e:po t - port nelson€¦ · (ncg) have been seeing the port from a whole new perspective of late...

E:PO T

JULY 2019

New tug's arrival signals bright future ahead

3 Port team mentors budding IT talent

4 New tug's arrival signals bright future ahead

6 Crane simulator lifts safety

7 Prestigious IAPH award for Martin Byrne

8 Calwell Slipway – historic gear still shipshape

10 Staff profiles

12 New journey ahead for CEO

14 Crystal clear advantages from collaboration

15 E-learning boosts training opportunities

16 The workshop – a tradie’s heaven equipped for giants

18 Students learn the ropes with mussel workshops

19 From Zespri to Zeebrugge – keeping fruit fresh

CONTENTS

PRODUCTION CREDITS

RECORD TEU IN A MONTH

13,793MAY 2019

RECORD TEU FOR MARCH

13,371

12%

THAN 2018HIGHER

RECORD CONTAINER DELIVERIES IN A DAY

26024 APRIL 2019

HIGHEST CRANE RATE IN 2018/2019

27.1 MOVES PER HOURON THE SPIRIT OF CANTERBURY 17 OCTOBER 2018

RECORD MONTH FOR WINE

391CONTAINERS PACKED BY QUAYCONNECT

MAY 2019

Re:Port is proudly produced by HotHouse Creative (www.hothouse.co.nz), Fiona Terry (Writer) and Tim Cuff Photography (www.timcuff.com).

Port team mentors budding IT talent

Two students from Nelson College for Girls (NCG) have been seeing the Port from a whole new perspective of late – the deck of one of the giant log vessels.

They were invited on board as part of a special project to help design an app that monitors oxygen levels in the holds of log ships in order to keep staff safe.

“We'd like to understand the changing atmosphere in the holds of vessels to allow us to better manage the risks associated with them for those working there,” says Forestry & General Stevedoring Manager Ramon Tovey, whose idea it was to involve students. “To do this we want to monitor levels of four different gases. Logs naturally absorb oxygen and we'd like to be able to pre-empt the situations where risks are higher so we have the right controls in place for our workers, for instance the digger drivers.”

What the team are hoping to achieve through the app is recording, storing and retrieving the information directly without the need for pen and paper, making it simple so that testing can be done efficiently in all weathers.

“Ideally, once the atmospheric testing device measures the quality, the app would be the display portal to enable the data to be organised and presented,” adds Business Systems Manager Reagan Pattison.

After a discussion with NCG teacher Richard Bradley it was clear there was potential for students studying his Digital Technology course to work on a prototype app. Zoe Sharp and Katherine Butt were excited to hear about the project.

“When we were presented with the idea it seemed like a good opportunity because last year as part of our course we built a website, so to move now to creating an app was something that really intrigued me,” says Zoe. “It’s definitely a step up because apps involve a lot more interaction.”

The familiarisation trip aboard the vessel enabled the girls to see the environment in which the stevedores work and gain a better understanding of the role the app will play.

“It was really cool to go on the ship,” adds Zoe. “It was amazing to get an impression of just how big it was. Coming to the Port also opened my eyes to all the different jobs and career paths here.”

Throughout the project, Ramon and Reagan will act as mentors to the girls. Regular communication is assisted through the use of Microsoft’s collaborative platform TEAMS. Using this, the students, their mentors and their school teacher are all able to share information, give feedback, input files, and organise meetings.

The app, once completed, would be the first development of its kind for Port Nelson.

To start work, the girls first had to master software they’d no previous experience of – Android Studio – as well as the Java programming language.

“It can take a long time even for people who’re already qualified to come up to speed with our terminology and processes,” says Reagan. “So the girls have had a lot to learn, which is another reason to use TEAMS in order to collaborate easily and see what processes they’re going through.”

As part of the project, later this year Zoe and Katherine will present their work to a wider team at the Port.

“It’s good preparation for life in a working environment because at school we have easy access to our teacher but that’s not how it’ll be in the real world,” says Katherine. “Working on this project we have to understand that the others we’re liaising with have heaps of other stuff going on and sometimes we might not be able to get immediate answers to a quick question. It’s really great fun to do something that relates to the real world – and that keeps us even more invested in making it work.”

