to learn more about Psa and how it can be prevented.

“We have safer techniques, new products and tools we can now use in the orchards – this is allowing us to tip the balance back in our favour. We can now move forward - time is going to be an important factor in all of this to see how the disease involves and what happens to vines over time.

“This year we are focused on Psa and the recovery pathway. I am confident the industry will overcome the disease and meet its longterm growth plan to triple export earnings from $1billion today, to $3billion by 2025. We have big decisions to make and challenges to ensure business is usual and that green and gold growers who aren’t as affected are getting good market returns as well.

“Zespri has a good crop this year; the sun is shining in the Bay of Plenty, we are expecting harvest in a couple of months and we will have some excellent fruit,” Simon enthuses.

“We are optimistic that we are in good shape for the season ahead. Psa was a hiccup not a fatal moment – we should take a balanced optimistic view of the world with forgetting the risk that we take and work our way forward.”

Timeline 1904 - Isabel Fraser, a headmistress, brings kiwifruit seeds back to New

Zealand from her sister’s mission station in China’s Yangtze Valley.

Isabel gives the seeds to orchardist Thomas Allison, who gives them to his brother Alexander. They are called “yang tao” in Chinese and “Chinese gooseberry” in English

1910 - New Zealand’s first kiwifruit vines are recorded as bearing fruit on

Alexander Allison’s property

1920 - Chinese gooseberry plants are offered for sale by a number of

nurserymen. Plantings are recorded in Auckland, Fielding, Wanganui and Tauranga

1924 - Auckland nurseryman Hayward Wright develops the green-fleshed

kiwifruit variety that has become the most commonly grown around the world

1934 - Jim MacLoughlin plants his first seven acres of Chinese gooseberries on

his property in the Bay of Plenty region

1952 - Jim MacLoughlin and Grahame Bayliss export the first commercial

shipment, 13 tonnes of Chinese Gooseberries to England

1959 - The brown furry fruit is re-named kiwifruit. The first exports to the USA

arrive in California

1991 - The gold variety is developed on HortResearcher’s orchard in Te Puke 1994 - Creation of the first 100 percent organic packhouse, for the rising

demand and supply of organic kiwifruit

2008 - New Zealand production of Zespri kiwifruit exceeds 100 million trays 2010 - Zespri releases three new varieties of kiwifruit 2010/11 - Zespri announces plans to treble its revenue by 2025 from $1

billion to $3 billion

2011 - Confirmation that Psa had arrived in New Zealand. The bacterial disease

was discovered in kiwifruit growing in heartland Te Puke

2011 - Zespri begins pre-commercial grower block trials on two red coloured

kiwifruit varieties

2012 - Zespri announces that it is focused on Psa and the recovery pathway.

Its plan to treble revenue is still ‘highly achievable’.

www.centraltoday.co.nz March/April 2012 | 15

News | Love your company

little love

Put a

Signs your job might be worth into your work sticking with...

By Kayte John

Finding a job now can be harder than ever, so sticking to the one you have got may be worth while.

Here are signs that your current job might be worth staying at.

Your boss/company wants to use you to your fullest potential and listens to your suggestions

We happily express love for our partners, family, friends, pets, even our neighbours…well some of them. Some people love being outdoors, some people love rugby and some people love cake - our capacity to love is extremely vast. So why is love often missing from the workplace?

If you find yourself looking at your career and wishing you were on a path you felt more passionate and energised about, then here are six ways to love the job you may be starting to loathe.

1. Love the team We all find some people easier to work with than others. Consider the people you don’t get on with as easily - try and find out what motivates them, what they value in life and in work, understand their goals and objectives as they probably differ from yours. When we understand people it becomes easier to connect and collaborate because we treat each other with respect.

Very few people come to work to do a bad job, so find out what is driving them.

16 | March/April 2012 www.centraltoday.co.nz

2. State your needs What is important to you? Which of your personal values are not being met? How well do the team and your employer understand you? Tell them what is important to you, be open and honest - be willing to accept your mistakes and ask for help when you need it.

3. Be yourself Many people say they act very different at home compared to how they behave at work. When we are playing different roles like this, we are not being fully authentic and can come across as fake. Relax and be yourself – its less hard work than trying to be someone else!

4. Turn up your strengths Consider where you excel - how can you do this even more? For example, if one of your traits is to be enthusiastic, try being enthusiastic in a situation that normally drags you down. Look at the positives and stop looking at the negatives for a change.

5. Focus on the things you can do Where can you improve your job? What can you delegate? Do the things you don’t like doing first each day so that you reduce the amount of time spent analysing over them.

Review your workload on a weekly and monthly basis. Where are you focusing your energy? Where would you like to focus your energy? Consider what needs to be dropped in order to do the things you really want to.

6. Stop focusing on the money Money will never be enough so stop using it as an excuse. Whatever salary you are bringing home - there is always going to be things you could do or would do if you had more. Getting paid is only one small part of what you do; your work has to be more than just a paycheck to be fulfilling.

If it matters to your boss when you are under-utilised, that indicates that he/she values you as a person and not just as an employee. A boss who truly listens is a boss you can communicate honestly with.

Having a real ‘say’ in what happens at work will give you a lift - it might not be what you truly care about, but at least your opinion matters.

You have real responsibility for things that matter in your workplace Giving you independent responsibility says that your boss trusts you and that you are trustworthy. Clearly you are a valued employee. An employer who trusts you is one to consider staying with if you’re unsure what else is out there, or until you are sure.

You have a good working relationship with your co-workers Bad co-workers make for a miserable work environment, and good co-workers can be hard to find. If you’re at a job where you like working with the people around you, then you’re in a good place. From that good place, you can take your time making decisions about your next move.

You have decided to quit...

If you think quitting your job is the right decision, go through this checklist before making any hasty decisions.

• Discuss your thoughts about quitting with your spouse, family and friends • Think about all your options - can your current job situation be improved by talking to your employer?

• Can you afford to quit financially? If not, try to line up a new job, even a temporary one before you quit • If necessary, reduce your living expenses to save money before (and after) you quit • Whatever decision you make, try not to make it too quickly! Whatever the outcome, try to stay positive about it. This will make it easier to find a new job or improve the one you’re already in.

News | Opinion

Export growth is an economic necessity A priority focus of the new Government needs to be on setting a clear, credible strategy to drive growth in the export economy

The new Government came to office promising to focus on six areas to achieve its goal to get New Zealand back into surplus by 2014 and deliver a more prosperous New Zealand: debt and the economy, welfare, law and order, education, health, and rebuilding Canterbury.

It needs to add a seventh – building up a tier of new exporting enterprises able to grow the size of the economy.

With a domestic market of just 4.4 million, building a bigger economic pie by making exporting the priority game in town is critical if we are to grow the wealth and jobs needed for our long-term economic survival and success; find a niche, be great at it, and sell it to the world.

That’s exactly what Fonterra has done with dairy; a single company which accounts for 25 percent of our total exports and is the world’s biggest dairy exporter. But until we break through and establish new and innovative global market relationships of matching scale in other sectors, we’ll be stuck with another 50 years of export stagnation.

Including Fonterra, just 450 companies, most resource-based, account for 80 percent of all exports. The balance is shared between about 12,000 companies, most of which export less than $70,000 a year. Less than 2 percent of businesses are regular exporters.

By any yard stick, for a nation claiming to live by the motto of “Export or Die,” our export performance is pitiful. Or putting our performance into a positive context, the opportunity for improvement is huge.

Three points stand out.

First, our export competitiveness has been gradually slipping since the 1960s, and despite numerous efforts and talk by successive governments of adding value to exports, moving up the value chain, knowledge wave conferences and ‘export year’ campaigns (e.g. 2007), it turns out that the composition of our exports today are largely unchanged from the past. We are still heavily reliant on the land for our well-being.

“

By any yard stick, for a nation claiming to live by the motto of “Export or Die,” our export performance is pitiful. Or putting our performance into a positive context, the opportunity for improvement is huge.

”

Second, the export challenges facing New Zealand are in many ways the challenges facing the economy as a whole – around 95 percent of businesses are small-medium; many face demand issues around skills and finance, have problematic relationships with government agencies perceived as less than business-friendly, and lack the ability and/ or attitudes to realise economies of scale and scope needed to grow their business.

Third, as testified in many research reports dating back to the 1980s, our economy is too small to generate rapid growth without strong export performance. Low export growth is the main factor explaining low growth in the New Zealand economy as a whole.

Against this background, where is the opportunity for some game changers?

The trick, I suggest, is not to re-fight policy wars that are already over. Instead, we need to look to the future and ask ourselves what is the outcome we want to achieve from creating a truly export-led economy?

By Michael Barnett, chief executive of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce

In the past 10 years, the government has opened new market opportunities by concluding free trade agreements (FTAs) in some 15 countries, including: China (2008), Thailand (2005), Singapore (2001), Malaysia (2009) and the ASEAN regional block of 10 countries (2009). More FTAs are under negotiation – with India, Japan, Russia and a trans-Pacific group including the United States.

There is a huge opportunity awaiting action to back-fill these agreements with targeted export initiatives, including in core market access areas of goods, services, investment and government procurement. For example, trade minister Tim Groser has been a passionate and successful advocate to achieve FTAs, but there is a lot of work needed on the home front to attract businesses to take advantage of the opportunities his work on FTAs has created.

To turn around our fortunes, government agencies like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Enterprise New Zealand need to be better organised and more proactive, nimble and focused to attract businesses that want to grow, and then make the export opportunities work in their favour. A strong, demanding leadership from the Beehive to set a policy agenda and targets and urge officials and business partners to work proactively together would also help.

Business organisations could be recruited to partner with government to deliberately target companies with perceived high potential. I note for example that in the recent FTA between Canada and the European Union, Canada has established an SME Advisory Board which not only helped with the negotiation but has been set implementation tasks.

One of those includes a networking agreement between the governments of

Canada and Italy and respective Chambers of Commerce which deliberately focuses on linking SMEs new to exporting in both countries with the aim to help them grow to mid-sized companies.

We have 14 regional economies in New Zealand, each of which could be a platform for developing a Regional Project Export Action Plan. This could involve recruiting business organisations to talent scout for potential exporters and link them to New Zealand export agents in target markets, as Australia does well.

My point: To reclaim our destiny as a nation with a rising standard of living and offering exciting, rewarding employment in areas in demand by the world, we need a game changing strategy and a paradigm shift in our attitudes. We need to grow our economy, and exporting is the only viable strategy available to become more productive and generate the jobs needed to raise the living standards of all New Zealanders to the scale required.

The starting point is the opportunity to systematically strategise and convert the benefits of the many FTAs we have won.

We have been successful at being first to negotiate an FTA with a number of countries.

We owe it to ourselves as a forward-looking progressive nation to organise ourselves to be just as successful at converting the opportunities FTAs have created. And do so with passion and urgency. We are in a global race.

We have a long way to go and not much time to do it in but I would not be urging the new government to show leadership and collaborate with business to focus on lifting exports unless I believed there was a good chance of success. www.centraltoday.co.nz March/April 2012 | 17

Attention pet lovers did you know?

What you feed your cat or dog directly affects how long they live and the quality of their life. Not all foods are created equal. There is only one way to establish what you’re really feeding your pet...read the ingredients!

If you would like to discuss anything we’ve mentioned or would like to get sent some info and testimonials please give us a call, or go to our website to see the dozens of raving testimonials available. In fact a large number of clients are breeders, which is testament in itself, as these people take feeding their pets (their business), very seriously. These people normally spend a lot of time researching all options available and we’re pleased to say, they’re massive fans of our product.

In today’s competitive pet food industry, it’s hard to believe what may go into your pet food. Many companies (owned by multi-national corporations) have extensive marketing budgets, that portray a healthy pet jumping around, all thanks to their fantastic pet food. However, they seldom talk about ingredients. And to be frank, that is the most important element, followed closely by taste.

Because let’s face it, if your pet doesn’t like the taste, they simply won’t eat it.

(Unless it’s a Labrador....)

Here’s the most important bit.

The ingredients I’m not going to tell you how happy your pet will be or how high they will jump by using our pet food.

I’m simply going to give you a quick lesson about ingredients and what to look for and what to avoid.

The way ingredients are listed on packaging is the order that they are according to the percentage of food, so the first ingredient listed is the primary ingredient and so on down the list.