What the team are hoping to achieve through the app is recording, storing and retrieving the information directly without the need for pen and paper.

Ramon Tovey, Katherine Butt, Zoe Sharp & Reagan PattisonLog vessel in Port

PO T NELSON RE:PO T JULY 2019 3

After a testing journey of more than 5400 nautical miles in challenging weather and rough seas, Nelson’s newest tug, the Huria Matenga II, arrived at her new home with great fanfare.

It took over a month for the crew of five delivering the vessel to reach New Zealand, having travelled from Vietnam via Port Moresby to refuel, before enduring five to six metre swells in the Tasman Sea.

“It’s usually quite rough there and apparently it didn’t disappoint,” says Harbour Master Dave Duncan.

Despite the early morning arrival through The Cut, many of those lucky enough to witness the event from the waterfront raised their cameras to capture the occasion.

The Port’s other valued tugs, Huria Matenga, WH Parr, and Tōia were all alongside to greet their newest cousin, with flags flying in celebration. Also chaperoning the Damen 2411 in was the pilot cutter Waimea II and the Harbour Master’s vessel, skippered by Dave himself.

“It was a very exciting day!” he enthuses. “In my time I knew I’d see one new tug but didn’t expect to see a second one. It’s wonderful that the safety margins of the Port have increased exponentially because of the extra power of this vessel and the Tōia combined.”

Joining the new vessel in Tasman Bay to help bring her in through The Cut was John Tregidga, who was also part of the Port Nelson crew to have sailed the original Huria Matenga tug from Japan back in 1983.

With a 70 bollard tonne pull, the arrival of the Huria Matenga II is part of a $29 million investment to improve the Port’s infrastructure, along with works to Main Wharf. It means the Port will be equipped to welcome larger vessels of up to 270m long.

“This new tug's got the power of the Tōia and the WH Parr put together,” adds Dave. “They’re what we’ve used primarily for the last two years. In future though, the two key vessels will be the Huria Matenga II and the Tōia, with a special new role for the WH Parr. With its shallower draught the Parr’s perfect for moving ships around to the slipway.

“The investments currently being made are testament to the Board of Directors and Port taking safety very seriously.”

Climbing aboard, it’s clear the new vessel, like the others at Port Nelson, will be treasured. Padding was attached to the legs of the chairs in the galley to prevent damage to the flooring, large portholes have a glint and shine, and the controls and dashboard in the Bridge are extremely hi-tech. Managing everything ranging from the position of the propellers and monitoring of the fuel tanks, to adjusting the ventilation on board and floodlighting on deck – all are just a click away.

New tug's arrival signals bright future ahead

The arrival of the Huria Matenga II followed by the original Huria Matenga

PO T NELSON RE:PO T JULY 20194

In contrast to the tiny dials and joysticks that control them, the giant Caterpillar engines that power the 24m-long tug are each almost as big as a minivan. They drive the Rolls-Royce Azipods which have the propellers inside and are the vessel’s thrusters. Operation of these, which produce 5,500 horsepower, is the responsibility of the engineers Stephen McKee, Matthew Stuart, Denis Lloyd, and William McCoy. The fact that the propellers rotate through an entire 360 degrees gives the tug the ability to ‘turn on a dime’.

“I describe it as like flying a helicopter as opposed to a fixed wing aircraft,” says Josh Hanrahan, who will work on the new vessel as well as fellow Tug Masters Wayne Ricketts, Kevin Skelton and Troy Dando.

Alongside the engine room – which is 18m-long by 11m-wide – is a storage area that houses the mainframe computer, or the ‘brains of the ship’ as Will McCoy calls it, to which four workstations are connected. There’s also WiFi throughout.

“It’s a nice luxury to have a vessel like this, but they’re built strong and hopefully it’ll be with us for the next 20 to 30 years if we look after it,” says Josh. “Its bones are pretty much the same as the Tōia, but to make sure it’s ready to operate we’ve been coming in during our time off because there is a bit more to get our heads around since having greater power means we need to get used to how she travels.”

Considering the crew could be on board for five or six hours at a time, and not always during daylight hours – depending on shipping – it’s essential it has all the conveniences. In addition to a well-equipped galley, with a cooker, fridge and hob-top, there’re also three cabins, one each for the Master and Engineer and another with bunks for the deckhands, as well as a bathroom with shower. There’s even a laundry, with washing machine and tumble dryer.

There’s been a real buzz around the arrival of the Huria Matenga II and the potential it opens up for the Port.

“What’s really exciting is seeing the enthusiasm and work everyone’s putting into it,” says Dave. “It’s been a great effort by a great team!”

This new tug's got the power of the Tōia and the WH Parr put together. They’re what we’ve used primarily for the last two years. In future though, the two key vessels will be the Huria Matenga II and the Tōia, with a special new role for the WH Parr. With its shallower draught the Parr’s perfect for moving ships around to the slipway.

Will McCoy inspecting the Rolls-Royce Azipods

Will McCoy in the engine rooms

Tug Master Josh Hanrahan at the controls


Crane simulator lifts safety

Anyone who’s tried to teach a teenager to drive will know it can be nerve-racking. Imagine then trying to train someone to load and unload 39-tonne containers onto rocking vessels while perched 29m up on a wharfside crane.

Add to the scene the effects of the wind on the giant metal box dangling from the wires, the noise, the concern for personnel below, and the glare of the sun or the driving rain, and it all adds to the complexity.

For many years, there’s been just one way to teach future drivers of the giant Liebherr cranes that are essential to the Port’s operation – on the job training. However, thanks to a million dollar investment, Port Nelson now has a new and highly efficient way of preparing its team for the heady heights of its crane – in a state-of-the-art simulator.

Nelson is the first port in Australasia to operate the Liebherr LiSIM Crane Simulator system, and its arrival has understandably caused great excitement.

“It will definitely provide a much safer training environment,” says LHM Trainer Jared Nicholls, who’s been operating and training others in the Liebherr cranes for seven years. “It enables us to prepare people for many different scenarios, right through from the basics like positioning and latching on the spreader bar we use to lift the containers, to coping with and correcting the swing effect created for the loads once they’re at the end of the cables.

“As a trainer up in the cab sometimes we might get a bit nervous, for instance when the weight’s swinging towards us, and it’s tempting to jump on the controls, whereas with the simulator we can casually talk people through the whole scenario, no matter how bad the swing gets, so they learn more by correcting it themselves.”

In addition, the simulator provides training opportunities for other commonly used cranes at the Port – those which are located on the log vessels themselves, known as Ship Pedestal Cranes. As well as creating a safer environment, the simulator can also be used to assess the potential of prospective new drivers and also increases opportunities for more cost-effective and intensive training. “Ships only have a limited time in port, so the opportunities for people to learn at the controls have been restricted by that,” says Training Advisor Amanda Dykzeul.

“The simulator will enable people to build on their learning, day after day, and alleviates the pressures of working to vessel departures so that trainees can focus on developing their skills. Our vision is to have it operating 24/7 since that’s how our operation works."

As well as the driver, operation of a crane also involves a hatchperson, who is based on the vessel and works in conjunction with the driver via radio to provide additional visual information from a different perspective. This is essential since often visibility from the cab can be obscured by other items on board. The simulator also provides training for this vital role as it’s essential that anyone operating the cranes is skilled in both roles.


Martin Byrne’s services to the industry were formally recognised recently with the award of Honorary Life Membership of the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH).

This makes the outgoing CEO of Port Nelson one of an elite group of only three New Zealanders ever to have received the accolade.

The announcement was made at the AGM of the IAPH during the recent 2019 World Ports Conference in Guangzhou, China. The event was attended by more than 1,000 delegates from 60 countries and regions.

“It feels quite a privilege to be one of an exclusive group of three and I’m proud of the contribution I was able to make,” says Martin, who was taken completely by surprise by the award and expressed his sincere appreciation of the honour.