Some list “by-products” as the first ingredient, usually chicken or beef. Now this doesn’t have to be a bad thing. One of the many problems with byproducts is what can go into the mix. So for cows this can mean bones, hooves, hides, hair, intestines, or with poultry by-products it can mean feet, beaks, feathers, bones, intestines, as well as the small trimmings that are left behind after they have been boned out for human consumption.

is that your animal’s stools will smell a lot better when they are fed a high quality, natural, highly digestible food that doesn’t have rancid meats and fats in it.

Canidae lists chicken and turkey meal as their first ingredients. Chicken, turkey and lamb meals are dry and are less than 10% moisture and contain 50-65% meat proteins.

interesting fact!

By law, by-products don’t have to include any meat at all in order to be called chicken or beef by-products.

Products with by-products will of course look like any other pet food biscuit. The organic chemicals that make up the mush that remains will still register as amino acids and proteins etc, yet the fact is that a large percentage of it will be completely indigestible to your pet’s digestive system. This means your pet will be unable to harvest goodness for its body out of much of its food.

This results in two things. First, you will have to feed more of the product to your pet to satisfy its nutritional requirements. Second, there will be more “unharvested remains” left to be picked up off your lawns. One of the huge benefits of feeding your pet a food that uses high quality ingredients is that there is less stool volume, because the animal is able to digest more of it. Another notable benefit

Here are results from three independent studies: 1) The Confidential Dog Food Report analysed over 2,000 pet foods and came up with the best nine. Canidae was one of them. The following dog foods available in New Zealand weren’t on the list; Beneful, Eukanuba, Iams, Pedigree, Purina One, Purina Pro Plan, Purina Dog Chow and Science Diet.

2) Each year The Whole Dog Journal (arguably the best dog journal in the world), rates dog foods from around the world and creates an “approved list” which includes approximately 25 foods. For more than 5 years Canidae has featured. The following

Canidae and Felidae contain 10 skin and coat conditioners with balanced Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty Acids: chicken fat, fish meal, flax seed, sunflower oil, lecithin, linoleic acid, rosemary, sage, vitamin E and biotin.

Please go to our website or give us a call for the full Declaration of Ingredients. Without a declaration of ingredients, how do you really know what’s going into your pet’s food?

Why haven’t you heard of us?

Simply because we’re relatively new into New Zealand.

We have hundreds of satisfied clients and this year we’ve doubled the number of clients from last year and this is literally growing daily. However, Canidae for dogs and Felidae for cats have been selling in America for many years and are consistently ranked in the top few by leading pet journals and publications including The Whole Dog Journal.

We also don’t have the marketing budget of the huge corporations. In fact we have relied heavily on word of mouth, which works well, but we are now starting to do print and radio.

dog foods available in New Zealand aren’t on the list; Beneful, Eukanuba, Iams, Pedigree, Purina One, Purina Pro Plan, Purina Dog Chow and Science Diet.

3) Petsumer Report also does an independent study and ranks pet food out of five, with five being the absolute best.

Here’s some of the results: Beneful 0 CANIDAE 4.2 Eukanuba 2.7 Iams 2.7 Pedigree 1 Purina One 1.9 Purina Pro Plan 2.1 Purina Dog Chow 1 Science Diet 1.5

Here is a quote that I recently read in The Whole Dog Journal, arguably the best independent dog journal in the world. “I’d like to quickly dismiss the idea that any of the giants – Iams and Eukanuba, Purina, Science Diet - could possibly make dry dog foods that are as good as the foods that have a regular presence on WDJ’s “approved foods” list, (such as Canidae). The fact is, though, of course they could; they have all the resources needed to do so. They could bury most of the competition in the “natural and holistic” niche...if they followed through and used only the same high-quality ingredients typically used by the smaller, boutique brands. But they generally stop short – perhaps because they are unaccustomed to paying a lot for their raw materials, or marketing the products at a correspondingly high sales price.” - Nancy Kerns Save you time and money As mentioned this is a premium product, and if we sold in pet stores or vets, it would command a huge price tag. However, as we don’t have a “middle man” we can sell it at a price comparable to other “premium” products. In addition to this, your pet will actually require less, as he/she will actually be able to digest and utilise more of the food, which also creates less stools. In addition to this we will take the hassle out of driving to your pet store, lugging the food into and out of your boot, as we will deliver to your door free of charge.

Your satisfaction is assured every time you deal with us through our Make You Happy Guarantee If we ever let you down, we’ll ask “what can we do to make you happy?” So far we’ve never refused a customer’s request. And of course there’s a full money back guarantee on the product if your pet doesn’t like it.

Gary Collins, Owner

Call for a FREE sample and more information or call now to place an order. If you place an order this month WE’LL TAKE 33% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER when you mention this advert.

You’re probably wondering what’s the catch? Well we know that almost everyone who buys from us once, buys again, and again, and again!

Ph: 0800 101 729 www.canidae.co.nz

News | Lifestyles

Top spot

<

Hapuku Lodge & Tree Houses

You’ll feel like a modern version of Tarzan and Jane with this unique New Zealand accommodation, nested 30 feet above the ground in the canopy of a native Manuka grove. Each tree house has spectacular views of Kaikoura’s dramatic mountains and surf-washed Pacific coastline. The tree houses provide the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion- escape and treat yourself to the Tarzan and Jane Tree House retreat package.

This package includes one night in a luxury tree house, a bottle of wine on arrival, dinner and breakfast at $795 per couple (excluding GST). Whether you are looking for relaxation, nature, excitement, art, history and culture, or fine wines and cuisine, Kaikoura offers it all.

Compiled by Kayte John

For more information visit: www.hapukulodge.com

< Outside life Zeus Chill Chaser patio heater

<

Top drops Wild South Pinot Noir

This little number was named ‘Best Red Wine Buy of the Year’ in this year’s ‘Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines 2012’. The 2010 Wild South Pinot Noir is known for its intense bouquet of cinnamon and spice which flows into a wonderfully rich fusion of ripe cherries and omega plums. The palate gives a seamless flow of velvet tannins mixed with warm earthy notes and zesty baked plums add to an intense lingering finish.

This contemporary slimline design and stands at about two meters tall and is ideal at chasing the chill away from outdoor spaces such as gardens, patios, balconies, smoking areas and garages. Its robust, all metal design with a built in light makes it suitable for domestic and commercial use, and Zeus’s patented carbon fibre heating tubes significantly reduce running costs and cuts carbon dioxide emissions by 50 percent compared with gas patio heaters.

RRP from $995.00 Available from: www.outdoorfurniture.co.nz and www.bbqs.co.nz

RRP: $18.99 Available from: wine outlets nationwide

< No hands Qlocktwo Touch The Qlocktwo Touch is a precision table alarm clock - a matrix of characters forms written words and shine in pure white, with a sharp outline using LED technology. Whether on a desk, in the living room or in the bedroom, the extremely funky Qlocktwo Touch is ideal for many locations and is available in different colours and languages.

RRP: From $599.00 Available from: http://store.biegertfunk.com

< Close shave Goodfella Chrome Safety Razor

<

WEKA Apple Cider

This delicious Weka Apple Cider is perfect for summer. Made from 100 percent Nelson grown apples and is fermented with French oak at cool temperatures to preserve the fruit flavours and crispness on the palate. Weka Apple Cider has a typical green apple aroma and the clean refreshing taste is finished nicely with medium sweetness.

The Goodfella Chrome Safety Razor is the traditional old school shaver that’s making a comeback in a big way. One hundred percent designed, manufactured and built in New Zealand by Kiwishaver Limited - this open comb design sets the standard in classic shaves ensuring the head never gets clogged with shaving product or facial hair. The razor is perfectly balanced to deliver a smooth and close yet mild shave by allowing the weight of the razor to deliver the single blade at the optimum cutting angle.

RRP: $95.00 Available from: www.goodfella.com

RRP: $13.50 Available from: supermarkets and liquor stores nationwide

www.centraltoday.co.nz March/April 2012 | 19

News | Destinations

paradise

French Pacific

By Bridget Gourlay

An array of fresh crusty bread stands before me, the smell of baking scents the muggy air. There are very few places in this world I’d rather be then in a French bakery.

As I stand in line, desperately trying to make a choice, I watch the bakers weave in and out of the shop with trays of delights – pastries, brioche, croissants. When it’s my turn, I bring out my rusty French to order and am handed a pain au raisin; the smell intoxicating, the bread warm.

Despite this very French scene, I’m not in Europe at all but much closer to home – Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia.

Outside the bakery, palm trees wave in the wind, the sun beats down on the sparkling sea.

“

There’s no doubt about it, the essential Pacific ingredients of sun, surf and sand exist here giving it a double appeal – it’s both a slice of France a few hours from Auckland, but also does the Pacific Island paradise thing very, very well.

Although it is one of our Pacific neighbours, I and many other New Zealanders probably don’t know as much about New Caledonia as we do countries like Fiji and Tonga. But it has a rich and fascinating history that greatly impacts on its politics today.

Until 1755, New Caledonia was home to the Kanaks, a Melanesian people who hunted and fished on the exquisite islands. When it was colonised by the French, it was turned into a penal colony and many of the indigenous people were rounded up and enslaved in sugar plantations in Queensland, Fiji and Samoa. This practice, called “blackbirding”, is one of the ugliest moments in the history of the Pacific.

A century and a half on, New Caledonia today is home to a mélange of cultures. Firstly, there’s the French fresh from Europe that work on the island, usually in the top jobs like running hotels, in the military and in the lucrative nickel industry.

Then there’s the New Caledonians descended from the 18th century prisoners and other French settlers – a mix of white, African and Arab people, and then the Chinese and Indonesians who arrived over a century ago.

With the indigenous Kanaks, all these cultures live together in Noumea; the country’s humming capital. As you explore you’ll see 20 | March/April 2012 www.centraltoday.co.nz

There’s no doubt about it, the essential Pacific ingredients of sun, surf and sand exist here giving it a double appeal – it’s both a slice of France a few hours from Auckland, but also does the Pacific Island paradise thing very, very well.

”

Buddhist temples and Catholic churches, typically French treelined boulevards by the sparkling Pacific Ocean, menus that have Asian, French and Kanak food.

To really soak in Noumea’s charm, chill at the Place de Cocotiers. That’s the grassy square right in the city’s heart; lined with trees and humming with cicadas. There’ll be children playing, heat-exhausted tourists seeking shade and locals napping beneath the trees.

In the middle of it stands an historic rotunda where bands frequently play, there’s a giant chess set in one corner, and – of course - a petanque pitch.

They say never judge a book by its cover, and I believe you should never judge a city by its capital. France is filled with friendly people and a slower-paced lifestyle, which you’d never believe on a trip to Paris.

The same can be said about London and England or Madrid and Spain. Walking in Noumea you could think you were in a small French city, but you’d never make that mistake in the rest of New Caledonia. In the countryside, there’s lush rainforest, crystal lagoons and some of the best beaches in the world.

That’s why I visited Amedee Island, only an hour’s boat ride from Noumea but truly a world away. The tiny island’s centre has an historic lighthouse, which the more energetic climb for an amazing view, while other visitors laze on the beach. It’s a tourist hub, and locals enthusiastically put on a number of demonstrations; there’s dancing, and an enormous buffet. But the thing that will forever be burned into my mind was an encounter with one of the island’s reptilian residents.

I was standing under the shade of a large tree watching a Kanak man climb a coconut tree to the top in the lazy, effortless way we might walk a couple of metres. He was helping a tourist try to do the same thing while we cheered them on.

Suddenly, a foot long snake dropped out of the branch in front of me, hung in mid air for a second, looked me right in the eye, then fell to the floor. They say travel is about finding yourself; and I really never knew I could yell so loud or run so fast.

Worst of all was catching the look from the group of Australians next to me, who hadn’t moved an inch throughout the entire hullabaloo. There was a smirk on their faces that seemed to say ‘Kiwis. A foot long slightlyvenomous snake is nothing.’

It wasn’t until I was on the boat riding back to Noumea, reflecting on the day at the barely inhabited island, that I realised the incident with the snake had actually been a highlight of the whole trip. Because, just for a moment, I’d looked a wild creature right in the eye.

Sure, I’d made a fool of myself and my country by screaming my head off, but that didn’t really matter. I sat on the roof of the boat, watching the imposing island lighthouse shrink to a pinprick in the distance. A local pointed out a giant turtle to his son, and later dolphins swam alongside us.