There are 230 ports from 90 countries represented within the IAPH, which has been the global ports forum for industry collaboration and excellence since 1955.

During his time with the organisation, Martin’s responsibilities have included serving as Vice President representing Asia and Oceania, as well as being New Zealand Executive Director for a number of years. He also spent some time as Chairman of the IAPH Communications and Community Relations Committee.

During his tenure with the organisation, the IAPH faced a time of considerable change as it sought to meet the evolving expectations of their members.

Martin joins former Ports of Auckland CEO Robert Cooper and former Port of Napier CEO Garth Cowie as the only New Zealanders ever to have been awarded honorary IAPH membership.

“Until now it’s been quite a long process to train as a Liebherr operator,” says Stevedoring Training Coordinator Olivia Carson. “From starting out as a wharfhand to operating a Liebherr crane could take five years. The aim is to reduce that time significantly, yet not compromise safety.”

The sought-after new technology is housed in a cabin alongside the stevedoring facility on Vickerman Street. Inside are three sections – one for the crane operator, another for the hatchperson, and a booth in the middle for the instructor.

The driver’s area consists of five giant screens to replicate the view from one of the crane’s glass cabs. There are original LiTRONIC crane controls and a high-tech motion sensor seat that adjusts to simulate the actual movement and vibration experienced in the cab. All this is accompanied by realistic sound effects. In the hatchperson’s pod a 42-inch screen and gaming-style controller enable the operator to simulate walking around at deck level way below the crane. A radio and headset allow the two staff to communicate.

The arrival of the simulator is not just good news for the Port but also those who live in the vicinity. “We have a stakeholder obligation to nearby residents to minimise noise, but learning to operate a crane can be noisy because in the initial stages with a beginner, they aren’t as skilled at soft, quiet touch downs," says Olivia.

To prepare the new system’s software and tailor it to Port Nelson’s needs, Jared and the rest of the team of experienced crane

operators have been putting it through its paces. “We’ve been working out the different scenarios it can create, including night, day, rain, fog and wind gusts,” he says. “We can even build in situations you’d hope never to see in real life.”

The team also spent some time working with the Liebherr representative and have been establishing benchmark levels, or scorecards, that trainees will need to work towards.

“We’re looking to set an ‘aspirational level’, a ‘standard level’ and a ‘minimal level’ through benchmarking of current driver skills,” says Olivia.

However, the simulator won’t completely eradicate the use of on the job training. “There are still certain things that can’t be trained on a simulator and will need to be taught on the cranes themselves to give trainees the opportunity to fine-tune their learning,” says Amanda. “And since we’re always striving for continuous improvement there are also opportunities for even our most skilled operators to gain from using the technology.”

Recently members of the Board of Directors were treated to a demonstration, and one even turned their hand at a spot of container shifting. “They were excited and could see it was a really sound investment,” adds Olivia. “We also had some members of the Port Noise Liaison Committee come through who were definitely impressed. Everyone’s excited and people can see the scope it offers.”

Prestigious IAPH award for Martin Byrne


Calwell Slipway – historic gear still shipshape

The saying ‘If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,’ has proved to be the saving grace for a magnificent piece of working history at Port Nelson.

Modern day engineers could find it hard to create something to beat the performance of the equipment in the winch house at Calwell Slipway, and yet parts of it are thought to date back to the early 1900s.

Although it’s hard to believe on first sight, the dated-looking gauges, dials and levers housed in the large aluminium and block shed form part of a tight and efficient operation that enables the Port to operate the largest slipway of its kind in New Zealand. Utilising a cradle system to which vessels are connected while still afloat, tolerances can be miniscule so accuracy is vital.

It’s thanks not only to excellent workmanship but also regular maintenance that this system is hugely effective at hauling vessels of up to 2,500 tonnes up the slipway for regulatory marine surveys and repairs.

“To think that these parts were created in the days when designs were drawn up by hand using sheets of paper is just fabulous,” says Slip Master Andy Wills, who was originally a marine engineer.

The historic winch system, with its traditional dials and gauges, was taken over by Port Nelson six years ago. The highly efficient slipway on which it operates is in continual demand, so there’s no room for unreliable equipment. “This gets booked up two years in advance,” says Andy, whose first experiences with the machinery were 20 years ago, when he became backup winch driver.

Five metres up on the mezzanine floor the lofty perch on which the control room is situated provides a window on the world of the

busy Port – not to mention a retreat for the canny starlings who make their nests here.

The brake levers alongside the dials in the ‘bridge-like’ setting look something more akin to a historic locomotive. They lead via a number of elbow joints to the 2.5m diameter drums of the winch system below, which was relocated from an old West Coast gold dredger in the 1960s. Grates in the rimu floor allow the operator to sight the winch cables beneath to ensure they’re winding correctly.

“There’re probably a lot of young electricians who’ve never seen anything like this,” says Andy. “It just goes to show that if people look after things they can last – you don’t have to throw things out just because they’re old.”

When he first started operating the machinery his induction involved little more than a cursory briefing on which lever to pull and when. “Health & Safety rules were different 20 years ago!” says the grandfather of five.

There’re probably a lot of young electricians who’ve never seen anything like this. It just goes to show that if people look after things they can last – you don’t have to throw things out just because they’re old.


Little else has changed over the years, except a few small additions, a couple of the newest being the ‘emergency stop’ button and the control room chair salvaged from a Toyota Corolla that had been destined for scrap. Another adaptation has been the addition of an air system to make hauling the levers a less strenuous job.

The cables to which the winch is connected are 182m long, so helping the winch master with the delicate job of hauling vessels out of the water from such a distance is the slip master from down on the wharf. The two are connected by radio, which is also the means of communication they use to keep in contact with the skipper in the ship’s wheelhouse, since members of the crew stay on the boat throughout the process.

Making sure the boat stays upright is obviously key. “If you get something with a narrow keel that takes some work,” says Andy.

Vital to this whole process are the divers who work in the water to position the blocks on the cradle to ensure it fits the hull snugly.

“The first time we’re going to be bringing a boat out we get the drawings of the hull in advance and the divers use them to help in positioning the blocks. It’s not always exactly the same but it’s still essential. They also need to know of any areas that are specified for work so that these are kept accessible.

“Of course, while we’ve got divers in the water, having good communication with the winch master is added protection and peace of mind for me,” adds Andy. “Everyone on site takes health and safety very seriously.”

It can take over an hour to winch a vessel to the top, and almost the same amount of time to position the cradle beneath the ship initially. All the while the team are working with the tides, which in Nelson can be higher than 4.6m.

There’s a lot to focus on in the winch house and it’s a noisy business, which is why the winch master wears quality ear protectors with radio speakers built-in. “But they still need to listen to the anomalies of the gear,” stresses Andy. “To all the little clicks and pings, and any high-pitched squeals. They’re all telling signs of how the operation’s going.”

For some vessels their stay on the slipway is short-lived, coming in on one high tide, and leaving on the next. Others have much longer stays. “We’ve had boats up here for six weeks and during that time there can be hundreds of people working on them,” adds Andy. “I remember we had a large fishing vessel and one morning I counted 250 people working on it by 8.30am.”

The people of Nelson should be proud of the work opportunities the slipway brings, Andy stresses. “It’s not just about Port Nelson, it’s about a whole community that benefits because it provides quite a bit of income locally.”

And then occasionally it’s the winch system itself that needs work. The cables are replaced every 8 – 10 years and every five or six years the team replaces the pins and bushes in the wheels. As far as spruce ups are concerned, the system doesn’t really require much more.

“Every now and again we have a bit of a sweep around and grease the winch,” says Andy. “It can be noisy and draughty up here in the winch house, cold in the winter and hot in summer, but really it’s fabulous!”

Andy at the winch controls

Slip Master Andy Wills

Winching a vessel into the slipway


Staff profiles

JA ED NICHOLLSStevedore Extraordinaire

Eleven years ago when Jared Nicholls joined Port Nelson with a fear of heights his friends and family could never have imagined his new ‘happy place’ would become a glass cab perched nearly 30 metres up a giant crane!