It’s not everyday a city girl gets that close to nature. Just for an instant, I forgot the hustle and bustle of Noumea, the traffic that awaited me, and was simply overwhelmed by the wild animals, the noise of the waves, the blue and endless sea.

Business advice New Caledonia is not one of New Zealand’s main trading partners. Nickel (a key ingredient for stainless steel production) accounts for over 90 percent of New Caledonia’s export earnings - it is the world’s third largest producer with an estimated one quarter of the world’s nickel reserves.

New Zealand tourist numbers to New Caledonia have grown steadily as a result of the opening of a New Caledonia Tourism Promotion Office in Auckland in 2004, although numbers slowed in 2008’s recession

Focus | Riverstone Design Studio - 10th Anniversary

Riverstone Design Studio Creating logos, designing websites, packaging, creating cartoons, it’s been an action packed ten years at Riverstone Design Studio, a Hamilton-based graphic design company. Now the team is making plans for the decade ahead.

Paul Martin started Riverstone Design Studio in 2002, after finishing up his professional rugby career and deciding to pursue his love of design. With his wife Kerrie he formed Riverstone Design Studio and now has two employees – web designer Aaron Beal, and graphic artist/illustrator Andrea Pettigrew.

different mediums. Sketch visuals can be inked by hand or vector, flattening of colours and finally rendered digitally, paint, pencil or what ever medium our clients choose.”

Take a look for yourself at Riverstone’s website www.riverstonedesign.co.nz

• Established in 2002 by Paul Martin

His boutique agency has worked successfully with hundreds of businesses over the past ten years and has a strong client base who keep on coming back.

As well as illustration, Riverstone Design Studio has ten years experience in graphic design. Riverstone Design Studio creates Reflections® montages, where photos and memorabilia are scanned and then digitally arranged and enhanced to create a unique artwork.

• Specialises in illustrations

“We offer illustration and design solutions to businesses and individuals as well as other graphic designers and advertising agencies,” Paul explains.

“We are seen by other creative agencies as partners rather than competitors. It is a positive way to work.”

Ten years after starting the business, Paul sees a bright future, one that is going to be more focussed on his passion for illustration.

“I like to offer the full range of illustration services. We have supplied fully rendered cartoons, cartoon character development, product line drawings, 3D rendered images, painted artwork, set/concept and storyboard design visuals.

“With Riverstone Design Studio the possibilities are endless - we illustrate in

The Reflections® design, once approved by the client, is then printed onto photographic paper and framed. Paul and his team have created hundred of montages for individuals, sports clubs, schools and businesses.

They make great personalised retirement, anniversary, birthday and wedding gifts.

Riverstone Studios At A Glance

• Creates illustrations for other graphic designers and advertising companies Riverstone Design Studio 21 Brookfield Street Hamilton T (07) 856 4524 M 0274 773 441 E paul@riverstonedesign.co.nz www.riverstonedesign.co.nz

• Loves turning clients’ ideas into reality • Riverstone Design Studio prides itself on supplying design solutions that ensure the clients keep coming back.

— Advertising Feature

“We want to be the ‘go to’ illustration and design group. When someone wants a cartoon, illustration or design solution, we want to be the people our clients enjoy working with and immediately seek out. We really enjoy the interaction with our clients and want it to be a positive experience for them.”

www.centraltoday.co.nz March/April 2012 | 21

Initiatives | Ideal Electrical

Creating a bright future Ideal Electrical Suppliers and Rexel Electrical Supplies joined forces in 2011, opening up some great new opportunities for their customers in the electrical industry.

Leading the way is Ideal Electrical’s quality product range, customer offers, promotions and chances to win big prizes, which have also been stepped up and delivered to customers in a new format mailer, Livewire, which is published every two months.

best connection for tapping into product specials, new product releases, value-add promotions and great prize giveaways.

and staff.

Look out for Livewire next time you are in an Ideal Electrical branch, or ask to be put on the mailing list.

Installation tips, product advice, and prize draws are all included, with chances to win big. Recent prizes included a $14,000 ‘man Ideal Electrical branches are also getting made cave’ and a trip for 10 to Phuket, Thailand. over with redesigned interiors and improved Easy to navigate, with dedicated sections signage, making it easier for customers, whether residential, commercial or industrial. for residential, commercial and industrial products, you can also find pertinent Ideal Electrical chief executive Colin Daly regulatory and other information useful for says the changes have been greeted electricians. enthusiastically by Ideal and Rexel customers “We are proud to be New Zealand’s leading electrical supplies company and our customers deserve product and service excellence. We can now offer the best of Ideal and Rexel, with access to all products, brands and agencies, including the Rexel Lighting range, under one roof.”

Ideal way to keep connected Keeping up to speed with new product releases, specials and in-store promotions is now as easy as checking your mailbox, with Ideal Electrical Suppliers’ new bi-monthly product mailer Livewire.

Mailed directly to your home or office and available in Ideal’s branches, Livewire is your

A company with vision and global reach Ideal Electrical Suppliers is a market leader with annual sales of more than $150 million.

A nationwide branch network supported by industry-specific hubs services the needs of the electrical trade for residential, commercial and industrial sectors.

The company was founded in 1991 by an experienced team of industry professionals with a vision to set an industry benchmark for outstanding customer service in the electrical wholesale sector.

POWER SYSTEMS LIMITED THE ANSWER IN POWER PROTECTION

PSL

UPS

Power Systems Limited is proud to be the preferred supplier for UPS and other Power Protection Equipment to Ideal Electrical Suppliers (A Rexel Group Company) Contact: Power Systems Ltd Free Phone: 0800-UPS 359 (877359) www.powersystems.co.nz Unit 9, 135 Cryers Road, East Tamaki, Auckland 2013 22 | March/April 2012 www.centraltoday.co.nz

Initiatives | Ideal Electrical

“

For large projects, or where site access is difficult or restricted, Ideal offers alternative supply solutions, including containerised stock delivery to the site and maintained agreed stock levels for the duration of the project.

Fast forward more than 20 years and customer service remains Ideal’s focus.

Effective business relationships and proactive account management give customers complete confidence that their needs are being professionally managed by leaders in their field.

Advanced eCommerce technologies, quality products and innovative supply solutions all serve to strengthen the company’s customers’ competitive edge in local and national markets.

”

sector and sub-sector of residential, light commercial, large multi-site industrial and manufacturing plants and facilities.

With access to the vast technical resource and supply channels of its global partners, Ideal Electrical is industry’s first port of call for sourcing non-standard, discontinued or hard-to-find items and custom-engineered installation solutions.

Specialist service divisions provide industry support to utilities, power networks and the data and communications sectors and Ideal’s qualified specialists are on hand to assist As part of the Rexel International Group of with project design, product specification and companies - the world’s largest distributor of installation, from simple home automation to electrical equipment and engineered solutions complete fibre optic network solutions.

- Ideal Electrical Suppliers offers unmatched global purchasing power and supply and South Island businesses have access to Ideal’s distribution alliances that bring the world to highly skilled teams of estimators, contract your door. analysts and project managers, whose sole function is to interpret project requirements and ensure customers get the right products The industry’s expert for the job - first time, every time.

Ideal Electrical Suppliers carries the most Ideal’s service commitment extends to project comprehensive and diverse range of electrical and site visits to assist with the preparation of equipment and solutions across every industry supply assessments and project evaluations.

Turnkey solutions For large projects, or where site access is difficult or restricted, Ideal offers alternative supply solutions, including containerised stock delivery to the site and maintained agreed stock levels for the duration of the project.

This can include maintenance spares at industrial plants and manufacturing facilities, where 24-hour on-site access to electrical equipment is critical to maintain productivity and minimise loss through unscheduled downtime.

Ideal has supply arrangements with more than 1700 suppliers representing some 130,000 line items. Size and purchasing strength results in client savings, improved inventory control and reduced nonrecoverable administration costs through supplier consolidation.

Ideal follows the Rexel Group’s Charter for Sustainable Development, a document held in high regard by environmental agencies around the world.

Commitment to this charter flows onto clients through measures such as providing outlets for the recycling of mercury-containing lamps and other hazardous waste items.

A qualified and skilled team Ideal Electrical Suppliers employs people with advanced technical trade skills and product knowledge to ensure customers receive the best possible service.

Superior industry expertise

Thanks to advanced eCommerce technologies, customers enjoy electronic and paperless communication which means rapid turnaround, lower costs and smarter trading relationships.

No fewer than 30 per cent of Ideal staff have formal electrical qualifications and enjoy the dedicated support of an industry-backed Supplier Technical Support Group drawn from a group of leading electrical manufacturers and suppliers.

Focus on sustainability

At branch level, Ideal ‘product champions’ have superior product and application knowledge across many key lines to ensure customers can make informed decisions and get the best product or solution for the job.

More than a buzz word, Ideal staff encourage sustainability through product stewardship and the promotion of effective, energysaving, lamp alternatives.

Right fan for the job because Air Matters

Pleased to be associated with Ideal Electrical Suppliers Rebranding & 20th Anniversay 0800 106 266 or www.fantechplus.com

www.centraltoday.co.nz March/April 2012 | 23

Initiatives | Ideal Electrical

Product Fact file:

As a specialist distributor of local and wide area network communication products for voice and data office networks, Page Data offers an extensive range of products from the leading brands in information transport systems.

Ideal Electrical Suppliers services the electrical supply needs of the residential, commercial and industrial sectors. Its product areas include: Cable and Installation

Industrial Products -

A wide variety of cable products

Automation

Extensive installation products

Motor control

Domestic circuit breakers and switchboards

Motors and actuators

Cable accessories

Sensing and measurement

Hardware and batteries Data and Communications (networking products) Active equipment such as hubs and switches

Enclosures and accessories Specialised cables

Page Data’s product range includes:

Distribution switchgear

Structured cabling for Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6A

Industrial plugs and sockets

Fibre optics, blown fibre

Safety and hazardous equipment

Copper system components Fire optic components Over voltage protection Cabinets and enclosures Data and Communications (cable) LAN Fibre optic Telephone Instrumentation

Lighting Commercial Domestic Industrial Outdoor lighting Flood lighting Roadways Air movement (HVAC) Domestic

Coaxial

Office

Security

Commercial

TV and antenna systems

Heating domestic

Test equipment and tools

Commercial

24 | March/April 2012 www.centraltoday.co.nz

These products range from simple passive products to convert and connect, cabinets to house and manage services and workstations, cabling systems to patch and connect; testing equipment to verify and test; through to active products.

Power networks

RF communication

More than half of Ideal Electrical Suppliers’ 46 branches have the capability to transact power network products.

MATV (TV aerial)

Key power network branches are located in Nelson, New Plymouth, Masterton, Mt Wellington, Gisborne, Pukekohe, Lower Hutt and Napier.

Security, cable, alarms, sensors, access Network products: switches, UPS.

From project inception through to construction and commissioning, Page Data has the The Ideal power network primarily supplies HV expertise and the experience to provide complete logistics support for installers, and LV products and services to support the consultants, and IT professionals. Staff assist provisioning, construction and maintenance of power utility infrastructure in New Zealand. customers with quotes and tenders, working together to minimise any logistics challenges.

This includes project management and logistics management on behalf of clients.

Data and communication Page Data @ Ideal are the data and communication experts within the Ideal Electrical Suppliers network.

Ideal Electrical Suppliers Support Office 4 Henderson Place Penrose Auckland — Advertising Feature www.ideal.co.nz

Initiatives | Nautiques NZ

The best

boats

in the business In the history of any major industry, one, or a handful of names usually stand out from the crowd.

These names are often the driving force behind industries and their evolution. For high-end watersport boats that name is Nautique.

It is a claim which is predicated on delivering faultless quality and innovation. For more than eight decades, Nautiques New Zealand has been the name behind the highest quality boats and the ultimate in customer service.

Established in 1925, Nautique boats are more than just a brand, because when you purchase from Nautiques NZ you get more than just a boat. Quality, value, selection, performance and a full service centre create the total boating package. A combined staff experience in sales, service and parts supply is unmatched.

Centrally located in Hamilton, Nautiques NZ was purchased by the Dutton Group of companies in 2008 which has been family owned and operated for more than 50 years.

The company has since grown to become the country’s leading inboard, wakeboard and waterski boat dealership. With more than 350 percent growth, it has been ranked the 15th fastest growing company in the Deloittes Fast 50 for 2011.

including all makes and models, in both Hamilton and Christchurch.

striving to be better than the best. “We put a lot of focus on getting potential customers out on the water in the model that best suits their needs; from that point it is clear to see the advantages in owning a Nautique boat.

than by train, the first to use tow pylons, the first to incorporate swim platforms into the boat design and the world renowned boat manufacturer was the first to integrate tracking fins into its boat designs.

“We’re the New Zealand importer and distributor of one of the world’s leading brands of waterski and wakeboard boats.

That’s pretty hard to beat.

“Nautique has always been at the forefront of innovation, but it has never allowed itself to become complacent. Rather than dropping the ball, Nautique has continued to lift the bar and that’s why it is one of the best,” Harrop explains.

“We support both waterskiing and wakeboarding locally, with almost all of NZs top waterski clubs and locations using Nautique boats, and are the preferred supplier to the New Zealand Tournament Water Ski Association and the Auckland Water Ski Club.

“Furthermore, the company that builds them is 87 years old; they basically invented the tournament waterski boat and the wakeboard boat. These are not just a boat for mum, dad and the family to tow the biscuit; they are the best performing ski and wakeboard boats on the market.

“Nautique has always been dedicated to producing the best boats on the market.”

This level of dedication is evident in the list of firsts which highlight the company’s history.

During World War II, General Eisenhower requested the company to build approximately 400 boats in 15 days; a number far greater than the company had ever produced in such a short time period.

The company developed an innovative production process allowing the factory to produce 400 boats in record time. The feat, which National Geographic later labelled “a miracle production,” solidified the company’s reputation as a reliable, quality boat manufacturer.

Under its previous moniker Correct Craft, Nautiques NZ general manager Glenn Harrop Nautique can also lay claim to being the first attributes the level of success attained by boat company in the USA to trailer boats both the company and the brand to a constant on the highway on a national basis rather

VEHICLE DELIVERIES LTD

“Not only do we have one of the leading brands, we offer the service to match. We stock a good selection of both new and used boats, with something for everyone, and we know the product inside and out, so we can help with advice and information.”

Even the brand’s warranty is right up there, offering five years against the industry standard of three. “We can do this because we stand behind our brand; we know how good it is.”

Nautiques NZ also has one of the best equipped inboard service facilities in New Zealand. Fully trained and PCM backed technicians will ensure your boat gets only the best treatment, and that’s not just for Nautique boats, with the service offering

“

The Hamilton store also boasts the best inboard service centre in New Zealand, where technicians come factory trained to better serve you. No job is too big or too small for Nautiques NZ, from engine re-power, transmission overhauls, accident damage repair, tune ups, EFI diagnostic and service, gel coat repair and full grooming service, to a complete restoration of your old inboard. And then of course - there’s the boats!

Nautique celebrates 87 years as a world renowned manufacturer that has developed a strong reputation for building the highest quality product and delivering unmatched care to each and every customer. Much like the brand behind it, Nautiques NZ delivers the highest quality product, with the service and standards to match.

Nautiques NZ 554 Te Rapa Road Hamilton T 0800 754 2628 E info@nautiques.co.nz www.nautiques.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

We’re the New Zealand importer and distributor of one of the world’s leading brands of waterski and wakeboard boats.

That’s pretty hard to beat.

”

Boat Trailer Specialists Service | Repairs | Maintenance

Jeffs Vehicle Deliveries has stamped its authority on the market by introducing new technologies, a range of specialised equipment and a high level of professionalism within the vehicle-transportation industry.

Pleased to be associated with Nautiques

• Importing • Transport • Storage • Quarantine 03 337 2080 | john@jeffs.co.nz | www.jeffs.co.nz

Specialising from Jet Ski and small tinnie trailers, through to trailers for the largest trailerable boats.

Pleased to be associated with Nautiques Ph: 07 849 4721 | Fax: 07 849 9104 E: greg@dmwtrailers.co.nz www.dmwtrailers.co.nz 12 Karewa Pl, Te Rapa, Hamilton

www.centraltoday.co.nz March/April 2012 | 25

Initiatives | ES Plastics

Your plastics team Injected moulded products

200L Drums

From number eight fencing to spreadable butter, New Zealand has had a long history of ingenuity. But behind these innovative inventors there needs to be companies with the abilities and knowledge to help turn an idea into reality. That’s exactly where Hamilton-based ES Plastics steps in.

Blowmoulded containers “Our focus is on product development,” explains operations manager Heather Allen.

“If anyone has an idea, if you’re a bright inventor thinking ‘how can I get this made in New Zealand?’ then we’re here to help.

“But equally we’re also there for companies who want something different. It might be someone who already makes something like a brass knob for a BBQ, or a wooden product and they want to try it in plastic.”

Allied Color & Additives NZ Ltd (ACANZ) is proud to support ES Plastics and their ‘buy Kiwi-made’ philosophy!

ACANZ is an independent local manufacturer and supplier of quality coloured masterbatch and additives to the plastics industry.

ACANZ is also the NZ distributor of Hubron Black masterbatch.

p. (09) 265 1050 f. (09) 265 1052 salesnz@alliedcolor.com

www.alliedcolor.com

Being situated in New Zealand means ES Plastics can be more flexible than its competitors, who are largely based offshore.

“We can do what people need, there’s no waiting for months on end. We can also do a trial, or a small run. We can customise.

“For example, we’re a really good option for a company trying to launch a family of products to make them all look the same. We give people a range of options. We will work with small runs, if there’s a small business and they want their own colour shape etc, a lot of bigger companies won’t deal with them, but we will. There’s also our considerable design expertise – we can talk about how to make products stand out.”

To emphasise this fact, the business has rebranded and now calls itself “your plastics team.” That’s because, as Allen says, “we know everything about plastics and our clients know everything about their business, so we work together.”

“

we know everything about plastics and our clients know everything about their business, so we work together.

Durable and delightful Plastic has a reputation for being cheap and flimsy, but ES Plastics’ range shows that doesn’t have to be true. Working with a range of engineering polymers means the business’ plastic creations are not cheap and flimsy but durable and attractive.

“Nowadays you can buy plastic that can last for ten years or is as strong as steel and glass,” Allen points out.

“Plastic is a good alternative to other materials, we can make our clients’ production quicker and cheaper. For example, if you make a product that needs three pieces of wood nailed together we can probably make it with one single piece of plastic - often cheaper and just as strong.”

ES Plastics’ in-house design service utilises state-of-the-art CAD CAM software which

”

enables it to effectively stress analyse new products to ensure their structural integrity.

But more than just being safe and strong, the best plastic products must also look good.

That’s what the ES Plastics team believes. It is passionate about design, something that is reflected in its successes.

“We win lots of awards for design at the National Plastics Design Award ceremonies held every two years,” Allen says. “Our design team is great, it can come up with a creative approach to all sorts of things - because more than awards we think ‘how we can make other people’s manufacturing better’?”

Take the Houdini lock. Hamilton mum Bianca Richardson was desperately trying to stop her wily toddler from wriggling out of her car seat. She created her own device which worked so well.

Product Design & Development | Precision Toolmaking Injection Moulding | Blow Moulding

Phone: 07 846 0617 7 McKee Street, Pukete, Hamilton | www.esplastics.co.nz 26 | March/April 2012 www.centraltoday.co.nz

Your Plastics Team

Initiatives | ES Plastics

Injected moulded products

Injected moulded components

ES Plastics can do:

Why make ES Plastics your design team?

“

• High quality custom plastic injection moulding

• Award winning designers

Our current goal is to establish ourselves in blow moulding, and generally in the future be designing and making more great products.

Richardson was soon supplying them to friends. She realised she was onto something but needed to be able to make a small run of the product cheaply with plenty of advice.

Enter ES Plastics. The company supported Bianca Richardson through the design and product development and now ES and the entrepreneur sell the Houdini lock around the country and into Australia.

That’s just one example of how ES Plastics has turned clever ideas into tangible products.

There are also products for the dairy industry, environmentally-friendly systems, and timesaving devices.

Mighty machinery ES Plastics invests in its machinery so it can consistently deliver the best. Its new blowmoulding machinery is an example of this.

When installing this machinery the team at ES Plastics utilised its advanced industrial design and engineering skills to make it more intelligent and efficient to run. Included in the up-grade was a new computerised control system which replaced the original electronic relay control, and the refurbishment of all the machine’s hydraulics and moving components.

”

Jeff Sharp, ES Plastics’ managing director says the new machinery up-grades required a fair amount of resource from ES Plastics, but it had the in-house expertise to do it.

• Proven track record of helping entrepreneurs

• Blow moulding • Toolmaking

• An enormous knowledge on plastic

• Multi-material industrial design

• Modern machinery

• Precision engineering.

• New Zealand made, so very flexible • Will do small runs • Will offer advice and support to companies of all sizes.

ES Plastics 7 McKee Streets Pukete Hamilton 3200 T (07) 846 0617 www.esplastics.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

“ES Plastics’ largest blow moulding machine is capable of part weights of up to 26kg and is easily the biggest of this type of machine in Australasia.”

According to Jeff Sharp, the addition of the new machine within the ES Plastics plant has made the already comprehensive service offered by ES Plastics even more extensive.

“The significance of the new moulding machinery is that Waikato businesses can now have both the design and development of large plastic products done locally, without having to outwork the manufacturing elsewhere. Having a local manufacturer able to produce large components close at hand has the potential to reduce their freight costs quite considerably.”

The future is bright for ES Plastics, which aspires to keep doing what it has been doing – helping Kiwi inventors turn their ideas into well-designed and well-crafted products.

“Our current goal is to establish ourselves in blow moulding, and generally in the future be designing and making more great products.”

PLASTICS MACHINERY LTD

SUPPLIERS OF QUALITY PLASTICS EQUIPMENT

PO Box 34 NGARUAWAHIA NZ, Ph: 64-7-824-7049, Fax: 64-7-824-7049, Mob: 027-526-7654

E-mail: ron.williams@xtra.co.nz

Plastics Machinery Ltd are proud to support

ES Plastics with the supply of new plastics processing equipment.

WHEN IT COMES TO QUALITY GRAPHIC PRINT SOLUTIONS, WE’VE GOT THE ANSWER.

• Product Labelling • Point of Sale & Merchandising • Promotional Products & Vehicle Branding • Corflute Signs • Industrial & Technical Labels • Large Format Printing Corner Avalon Drive & Foreman Road, Hamilton | Ph: 07 849 5295 | Fax: 07 849 3902 E: sales@pacesetter.co.nz | www.pacesetter.co.nz

www.centraltoday.co.nz March/April 2012 | 27

Hospitality | Quality Bakers Huntly

Dedicated

to gluten-free It’s hard to think that eating a delicious slice of whole wheat bread might be bad for you. But it is estimated that some form of gluten intolerance affects up to one in 100 people.

Bread contains gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, and oats.

It’s hidden in pizza, pasta, bread, ice cream, wraps, rolls and most processed foods. It’s easy to say that most of these foods can be found in the average Kiwi diet, we have a love for putting bread with almost anything.

For the large percentage of people who face Coeliac disease (gluten intolerance) in New Zealand, it may have been difficult in the past to find products that are gluten free. However, there is now an increased public awareness of the disease and Australasia’s leading listed food company, Goodman Fielder, has recognised the need for ‘good tasting’ gluten free products.

The company has filled the void in the growing market for gluten free products by opening a dedicated gluten free bakery in Huntly (north of Hamilton), next to its existing bakery that was opened in 1914.

Goodman Fielder, the company behind Quality Bakers Huntly, owns a host of iconic brands that generations of Australians and New Zealanders have grown up with and put in their supermarket trolleys every week.

Its brands include Vogel’s, Meadow Fresh, Irvines, Nature’s Fresh, Molenberg, MacKenzie and Meadow Lea. Goodman Fielder has invested more than $2 million in the new facility, which has no products containing wheat manufactured on site. The opening of the bakery represented a significant investment in the local community

by New Zealand’s leading bakery production company.

It comes after extensive work to create the best tasting gluten free products such as bread, slices, cakes and cookies. The gluten free range has vastly outstripped it original business forecasts. The bakery originally employed seven people, the site now employs 24.

The gluten free range includes products such as Vogel’s 6 Seed gluten free bread, Ernest Adams gluten free raspberry slice and Ernest Adams gluten free chocolate chip cookies.

Vogel’s is maintaining its proven track record in healthy breads with its range of gluten

free bread. The range also includes spicy fruit bread, soy and linseed and deliciously soft white bread. The white bread in particular has proven to be a winner with children. It gives them the chance to enjoy a soft, white sandwich for their school lunches.