As one of the drivers of the Liebherr cranes that stack containers he’s adamant his job is the best around by far.

“There isn’t a better office view in Nelson!” says the 30-year-old, who started out at the Port as a wharfhand.

If ever there was an example of someone who’s maximised the training opportunities offered at the Port it’s Jared. And as a result he’s now one of the company’s most qualified stevedores. Jared has trained to work in many stevedoring positions on his progression towards becoming a Liebherr crane driver. He already held his forklift operating licence prior to joining the Port, a job he still loves to be involved in, but has since also qualified as, among other roles, foreman, supervisor and logship crane driver.

“I’ve been very lucky because the Port’s given me a number of training opportunities and also put me through NZQA standards and external courses so that I’m now also a qualified NZQA and a NZ Competenz Registered Assessor – which means I can do things like run forklift courses to an externally recognised level.”

Training others has also become an important part of Jared’s job, including giving extensive coaching in the Liebherr cranes, so he’s been delighted with the arrival of the new state-of-the-art simulator.

In his spare time Jared, who is married to Chayla, enjoys working on his Nissan Fairlady drift racecar – a vehicle he competes in and hopes to enter in the South Island Series later this year.

“The Port’s been really great for me in terms of career advancement,” he adds. “There aren’t many places I could have achieved such a broad range of experiences.”

ASHLEIGH ADFO DWorkshop Mechanic

Ashleigh Radford says it was the best birthday present ever when, the day before she turned 20, she received news she’d been offered a place at Port Nelson as Apprentice Mechanic.

Having studied on the Heavy Automotive Engineering course at the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, Ashleigh was keen to start work. So keen in fact, she completed the course three months early to make sure she could send her CVs out ahead of the others.

“I was the only female on the heavy automotive course, so wanted to get out there and prove I could do what any male could,” says Ashleigh, a former Warrant Officer at TS Talisman Sea Cadets who hopes to be a role model for other young girls.

It was in Year 12 at Waimea College that Ashleigh decided she wanted to train as a mechanic. “I didn’t want to be a girly girl. Mum and Dad are both truckies so I grew up in the passenger seat of a truck, then at home Dad would do some mechanical stuff and I’d watch and try to help.”

Having now been at the Port for a year and a half, she’s grateful for the opportunities it’s presented. “I was really happy to get a four year apprenticeship here. I work on the container handlers, forklifts, diggers, and sometimes on the cranes and the big red shuttle, which is a fun machine and definitely something a bit different.

“It’s a great place to learn. There’re a few guys who have been happy to take me under their wing and coach me, which is awesome. There’s also a broad range of machinery.”

And Ashleigh’s aiming high outside of work too. In her spare time, as well as making legendary focaccia bread, she’s also a competitive wood chopper – and has an impressive collection of ribbons from South Island Championships to show for it. “My aim now is to get to the Christchurch A&P show, and then onto the New Zealand team, the Axe Ferns,” she adds.


T EVO MA SDENContainer Wash Handler

Trevor Marsden is confident he has the best job in Nelson. He works independently, spends a good deal of his time outdoors, gets immediate job satisfaction from visible results, and works with an amazing team.

It’s six years since he joined Port Nelson as the Container Wash Handler and his eyes light up when he tells people how happy he is to be working with the company.

During a busy day he could waterblast his way through the inside of more than 90 containers.

“It’s a really physical job so it keeps me fit,” he says. “It’s amazing the state that some 'empty' containers arrive at the Port in, with decomposed food, or rubbish. On a few I need to use more than just water to get them clean, but we keep chemical use to a minimum, and all the wash off is caught in our purpose-built containment area for safe disposal.”

Trevor also helps drive cars off the transporters. “That’s been awesome,” says the grandfather of five. “I’ve driven Audis, Jags, Bentleys – cars I’d never have driven otherwise.”

An unexpected spin-off for him of working at the Port has been learning to cook. Together with former employee, Carol Crawford, he began regular Wednesday baking sessions to feed the mob at smoko. When Carol (the experienced baker) left, Trevor took on the role single-handedly, learning as he went, to continue the weekly baking sessions. From muffins and profiteroles to sausage rolls and mini quiches, what he produces is a constant source of delight to the team. Sometimes he’ll arrive on site at 5am to make sure he's finished baking before work.