Ernest Adams has also drawn on its decades of baking expertise to create gluten free baked treats such as a chocolate brownie, caramel slice and lemon cake.

Last year at The New Zealand Food Awards Goodman Fielder was presented with the 2011 ‘AJ Park Research and Development Award’ for Vogel’s gluten free bread. Vogel’s has achieved over 50 percent value market share within the first eight weeks of it launch.

Quality Bakers Huntly 408 Great South Road, Huntly Goodman Fielder 2/8 Nelson Street Auckland Central Auckland 1010 T (09) 301 6000 F (09) 301 4618 www.goodmanfielder.co.nz

Aperio Group as the leading New Zealand manufacturer of all types of Flexible Packaging is proud to support our valued customer Breadcraft.

Aperio Group New Zealand Ltd Head Office 100 Carbine Road Mt Wellington, Auckland Tel: 64-9-573-3177 www.aperiogroup.co.nz

28 | March/April 2012 www.centraltoday.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

Hospitality | The Cook Café and Bar

A setting steeped in history The Cook Cafe and Bar is serving up delicious food, classic Kiwi hospitality, live music and comedy at its best - all washed down with a nice cold beer.

Before becoming one of Hamilton’s most wellknown hot spots, the building played home to a number of things. Although the history books of the early 1900s prove a little vague about the building’s past, it was primarily used as a soap factory by Edward Pearson in the late 1880s, then evidence shows it was once a Salvation Army hall, and at some stage a picture theatre.

Inside The Cook

What’s on at the Cook MONDAY - Quiz Night-starts at 7:30pm TUESDAY - Open for breakfast from 9.30am through to dinner WEDNESDAY - Student meal deal and cocktail specials THURSDAY - Comedy night and live music from 8pm FRIDAY - Live entertainment/music from 8pm

What The Cook Café and Bar offers • A kiwi hospitality bar, café and restaurant

SATURDAY - Open for breakfast from 8.30am through to dinner

• A venue for business team building/ meetings

SUNDAY - Open for breakfast from 8:30am through to dinner Comedy Nights

• Business lunches • Family functions • parties/events such as birthdays • A place for sports teams to enjoy a drink/meal after a game

• Takeaways

Complete with an oak sideboard, wine barrels and Black Dog furniture, The Cook Café and Bar is a great place to share a bit of time with family or friends. A huge Masport fireplace and comfy sofas ensures the old wooden building is warm and cosy during winter and plenty of memorabilia is displayed on the walls. Along with the delicious food The Cook Café and Bar is all about entertainment, with a growing emphasis on live music and comedy.

What it is though, is Hamilton’s second oldest building and a fantastic testament to the town’s rich and colourful history. It has undergone some major renovations since becoming The Cook Café and Bar. While the renovations included some updating in line with modern demands, the heart of the building, its tradition, history, and the physical “Live music every Thursday and Friday takes building itself has been kept and carefully place along with ‘jam night’ once a month restored to its former glory. for budding musicians to come down and General manager Phil Keogh says sitting perform in front of a crowd. Comedy nights opposite Steele Park is a great spot to stop are hosted on the second Thursday of every and reflect on the 138 years of heritage month. It’s hosted by Bill T winner, Jan Maree that it’s been part of. “The Cook Café and and it hosts acts such as Brendon Lovegrove, Bar provides a meeting place for the local Mike King and Ben Hurley. Comedy nights community, welcoming local families and are only $20 and punters get a free beer on tourists alike by providing fresh New Zealand arrival,” Phil explains. food with flair, great beers, wines, and a great “With Hamilton growing we would like to cup of coffee. It is also a venue for watching sport and live entertainment throughout the grow with it and let people know that the week,” he says.

The Cook Café and Bar, 10 minutes from The menu has something for everyone - from the town centre is the place to be. We offer good sized meals, real value for money, live platters to share to fun meals for the kids.

The menu includes breakfast, platters, snacks, entertainment and our beer prices are some open sandwiches and burgers along side with of the cheapest in Hamilton.” large portioned meals.

“The Cook also offers a buffet menu option. Whether it be celebrating with friends, family or work mates, we will do our very best to cater for you, from birthdays to work functions - the list is endless. A mezzanine floor also allows more space, it is perfect for events or functions,” Phil says.

“There is a great range of New Zealand beers on tap including Speights and Macs, and an

• Quiz nights

extensive range of wines and spirits with over 20 different types of whisky. The coffee provided is locally roasted “Weka” espresso, and is notable for its smooth, rich texture.”

The Cook Café and Bar 7 Cook Street Hamilton T (07) 856 6088 F (07) 856 1905 E thecookcafe@gmail.com www.thecook.net.nz — Advertising Feature

• Good affordable food for the whole family • Good beers along with an extensive wine list • A fantastic historical experience • Live music • Comedy nights.

Prime suppliers to The Cook Bar & Cafe

KING CRAWFORD DISTRIBUTING Pleased to be associated with The Cook Cafe & Bar

Proud to supply

The Cook Café & Bar Hamilton 27 Sheffield Street, Te Rapa Phone: 0800 10 3663 Phone: 07 849 2800 Fax: 07 849 4633

Mob: 021 685 195 E: hurrican@xtra.co.nz 22 Freisian Place, Western Heights, Hamilton Friendly bar staff

sales@providafoods.co.nz www.providafoods.co.nz Leaders in foodservice & refrigerated freight

Hamilton Auckland Bay of Plenty www.centraltoday.co.nz March/April 2012 | 29

Hospitality | Palate Restaurant

More than enough

Mouth water

to make the

If you wish to indulge your taste buds with fine cuisine, make sure you visit Palate Restaurant in Hamilton. Palate provides its guests with wonderful New Zealand cuisine, an outstanding wine selection and superb customer service – creating a great dining experience.

Palate opened its doors in February 2005 and quickly cemented itself as a top restaurant in Waikato’s dining scene. Chef and owner Mat McLean and his partner Naomi Lee simply aim to provide fresh, seasonal, top quality produce alongside fine wine.

A casual glance at the entree menu reveals why it’s not surprising that Palate has become one of New Zealand’s favourite restaurants.

You’ll find a trio of pork- crisp belly, ham hock beignet, cheek dumpling with black pudding and seared yellowfin tuna with panko scallop, avocado, wasabi and crisp shallot - and that is just for starters.

Continuing with the main menu it’s encouraging to know that all ingredients are sourced and produced in our very own New Zealand backyard. Choose from their prime

sirloin steak served with corned beef ravioli and dauphinoise potato, honey spiced duck with coconut puree and citrus cous cous, or fresh, market fish with panzanella salad and chilli prawns. Then if there’s room for more try the tempting desserts such as the chocolate mousse or cheese board with a selection of Waikato cheeses.

Great food, wine and service Palate also offers a truly unique dining experience - wagyu beef. McLean has hand raised his own wagyu beef on Nick and Yvette Holten’s (co- owners) property in Matangi,

MCBREENS S O L I C I T O R S

Taking care of bu$ine$$ Accountancy | Financial Planning Personal & Corporate Tax Valuation Services | Business Planning Management Accounting

For all your commercial and property needs Partners

SANDIE ROBINSON WANDA HENDRIKSE COLIN COCHRANE Associate Rob Morse Legal Executives Christine Denne • Teresa McIntosh

Proud to be associated with Palate Restaurant

Proud to support Palate Restaurant

3 London St, PO Box 911. Hamilton Ph: 07 838 2169 | Fax: 07 838 3322 Email: admin@vazeychild.co.nz

29 Liverpool Street, Hamilton ph. (07) 834 9995 Fax. (07) 839 3204 mcbreens@mcbreenssolicitors.co.nz

30 | March/April 2012 www.centraltoday.co.nz

Hamilton. The wagyu has been grain fed for 250 days and has had free access to open pasture. The combination allows the beef to impart an exceptional flavour that only wagyu beef can provide.

Mclean says that beef and lamb is a staple to Palate’s menu. “We change our menu four times a year but we have a thread of dishes that predominantly stay on the menu such as the duck, wagyu beef, succulent lamb and the pork entrée.”

Dedicated to providing guests with great food, wine and service diners are welcomed into a modern and fresh environment, which is both relaxing and intimate.

The restaurant is laid out with wooden tables and exposed brick walls, giving the restaurant a casual and informal style. Mat McLean explains there is no strict dress code in the restaurant. “Guests stroll in wearing shorts and are happy to sit next to someone wearing a suit – we don’t want to restrict guests to a dress code - that’s not what Palate’s about.”

What’s particularly unique about Palate is that McLean and his enthusiastic team suggest matching wines with your meal to further indulge your experience. “We are a casual restaurant serving top quality food. The wine list is really focused and we hand-pick all of our wines to match the dinner menu.

“A vast collection of New Zealand wine from gewürztraminer to pinot noir is on offer- it includes a great selection from the North and South Island as well as some Australian choices. We have 40 wines by the glass so you’re not restricted to buying by the bottle,” McLean says.

Hospitality | Palate Restaurant Palate’s accolades • Cuisine finalists 2007,08,09,10 (runners up), 2011 (first equal) casual dining, regional

Awarding winning success

• Mat Mclean/chef lamb and beef ambassador 2008,2009,2010, 2011

Palate has been a top 50 contender in the Cuisine magazine awards since 2007, firmly taking its place as one of New Zealand’s favourite restaurants. Last year Palate came first along side Riverstone Kitchen in North Otago, winning ‘Electrolux Best Casual Dining – Regional’.

• Michael Guy’s cafe annual guide best Waikato restaurant 2006,07,08,09,10 • Best Waikato restaurant in the inaugral ‘Waikato Food Challenge’ 2009, 2010, 2011.

McLean continues to raise the bar - his food has an appealing simplicity, with full-flavoured sauces and well-considered accompaniments adding interesting twists to classic combinations.

All food is made from scratch to the sauces, ice-cream and pasta. Since 2005, Palate has expanded and now includes a private dining room and a chefs table. “I want to continue Palate’s achievements - it’s been great to have success in my home town and to gain national recognition.

“Customers dictate how you end up and they have been extremely supportive and have become great friends. My friends and family have also been supportive and have encouraged me along the way. It’s important to treat everyone the same and have passion as it shows consistency. Without passion I may as well close,” McLean states.

Sample menu Seared yellow-fin tuna with ceviche, panko scallop, avocado, nashi, furikaki, wasabi and crisp shallot $18.50 Rare wagyu beef salad with chilli, roast parsnip and smoked prawns and pomegranate molasses $18.50 Trio of pork: crisp belly, ham hock beignet, cheek dumpling with black pudding and apple $18.00

Dinning options The chefs table The chefs table sits a maximum of five guests. The room is directly beside ‘the hot line’ in the kitchen with a window at eye level to view McLean and his team cook and present your meal.

Degustation menu A seven course degustation menu is served by the chefs themselves with an option of matching wines. The meal is $90 per person and matching wine is an additional $55 per person.

The cellar room The cellar room seats a maximum of 20 people with a choice of three set menus. Ideal for celebrations or family get togethers, business dinners or Christmas functions.

Palate’s main dining room The main dining room serves it’s a la carte menu and seats up to 50 guests.

Honey spiced duck with kumara and coconut puree, citrus cous cous,orange salad and cointreau jus $36.00 Grain finished sirloin steak, corned beef ravioli, exotic mushrooms, dauphinoise potato, garlic puree and cep jus $36.00 Vanilla pannacotta with eton mess and berry sorbet $13.50 Chocolate mousse with peanut brittle and salted caramel ice cream $15.00

Palate Restaurant 170 Victoria Street Hamilton, New Zealand T (07) 834 2921 E palate.restaurant@xtra.co.nz http://palaterestaurant.co.nz

Palate opening hours: Monday to Saturday, from 6.00pm

— Advertising Feature

Sous Chef in collaboration with Simon Gault are serious about searching, tasting and sourcing the best products available from around the globe for you and your customers.

We only carry products from producers who like us strive for the best. We have a range of products that have been sourced over the years from farmers, artisan producers and chefs who like us enjoy food and above all have a passion for quality.

Proudly supporting Palate

Ph: (09) 269-6373 | Fax: (09) 269-6372 | 1/84 Spartan Road, Takanini, Auckland | sales@souschef.co.nz | www.souschef.co.nz www.centraltoday.co.nz March/April 2012 | 31

32 | March/April 2012 www.centraltoday.co.nz

Business Development | Centra Forklifts

Centra Forklifts opens new Palmerston North branch The humble forklift is the backbone behind the logistics, transporting and warehousing industries.

For decades it has given the muscle to move what needs to be moved and remains a vital tool for businesses around the country today. One company that’s been at the cutting edge of the machine’s evolution in the New Zealand market is Centra Forklifts.

Created from one of New Zealand’s oldest forklift companies, and the last company to manufacture forklifts in New Zealand, Centra originated from the Lees Brothers company formed in 1935. Lees forklifts were manufactured exclusively in Auckland and the brand is still evident in the market today.

The original business experienced several different owners during the 1980s and 1990s, including Carter Holt Harvey and Caspex Corporation. Since 2007, the company has reverted to private ownership by a leading New Zealand industrialist, where the focus on customer service is paramount. Centra is proud to be 100 percent privately and New Zealand-owned.

Centra recently opened a new branch in Palmerston North to service the greater Manawatu region. The branch is a joint venture with local businessman, John Holloway, who previously operated as Forklift Services Lower North Island.

can be the one-stop shop for its customers’ in the region with better pricing, stronger branding, and better support structures. entire forklift and mechanical servicing Competition in the market is fierce so it comes requirements. down to relationships,” O’Driscoll says.

Centra Forklifts moves with the times and has “We work very hard on our personalised been growing its data capability. O’Driscoll service, especially after sales service. We’re says Centra utilises an enterprise software proud of our products too, last year we package that specialises in the forklift market. celebrated 30 years of supplying Mitsubishi “Our data capture and reporting functionality forklifts to New Zealand, and this connection is unrivalled. We are the first to provide realendorses our brand.” time and free online service reporting to our Centra recognises that its customers’ customers to monitor their fleet records and operational success literally starts and servicing history.” stops with Centra’s ability to service their fleet of forklifts. To assist customers with this, Centra provides its customers with full Centra Forklifts (PN) Ltd access to Centra Reporter - its online service 25 Bisley Street, analysis tool and has a Centra Preventative Cloverlea Maintenance Programme (CPMP) giving a Palmerston North helping hand.

T (09) 634 8500 As well as Mitsubishi, Centra services all F (09) 634 8275 E centra@centrafork.co.nz major forklift brands, as well as other www.centrafork.co.nz equipment. Given this capability, Centra

Centra views the Manawatu region as a vital area for future growth, and wanted to participate more actively in the area.

Establishing a branch with a local identity who provides local experience and existing relationships provides Centra with market assurance and confidence - and the cultures provided a good fit.

— Advertising Feature

“Centra’s culture that emanates from private ownership is closely aligned to the culture and values that John and his team demonstrate in the region,” general manager Shane O’Driscoll says.

“Nothing in terms of our service capability or relationships has changed – except in the background we can support John and his team

Testimonials

“

JJ NIVEN

We have been dealing with Centra Forklifts for two years.

Over this time we have had nothing but great service.

Engineering Ltd

”

Proud to assist Centra Forklifts with their engineering requirements

Bill Blackmore, New Zealand Wood Products Ltd.

“

• Steel Fabrication • Mechanical Engineering • Factory Plant Maintenance • Fully Equipped Machine Shop •Gantry Crane Manufacture/Servicing • Inhouse Design & Build • Pressure Vessels

We have found Centra to be very professional, and very dependable. The equipment is of good quality and well maintained at all times.

Douglas Stockenstroom, Corinthian Doors.

”

06 357 4039 36 ARMSTRONG ST, PN www.nivenengineering.co.nz Email: jj.niven@xtra.co.nz

Boost your productivity with innovative design and advanced technology • High productivity • Advanced safety features • Ease of operation

• Easy maintenance • Operator comfort • Environmental friendliness

Developed for outstanding performance and genuine value for money, Mitsubishi forklift trucks and warehouse equipment maximises productivity while ensuring reliability.

For all your Mitsubishi Forklift requirements in the Palmerston North region, contact local dealer: Centra Forklifts (PN) Ltd 25 Bisley Street, Cloverlea, PN Phone: 06 355 9033, 0800FIXFORK

www.centraltoday.co.nz March/April 2012 | 33

Business Development | Aviation Industry Cluster

Setting high sights Ever since the USA stationed a facility at Hamilton Airport in World War II as part of its Pacific campaign, the Waikato has long been a hub of the aviation industry.

The Aviation Industry Cluster (AIC) was a Major Regional Initiative funded by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise from 2007 to 2012. It is a group of more than 30 companies representing the region’s aircraft manufacturers, aviation services, aircraft maintenance, pilot training, flight operators and supply chain providers.

Sixty years later several successful aviation companies operate in the region, and recently the profile and capabilities of Waikato experienced a huge lift, thanks to a successful industry group.

The AIC’s general manager Shaun Mitchell says those targets are about to be met. As the Cluster takes a step back this year, having achieved it aims and used its funding, Mitchell says the group has many accomplishments.

In the AIC’s founding charter, it set out targets to help members reach, such as increasing their manufacture by 36 planes to 90 a year and increasing the number of airline pilot trainees from 200 to 350 per year.

“

The facility is state of the art - one of the only of its kind in the world, with premium levels of techniques. It allows us to compete at the top level of what people are wanting from aircraft painting.

“We helped our members adopt Lean Manufacturing Principles to help them cut their costs and raise their productivity. That involved a major culture change for some businesses. We also lobbied for and helped pay for tar sealing at Hamilton airport.”

Mitchell says the Cluster saw what the road blocks for the industry were and worked together to remove them. It helped local companies go to Oshkosh, an important trade fair event in the United States. It also provided 50 percent of the costs to Pacific Aerospace (a large company and a cluster member) to establish suitable aluminium heat treatment capabilities which are available to all of the Cluster’s members.

This heat treatment project was an important one for the Cluster. It identified from the outset that the inability to heat treat was a major road block for its members and found

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34 | March/April 2012 www.centraltoday.co.nz

”

an unused air furnace available for purchase.

The new furnace has the capacity to allow Pacific Aerospace to increase its production rate, while offering surplus capacity to the general aviation market in the Waikato and other areas of New Zealand.

Starting the Cluster in 2008 as the recession hit wasn’t easy, but Mitchell says there is always good with the bad.

“The real purpose of the Cluster is to work with other companies and find opportunities, which was something the recession actually made easier for us. Companies were not as busy and were prepared to look outside of the box. All in all, people’s interest and desire to cooperate has been bigger than anything, we’re not seeing companies fighting over work but collaborating and expanding the scope of work.”

Business Development | Aviation Industry Cluster Stage Two expands the facility to increase the output of the current aircraft identified for Stage One and Stage Three is based around the call to start doing some midsized passenger aircraft like 737s and Airbus A320s.

The design allows for a moveable wall to split a larger paint bay into two smaller bays, depending on the demand of the smaller GA aircraft or helicopters. Mitchell estimates the final stage will be started by the end of 2013.

A study on the possibility of creating a composites facility is currently being undertaken by the Cluster.

Industry potential Mitchell says the aviation industry is an important yet underrated one, crucial to New Zealand’s future.

Painting prowess The Cluster’s most impressive accomplishment is the new specialist aviation paint facility, which started work in January of this year.

“We spent about two and a half years getting it going, so when they started painting in January it was such a good feeling,” Mitchell reflects.

“The facility is state of the art - one of the only of its kind in the world, with premium levels of techniques. It allows us to compete at the top level of what people are wanting from aircraft painting.

“It’s also compliant which many facilities around the world are not, providing a finish

people are expecting of aircrafts. It has been very successful, the project really was a bit of a punt, but so far we’ve nailed it.”

The project consists of three stages. Stage One, which has been achieved, will take maximum advantage of the current market that is wide open to a specialist paint facility for aircraft. It allows the facility to accommodate aircraft from Pacific Aerospace, Oceania, CTC, GA aircraft and Eagle Air Beech 1900s right through to ATR aircraft and light sport jets. It has a separate parts spray booth and could handle a second manufacturer the same size as PAL, catering for alodine treatment and custom paint jobs. This is a significant market alone.

“The aviation industry has a lot of growth potential - more than many in New Zealand, and it doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves. At the ‘Flair’ event during Rugby World Cup, lots of people saw what we have to offer and were quite surprised at all that we do. People need to start treating the potential of the industry more seriously – it is growing by 20 to 30 percent.

“Around the world New Zealand is seen as having a high quality aviation industry and a low cost one. We have a lower labour rate then rest of the world, overseas the costs are too high. We’re a really exciting place to do aviation – this is an industry which is so expensive it’s been using 1960s technology until recently, but there’s been major breakthroughs in aviation in the past few years with New Zealand – and especially Hamilton - right at the forefront.”

The Aviation Industry Cluster At A Glance Started in 2007, funded as a Major Regional Initiative from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise It is a group of over 30 companies representing the region’s aviation industry Accomplishments include a state of the art painting facility and a shared heat treatment plant Has in five years greatly increased the production of aircrafts and the number of pilots trained Sees aviation as a huge growth industry for New Zealand, with plenty of potential.

Aviation Industry Cluster PO Box 19209 Hamilton 3244 T (07) 829 7557 www.aviationcluster.co.nz — Advertising Feature

Aquamax Aquamax Aquamax is recognised as a preferred contractor in the following applications and industries: Aquamax Hydroblasting Ltd Wellington Bryan Knox, General Manager PO Box 39361, Wellington Mail Centre M. 021 241 5322 P. 04 568 6909 F. 04 568 6989 E. wellington@aquamax.co.nz Auckland Graham Sims, Northern Region Manager PO Box 27 6032, Manukau City M. 021 586 322 P. 09 263 0602 F. 09 263 0604 E. auckland@aquamax.co.nz

Proud to be associated with the

Aviation Industry Cluster

• Line removal on roads for Transit New Zealand and local authorities • Bitumen flushing and texturing of urban and rural roads • Concrete scabbling and hydro-demolition • Stripping of aircraft coatings for the aviation industry • Runway rubber removal in the aviation industry • Deck work, tanks, winches and anti-fouling removals in the marine industry • Removal of calcium and sulphur deposits from turbines and rotors, condensers and associated components in the geothermal energy industry • Graffiti and chewing gum removal for local authorities and schools • Heritage building renovation • Cleaning up heavy transport rolling stock, cranes and truck chassis in the transport industry • Removal of lead-based paints from steel work and masonry on old buildings, rail bridges and wharves • Contractor in the offshore Petro-chemical (Gas & Oil) Industry.

www.centraltoday.co.nz March/April 2012 | 35

Good & Services | Kilt

Fashion for the people It’s fast, fabulous and fashionable. But the New Zealand fashion industry is more than an excuse for fancy parades featuring ladies with big hair and stilettos, blowing air kisses while calling “Dahling” with as much vowel rolling as the Kiwi accent allows.

“

We’ve got an amazing culture within the company; everyone’s passionate about New Zealand made.

We’re a bunch of hard working women who love clothes, and are passionate about getting people feeling good about themselves wearing our clothes.

”

which is what New Zealand women want to wear.

recognised a gap in the market. “I realised there was a shortage of garments that were designed to fit New Zealand women well.”

Having previously studied fashion, she was in a prime position to be able to fill the gap In 2000, the New Zealand clothing and softherself. “I put together a collection and sold it goods retail market was worth $1.53 billion according to Statistics New Zealand. Ten years to the company I was working for, which then later that number had jumped to $2.26b, at an on sold it around the country. average increase of 5.7 percent per year. The “I was in a unique position to be able to sell talent is there, the recognition is growing and the garments without telling customers they sales are booming, but only for few. were mine and that enabled me to get honest A notoriously tough industry to get in on; many fail, few succeed. One of those few and far between exceptions to the rule, Napier— based Kilt, has beaten the odds and has the award to prove it.

Established in 2000 as a wholesale clothing store, Kilt stands out in a crowded marketplace by doing things a little differently.

Kilt founder Melissa Williams-Lamb had been managing a large New Zealand retail chain that stocked different labels, when she

feedback on the products I was making.”

While no longer a wholesale business, with seven retail stores dotted around the country (not including the ill-fated Christchurch store which remains in the red zone), the feedback enabled Melissa to further develop the idea of customer feedback.

“We work on a weekly report system, where all our retail staff fill in weekly reports from customer feedback they have received. This enables us to take into consideration what our customers are asking for and design clothing

“Because of the set up of our business, we are able to take that feedback and a couple of weeks later, have a product on our shelves that someone has requested.”