“I couldn’t want for a better working environment,” enthuses Trevor. “When we asked for an oven for our smoko room one was installed without any problem. My supervisors Jonny and Grant are amazing and I’d like to thank Martin for his work here – he’s done a fantastic job!”

OSIE HO NBusiness Systems Specialist

Rosie Horn first became interested in IT when she realised how important its systems could be to making people’s working lives easier.

She also knew, from having spent some years working in administration, how frustrating it could be when software wasn’t ideally tailored to the roles for which it was being used.

That was why she decided to retrain for a career that would enable her to smooth out the IT processes and help make systems more suited to the needs of the end user.

So after studying a Graduate Diploma in IT at the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) she was delighted five years ago to secure a job with Port Nelson’s IT team.

“I’d worked here in a completely different role, part-time, for about 18 months while I’d been studying at NMIT,” says Rosie, who also has a degree in Design from Massey University and still finds time to indulge in her passion for photography and embroidery, combining the two by printing her images onto fabric and then enhancing them with skilful stitching.

“Back then I was doing invoicing in the operational area, so was familiar with JADE, the terminal operating system used to track containers, cargo, and ship movements. During that time I’d been working with one of the IT team, helping make improvements by automating things, which was good experience.”

Rosie’s repertoire now extends beyond JADE to cover the broad spectrum of systems utilised by the Port.

“I like that no two days are the same,” she says. “People could come to me with all matter of things that aren’t working for them. I enjoy IT as I am constantly learning about technology, strategy and the Port Nelson business.”

Outside of work, as well as her artwork, Rosie loves mountain biking and tramping – including walking her infamous pet pig Saunders! She also loves gardening, with an aim of being as self-sufficient as possible.


New journey for CEO

It’s the people at Port Nelson that Martin Byrne will miss most when he leaves his CEO role this year.

Martin’s association with the Port began in the mid-80s, straight from Nelson College, when he decided to take a year out before heading to university. He joined Union Maritime Services – part of the old Union Shipping Company of New Zealand – as a freight clerk and never left! By the age of 23 he had worked his way up to Branch Manager. Then at the age of 27 he saw an opportunity to set up his own shipping agency business, which he headed up and developed over three years. It was a role that was to lead to him travelling further afield since after selling the business to Adsteam Marine in 1996, he continued to work for them in Australia and Fiji as General Manager, including overseeing business development.

A move to Flinders Ports in Adelaide in 2001 saw him take up the GM role there, also covering business development, but when the position at Port Nelson was advertised in 2003 he was keen to apply.

With his experience over the years he was already well versed in the Port’s dynamics. “I felt there was room for improvement in terms of the culture – there’d been quite a feeling of division between management and wider staff so for me that was an obvious focus. Despite having been overseas for 13 years there were quite a few people I still knew, so I wasn’t coming to a strange environment.”

Just 38-years-old when he was appointed as CEO he became the youngest ever to have taken on the role. “I honestly wouldn’t have anticipated then how the Port would look today,” he says. “Back at the start it took a while to get my confidence up and for people to get used to me being in the role, especially those who’d known me before I went overseas.”

Having a good mentor in Chairman of the Board Nick Patterson was hugely appreciated by Martin. Sadly Nick passed away in 2016 but his name lives on in, among other ways, the Patterson Logistics Centre, so called in his honour.

At Martin’s start, the team at Port Nelson numbered approximately 180. “Staff numbers have grown quite considerably to around 330 now. There’s a lot of satisfaction in creating a lot more jobs.”

Since breaking down the barriers between management and the wider business had been a top priority, Martin leaves knowing there’ve been huge advances on this score. “There’s now a lot more visibility of management, for instance getting out on site, whether it’s to Toolbox meetings, on ships or out in the yards. Having a chance to get to know people and about their families is really important. We’re small enough too that you can do that reasonably well – it’s definitely one of the benefits. We’ve also done a lot around communication with regards to telling staff what’s going on with the business. There was once quite an adversarial relationship with the Union but these days we have a very constructive relationship and that’s due to a positive approach on both sides.