Other points of difference include being one of few affordable New Zealand made clothing stores. “We are strong supporters of New Zealand made, so we strive to make that an affordable option for Kiwi shoppers.

Our average price is $139, and we work to keep them as low as possible. It’s not cheap to produce in New Zealand, but if companies work to keep their prices low, people will shop New Zealand made.”

By feeding new designs into the stores consistently, Kilt doesn’t get the standard seasonal drop of most retailers. “Our design team are designing every day and because there are four designers working together, there is a diverse range of ideas and styles to provide a bigger range of styles for all different shapes, sizes and ages.”

We’re proud to be 100% New Zealand owned and operated.

Art Supplies | Cafeteria & Cleaning Office Furniture | Office Supplies Presentation & Conferencing Technology Packaging & Warehouse Postage & Envelopes

Pleased to be associated with Kilt 44 Wakefield Street, Onekawa, Napier sales@baydepot.co.nz Ph: 06 843 0294 | Fax: 06 843 0298

36 | March/April 2012 www.centraltoday.co.nz

Good & Services | Kilt

The clothing itself is centred on what women want, which gives the label its own unique twist of fashion and flair. It certainly goes a long way to explaining how the company has managed to stick around so long where many others have failed.

“We’ve got an amazing culture within the company; everyone’s passionate about New Zealand made. We’re a bunch of hard working women who love clothes, and are passionate about getting people feeling good about themselves wearing our clothes.

“That’s motivation to create amazing garments.”

Those garments go through a stringent decision making process before going to store. “We read the weekly reports and from there we decide what ideas we can take from those. Those ideas will then be discussed at our design meeting, a pattern will be put together and a sample will be made by one of our designers. If we are all happy with the sample, it will then be put into production.

“We have the strong backing of great suppliers and with our people just a courier away, we are able to get those garments in store quickly.”

While the fashion industry itself is competitive, New Zealand made isn’t and while that means less competition for the business, it is something Melissa wants to change. All Kilt garments are designed and sampled in Napier, most are currently made in the Hawkes Bay and some in Auckland.

“We love being New Zealand made; not a lot of NZ clothing labels are, so we’re lucky in that we don’t have lots of competition in that respect - however we would love to see more NZ made clothing.”

Kilt has established the New Zealand Made March to bring awareness of checking labels.

Quite simply the businesses and individuals who get on board will spend the month of March only purchasing New Zealand made.

Those who want to get involved can do so through Kilt’s Facebook page.

“We’re asking customers and friends of Kilt to give us suggestions of things which should be New Zealand made. We would love to see more people go New Zealand made, it will mean so much to the country. It is especially important to us in the fashion industry, particularly the factories which need the work to be able to keep going.

“

We love being New Zealand made; not a lot of NZ clothing labels are, so we’re lucky in that we don’t have lots of competition in that respect - however we would love to see more NZ made clothing.

”

“One of our biggest ongoing challenges is sourcing New Zealand made fabric; it’s particularly hard to source wovens.”

Like any business in any industry, she says it was hard work getting established, with a challenging first few years, but the payoff has been worth it. Kilt has recently won the Small to Medium Business category at the Hawkes Bay Business Awards. “We had judges come in and judge all aspects of the business, financials, business plans and reports etc and spent an afternoon with us” Much like any other business, there have been the standard challenges of starting from scratch, but the biggest challenge is that facing the Christchurch store. “We have a lot of challenges, including a fire in our Palmerston North store. But the most significant challenge has been the earthquake.”

While nobody was injured in the High Street store, it remains in one of the hardest hit areas of the city, which is still in the red zone. While a temporary premises was soon secured, that premises is scheduled to be pulled down due to liquefaction. Melissa says the company loved having a Christchurch presence, but with the store still remaining in the red zone, its fate is as yet unknown.

But with plenty of plans for the future, it is onwards and upwards for Kilt.

“We have big plans to open more stores and while you can currently purchase online via email, we are looking forward to opening our online shopping cart store.”

Kilt Unit 1, 7 Cadbury Road Napier T (06) 843 0011 E paul@kilt.co.nz www.kilt.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

If history is any marker of success, the world is Kilt’s mannequin.

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0800 247 400 | www.globalsecurity.co.nz| info@globalsecurity.co.nz www.centraltoday.co.nz March/April 2012 | 37

Transport Motoring | Motor Truck Distributors

Rugged respect New Zealand; it’s a country founded on the virtues of rugged strength and determination. Not surprising then, that we demand the same from our trucks. Take for example the Mack truck; it’s tough, strong and built to last. Brought into New Zealand from 1972 by Motor Truck Distributors (NZ), the brand suited both our nature and our conditions.

Established in 1968 as a used truck wholesaler under the moniker Palmerston North Motors Wholesale, the company as it stands today began in 1972 when it secured the Mack franchise for New Zealand, explains Motor Truck Distributors (MTD) general manager Murray Sowerby.

“The key focus of the company today is to import Mack, Renault and Volvo trucks for retail sale, but essentially the company was established to handle Mack trucks and that was our sole focus from 1972 to 1983.”

Specialising in:

EST 1973

• Machinery & Transport Refurbishment • Steel Work Coatings & Corrosion Protection • 3 All-Weather Heated Blasting & Painting Booths • Two Fully Mobile Blasting and Painting Rigs • Concrete Work • Paint & Rust Removal • Paint Preparation • Water Blasting • Dust Free Wet Blasting • Soda Blasting • Vacuum Blasting

Preferred applicators of protective and industrial coatings QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEMS AVAILABLE

06 353 2216 Fax 06 353 2219 Mobile 0274 465 467

After Hours 06 356 9448 3 Midhurst St, Palmerston North

With the trucks manufactured in the United States, the company had a full CKD (completely knocked down) assembly facility, so trucks arrived in New Zealand in pieces to be put together in MTD’s Palmerston North premises.

“Every Mack truck in New Zealand between 1972 and 2000 was built from scratch in Palmerston North. We employed about 35 staff in the assembly factory at the highest point, which was a big operation by New Zealand standards. Industry changes mean that for the last 12 years we have been importing Mack’s from Australia FBU (Fully Built Up).”

In 1983 Renault Truck’s bought into Mack Trucks Inc, which saw MTD begin selling the European brand. In 2009 the AB Volvo Group purchased the Mack Trucks Inc and Renault Trucks Companies and today MTD is the New

“

Today we have 14 company-owned Truck Stops branches throughout the country – that’s got to be the best service network of any franchise in New Zealand.

General manager Murray Sowerby

”

Zealand supplier and represents all three brands, Mack and Renault Trucks and Volvo Trucks and Bus.

“When we started Renault in 1983-84 we brought them into the country in CKD fashion and built them here, which continued until about 1997. Since then Renault Trucks have came from France already built. Today both Volvo and Mack vehicles come from Australia FBU.” Previously trading tariffs meant a competitive advantage to assembling the trucks here

We can give your vehicle a new look with interior trim repairs, replacing trim or change colour of trim.

and that, in turn, benefited the country in the employment stakes. While it is now too expensive to make vehicle manufacturing in New Zealand plausible, the company continues to employ 28 staff in its importing and sales division, with some 300 staff members including those employed within 14 nationwide company-owned branches.

“We believe we have the best service network in the country,” Sowerby explains.

“Previously MTD did everything – imported the CKD packs, built the trucks, provided the parts and serviced them, so in 1984 we formed another company Truck Stops NZ Ltd to look after our parts and servicing. Today we have 14 company-owned Truck Stops branches throughout the country – that’s got to be the best service network of any franchise in New Zealand.”

While there are additional dealers nationwide, the 14 which come under the Truck Stops umbrella are company-owned, which means MTD controls everything within the supply chain. “That gives us better after sale network than anyone else.”

The brands are also some of the best out there. “Volvo is a forward thinking company and a world leader as far as innovation and safety is concerned. That is now being fed into the Mack and Renault products. But it’s really our after-sales service that sets us apart.”

uto nteriors ltd.

Seat repairs are not a problem and if your hood lining starts to drop we can replace with a new one.

Any burns in your upholstery can be repaired. We can vinyl weld nicks out of your dash. If your carpet is wearing a bit thin we can sort this out for you. Marine upholstery which includes: Canopies, road covers, boat covers and repairing squabs. We tint vehicles, homes and offices.

Roof racks, Ute canopies, Cargo barriers, protection tape on vehicles or bikes for protection against stone chips or change the look with a Decal or pin stripe.

19 Matipo Street, Palmerston North Ph: 06 357-1294 Fax: 06 356-5960 Email: autoint@inspire.net.nz 38 | March/April 2012 www.centraltoday.co.nz

Transport Motoring | Motor Truck Distributors

Industrial initiation

With a school-level push towards university education, trade based careers and truck With more failures than successes in the driving are falling by the wayside, he cutthroat world of business, middle age is quite a feat for any company. So with 40 years suspects, and while positions which require further education are good, they are not for up its corporate sleeve, it is little surprise everyone.

Motor Truck Distributors (NZ) Ltd has seen some industrial change.

“The transport industry offers a lot of “When the company started there were very few American trucks here,” Motor Truck Distributors (MTD) Ltd general manager Murray Sowerby explains.

“They were known for their ruggedness and strength for hard duties – that was what Mack was all about. Mack was involved in a lot of the think big projects that were going on in the early 70s; that’s what really got the momentum going.

opportunity for young people, from truck driving to motor mechanics. The transport industry can offer people a lifelong career with good opportunities where you can build relationships which can last a lifetime.”

With more than 30 years under his belt he knows what he’s talking about. Sowerby started with MTD as a used truck salesman in 1981. “It’s a great company to work for in a great industry. It’s not just about selling a “Heavy haulage of big equipment on the large truck; it’s an opportunity to build long term relationships. There are opportunities to work construction sites and logging were where your way up as we always recruit from within Mack Trucks made their name.” if that option is there. We’ve always found The two industries were at the time controlled our biggest successes as salespeople have by large corporates, Sowerby explains. During been those who have moved into the position the 80s there was quiet a move toward owner from the parts and service business or ex drivers. “Now there’s quite a big swing back drivers – they know the industry and they are to corporate ownership in order to control passionate about what they do.” costs,” he says.

“The market is so tough that it’s important to be efficient, so corporates are trying to cut costs. But with this also is more emphasis on safety. Previously the industry was just concerned about having a strong truck to do the job, now the drivers’ wellbeing is as important.”

More positive change is evident in the latest emissions standards. “The industry has done a lot to ensure environmental efficiency; all trucks coming into the country have to meet Euro 5 emissions standards. That’s been a really positive move by the industry and we’re really leading the way in that area.”

There is currently a move towards Euro 6 emissions standards for the industry within the next five years, however the logistics of this move are still in question. “The industry has been very responsible with its environmental moves, a lot of safety issues have been addressed to make it a safer place for all road users and a lot of work has been put into ensuring the wellbeing of drivers with restrictive hours being well policed. Over time these measures have weeded out the poor operators and what is left in the industry are the best around.”

Not all the industrial changes have been as positive though and, like most industries, efficiency is a key issue facing the transport industry. “Keeping costs down in order to be competitive is always a pressing concern in any business in any industry. Driver retention is probably one of the biggest issues specifically facing the transport industry.

“There are just not enough drivers to get the work done,” he explains.

“

Volvo is a forward thinking company and a world leader as far as innovation and safety is concerned. That is now being fed into the Mack and Renault products. But it’s really our aftersales service that sets us apart.

Murray Sowerby

”

Behind the brand It is the people within Motor Truck Distributors (MTD) Ltd which general manager Murray Sowerby puts the company’s success down to and the number of long serving staff members speaks volumes about the company culture.

Sowerby himself has been with the company for more than 30 years. He started as a used vehicle salesman, before moving into new vehicles in the Wellington region, and then into the role of used vehicle sales manager and back to the new vehicle sales in a managerial role before taking on general manager.

He had been driving trucks for some 10 years however, with a young family on the way he wanted something more but didn’t want to leave the industry. A friend that was working with MTD at the time told him about a sales opportunity over a couple of drinks; he applied and the rest, he laughs, is history.

“I knew about the industry and had passion for the industry, but the key skills for the position are communication and people skills.

You can learn about any product if you want to, but not everyone can communicate that.

You also need to be open and honest.”

He looks for the same attributes when the company is recruiting. “It’s all about the people skills; how they communicate with people. They need to be passionate about the industry, so they have to know about trucks, or the industry in general.

TRANSPORT & GENERAL ENGINEERS WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH MACK TRUCKS FOR 40 YEARS. Truck Bodies • Certified Welding • Chassis Modifications • Profile Cutting • 5th Wheel Tractor Units Conveyor Systems • Truck Mounted Cranes • R.O.P.S Frames • Ryco Hydraulic Hose and Fitting • Trailers

Rangitikei Line, Newbury | Phone: 06 357 1911 | Fax: 06 354 0505

www.centraltoday.co.nz March/April 2012 | 39

Transport Motoring | Motor Truck Distributors “If you’re not interested in that, then you’re not going to make a good salesman. This is not an 8-5 job, transport operators don’t stop, so we don’t stop and if you’re not passionate you won’t be able to put in the level of commitment that is required. Tenacity is important; you get a lot of knock backs in this business and demanding customers. If you are all those your normally be successful.”

Some of those success stories include Carl Capstick, in the Auckland sales force. “Carl has been working in the company for 31 years, three months longer than me. He comes from a mechanic background and has a real passion for trucks.”

Scott is passionate about transport. He spent a couple of years as driver trainer for Fonterra before moving into Volvo sales for us and he’s doing a great job.”

In the South Island Ben Gray had 12 years as mechanic on Volvo trucks and having just moved into sales, he is also doing really well.

Clive Jones is the national sales manager for Volvo trucks and reports to the general manager. “He’s been in the industry for close on 20 years, initially from a driving background he got into driver training before moving into vehicles sales. He transferred to us when we took over the Volvo franchise, now he heads that division for us.

Murray Officer has been with the Auckland sales team for 25 years. “He was a truck driver “It just represents the experience that we and still has that strong passion.” have behind us. All our guys are from the In Mt Maunganui there is Robbie Shore. With industry and have that passion. That passion more than 20 years as part of the MTD team makes them successful, and their success is he is passionate about the Mack product, our success.” having driven Mack trucks in his early years.

Since Sowerby’s early days, the company “He’s passionate about the industry and because of that he has been very successful.” has grown considerably. “Sales wise with the Mack brand our biggest year was 153 Chris Sedgwick heads up the used vehicle vehicles. Now with Volvo and Renault we are division. “As Used Vehicle Sales Manager, Chris came from our parts and service side. He selling in excess of 300 new vehicles a year, didn’t know a lot about trucks, but knew a lot as well as about 200 used vehicles – we are about parts and relationships. He’s been with looking to grow those numbers even further.”

Marketing of used vehicles is a significant part us 18 years now.” of the business. “We believe we have one of Todd Martin came from a mechanical the biggest used vehicle operations in New background and did a diesel apprenticeship with the company before transferring to truck Zealand; we also sell vehicles on behalf of finance companies. Used vehicles have been a sales. “He’s been with us for 10 years now large part of the business since the company and again, he has the right background.” started.

Scott Robinson had a truck driving background before getting into driver training for Fonterra. “During the period from 1968 to 1972, that “While he’s only been here a couple of years, was the sole focus.”

FAST FACTS 1968 MTD NZ Ltd was founded under the name Palmerston North Motors trading solely in used heavy vehicles 1972 Obtained the franchise agreement for Mack Trucks Inc. USA and commenced production in Palmerston North on the first three FR models to be assembled in NZ 1991 - 93 The RB is replaced by the highly anticipated CH model, with the CL joining the lineup in 1993

1973 Launched the R600 bonneted model, originally with a fiberglass cab, to compliment the cab-over FR 1974 - 80 Subsequent new model launches included the R700, first of the V8 models in 1974, the steel cab R model in 1976 and the low cab MCE model in 1980 1981 - 83 The first Superliner is built in 1981 and the WR Cruiseliner replaces the FR model in 1983 1984 Truck Stops NZ Ltd is established as the parts and service agent for Mack trucks 1985 MTD introduces the MH Ultraliner replacing the Cruiseliner and the European sourced Midliner is released in New Zealand 1986 MTD is purchased by Corporate Investments Ltd to form part of the Truck Investments group. MTD secures the Renault Franchise

1999 The last MH Ultraliner in the world is built in NZ which coincides with the closure of the Mack assembly line at Palmerston North. The six-wheeler Mack Qantum is released in NZ 2000 The NZ designed eight-wheeler Mack Qantum version is introduced. The Truck Investments group is purchased by Cycle & Carriage Ltd. The Qantums and Macks are now supplied fully built from the Mack assembly plant in Brisbane Australia 2003 Launch of Mack’s new Highway Models; Vision and Super-liner 2004 Ownership of the TIL group changed to Sime Darby Berhad

1987 The 1000th Mack is built in New Zealand, a R722RS Superliner, and MTD receives the international distributor of the year award 1989 Ownership of TIL group transferred to Corporate Investment Limited (who in 1999 changed their name to Montana Group Limited). The NZ designed RB model is released to update the long lived R model

• Truck & Trailer Smash Repairs • Specialising In Truck Repainting • General Maintenance • Air Brush Art Work • 24 Hour Heavy Tow & Salvage • Fleetwork And Design • All Work Guaranteed

1997 The Renault Premium model is launched

2007 Last of the Mack Qantums & cab-over trucks manufactured in Australia 2008 NEW BREED Mack Trucks introduced, these included Trident, Super-liner, Metro-liner, Granite & Titan 2009 MTD is the new dealer for Volvo Truck and Bus in New Zealand.

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40 | March/April 2012 www.centraltoday.co.nz

Transport Motoring | Motor Truck Distributors

“

The industry has done a lot to ensure environmental efficiency; all trucks coming into the country have to meet Euro 5 emissions standards. That’s been a really positive move by the industry and we’re really leading the way in that area.

Murray Sowerby

Tough trucks

”

When Renault bought into Mack the Renault product became an option. “A cheaper European truck, we wanted to make Renault available through our chain because it provided additional volume helped with currency fluctuation, it gave us an opportunity for a different truck at a different exchange rate to make us more competitive.”

The three brands were perfect for both the Kiwi nature and Kiwi conditions. From the minute the Mack arrived on our shores, its future as part of New Zealand’s industrial landscape was secured. “Our founder saw a need for a good strong American truck for the New Zealand market,” Motor Truck Distributors Later Volvo purchased Renault and Mack, so (MTD) Ltd general manager Murray Sowerby all three brands have come together under says. the AB Volvo Group, although they are still “He recognised the only way to do that marketed as separate brands as they are built efficiently was to build them from CKD in different countries. (completely knocked down). Mack was one of “Mack comes from the USA, Renault the dearest trucks on the market at the time, comes from France, Volvo comes from but it was sold on reliability and the service Sweden, although Mack and Renault are support we could offer our customers. The company was set up so we were available both assembled in Australia. Once they 24-7 if something went wrong and if we didn’t amalgamated, they requested that we have a part, we would take it off another represent all three franchises. With more vehicle. The company was built on those product coming from one outlet it is more strong principles and that’s what we continue efficient and they knew we could look after to operate under. their products well.”

“The reason Mack was so successful was because we supported the trucks after they were sold. We support our customers, leaving them with very little downtime.”

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With each brand suiting a different customer base, it was also more efficient for the company. “The Mack product is predominantly sold to a Construction heavy duty customer

base; construction and concrete, logging and heavy haulage,” Sowerby says.

“Renault is designed more for a distribution and specialised market customer base; midrange regional transportation and distribution and all wheel drive markets.

“Volvo is for high utilisation work, high mileage applications generally between 3-400,000 kms per year per; food stuffs, the courier market, a big percentage of the line haul courier freight is carried on the Volvo product.

“Bulk fuel and Livestock are also important markets for us. But our one single biggest Volvo customer is Fonterra for milk cartage.”

The rugged determination and strength of the AB Volvo Group of trucks is not unlike the rugged determination and strength of Motor Truck Distributors (NZ) Ltd. With a history spanning 40 years at the forefront of the New Zealand trucking industry, the company has built a reputation as long lasting as the vehicles it represents.

Motor Truck Distributors (NZ) Ltd 29 Malden Street Palmerston North T (06) 356 7179 E murray.sowerby@mtd.co.nz www.mtd.co.nz — Advertising Feature

We are New Zealand’s largest supplier of commercial vehicle parts and workshop services to the Road Transport Industry with branches throughout the country.

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www.truckstops.co.nz www.centraltoday.co.nz March/April 2012 | 41

News | Motoring

An open top for the open road

Jaguar has lifted the lid on the quickest opentopped GT it’s ever built – the XKR-S Convertible.

And if what lies under the hood is as muscular as the XKRs dimpled, curved and purposely crumpled haunches, then it shouldn’t disappoint.

Well, first impressions are promising. Powered by a supercharged, five litre V8, the XKR-S hits 100km/h in 4.4 seconds on its way to an electronically limited top speed of 300km/h, which isn’t too shabby for a convertible.

This open top rocket will sit alongside its sibling, the XKR-S Coupe, at the top of the big cat’s performance sport range.

Styling changes have been made to improve aerodynamic stability. There’s a new front bumper design with wider, lower air intake, a carbon fibre splitter and twin side nacelles.

New sills smooth the horizontal airflow and emphasise the 10mm reduction in ride height. And a unique rear wing with carbon fibre insert and apron ensure balanced aerodynamics front and rear.

Aerodynamic design changes give the front of the car a dramatic and bold appearance.

Vertical feature lines run down from the edges of the oval air intake into a new bumper design which incorporates a wider, lower air intake, a carbon fibre splitter and twin side nacelles.

At the edges of the bumper, vertical panels channel air down the side of the car along With the XK model designed as a convertible The muscle comes via an uprated version of new sills, which serve to both smooth from the outset, Jaguar’s engineers were the 5.0-litre supercharged AJ-V8 engine, which the horizontal airflow and emphasise the able to apply changes that created the XKR-S produces 405kWs and 680Nm of torque, reduction in ride height.

Coupe into the open-topped GT without delivered to the rear wheels via a six-speed compromising performance, agility The convertible roof opens and stows in 18 automatic gearbox with active differential. or refinement. seconds and the flagship interior features To put this power on the ground, there’s 16-way adjustable performance seats Lightweight aluminium architecture provides a comprehensive package of suspension trimmed in carbon leather. It rides on Pirelli high torsional rigidity, making the XKR-S upgrades, such as a redesigned aluminium P-Zero tyres (255/35 ZR20 at the front and Convertible the stiffest car in its class. And front steering knuckle and revised rear 295/30 ZR20 at the rear). revised front and rear suspension means geometry, stiffer springs and dampers. increased agility, precision and control without The XKR-S Convertible will be arriving in New sacrificing comfort.

Zealand showrooms around Easter 2012.

Ford Focus is NZ Car of the Year The country’s leading motoring writers and commentators have chosen Ford’s new generation Focus as New Zealand Car of the Year.

Launched here mid last year, the new model is the third generation of the Focus, and the first to scoop New Zealand’s highest new car automotive honour.

In reaching their decision, members of the New Zealand Motoring Writers’ Guild assessed a number of variants in the range, including 1.6 and 2.0-litre petrol variants, as well as the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel version.

“The level of chassis sophistication engineered into the new Focus is remarkable. A particular appeal of the latest Focus is its excellence in a range of motoring environments; whether it is urban or highway motoring, or covering ground over the country’s secondary roads, the latest Focus is always impressive.”

The Focus was one of 12 finalists for this New Zealand Car of the Year award, which is open to new passenger car models launched in New Zealand during the 12 months prior to November 1, 2011.

In addition to performance and handling, the facets under consideration included suitability for the task for which the Focus is designed, safety accoutrements, economy, visual appeal, The others, in alphabetical order, were the value for money, ease of operation and its Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Audi A7, BMW X3, level of home comforts and quality of finish.

Hyundai Elantra, Kia Optima, Kia Rio, Peugeot Guild president David Linklater says, “Previous 508, Suzuki Swift, Toyota Yaris, Volvo S60 and Volkswagen Passat. iterations of the Focus have also been highly regarded, particularly in the area of driver Recent past winners of the title, which is now appeal, but in its latest guise the Focus pushes in its 24th year, have been the BMW 5-series its segment forward in crucial areas such as (2010), Ford Fiesta (2009), Ford Falcon (2008), powertrain efficiency, packaging, quality and equipment, all without compromising that fun Mazda 2 (2007) and Porsche Cayman (2006). factor for which it has become known.

42 | March/April 2012 www.centraltoday.co.nz

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