“I think people understand that as a management team we genuinely care about our staff,” adds Martin, a keen cricketer who still plays avidly at Masters level and has travelled to Sri Lanka,

Hong Kong and Singapore with his team. “We have a strong Wellbeing programme and aren’t the kind of company that thinks your personal life should be left at the door – that’s not the reality of modern living. This message has been pushed as a group but I was a big believer in it and that probably stems from my love of sports and the whole ‘team’ ethos.

“When I hear feedback from people who don’t necessarily have anything to do with the Port saying that it’s a great place, especially to work, it gives me a huge sense of satisfaction.”

The physical appearance of the site has of course changed considerably since Martin’s early days, including expansion in terms of land coverage. “There were a lot of buildings from the 1950s and 60s that after the Canterbury earthquake had to come down,” he adds. “Some would have gone anyway due to the changing landscape of the Port to make space for increased container storage. This has been a significant improvement over the years, as has consolidation of the log storage area.”

The first highlight for Martin in terms of structural changes to the Port was completion of Number 7 Shed, principally for storage for Nelson Pine Industries product. “That project had been in the early stages when I got here, so getting that over the line was good. At that time it was a large facility at 6,500m2 but to put it into perspective with the way the Port stands today, the QuayConnect buildings are about 23,000m2.”

The sheer scale of QuayConnect – a $20 million investment and the Port’s biggest single capital expenditure ever – could never have been envisaged back in 2004. “It’s been significant for us too in terms of getting out of the traditional port business and moving into third party logistics. That was a big fundamental change for us and was driven by Eugene Beneke’s innovative thinking. It’s also now potentially opened up some more opportunities. Diversification has proved highly successful for us – our stevedoring business is another example of this.”


Last year Martin travelled with Eugene, Jennie Harrison and Matt McDonald to Singapore following the announcement that the QuayConnect Patterson Logistics Centre was shortlisted as one of just six finalists in the prestigious Lloyd’s List Asia Pacific Awards ‘Port infrastructure Development of the Year’ category. It’s not the first time the facility had been shortlisted for awards, having already won two New Zealand accolades. And no wonder – it has revolutionised road freight across the top of the South Island, having halved truck journeys between the Port and the Marlborough wine region, with a corresponding reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Its success is in line with the company’s ethos to continually seek to reduce the impact of its activities on the local and global environment. It has surpassed all expectations around its potential for efficiency gains and environmental benefits.

“It was very cool attending the Lloyds List finals in Singapore and we were up against massive ports. We’re very proud of that and also of the fact we’ve taken some of the trucks off the roads as a result of the facility.”

Environmental planning has been one of Martin’s passions so he was delighted when, in 2007, Port Nelson was the first to receive ISO14001 environmental accreditation. That same year another first was achieved when the company appointed a full-time member of staff to oversee matters of the Environment and help drive further improvements. “I think among New Zealand ports we’re seen as a leader, which is something we’re very proud of. That started with methyl bromide recapture back in 2006/2007, through to working with the local community on noise mitigation, and recently too the clean-up of Calwell Slipway.”

Helping steer the Port through development of a strong Health & Safety ethos has been another of the biggest areas of change during Martin’s time at the helm, with dramatic steps forward. This has been helped considerably by the use of technology, for instance the use for Pilots of PPUs – used to gather real-time data when handing larger vessels – as well as, more recently, the latest crane simulator.

Vessel sizes have grown dramatically since the former freight clerk’s early days. He talks nostalgically of the time when the largest container vessels calling into Nelson carried around 150 containers. These days it’s more like 4,000, and length-wise, where vessels of just over 200m would have been pushing the limits 20 years ago, Nelson welcomed a 263m Maersk vessel in March 2018. In the not too distant future, with infrastructure changes and the investment in the new Damen ASD 2411 tug, there are hopes to increase that to ships of up to 270m.

“Continual investment means we’re keeping pace with demand as far as infrastructure is concerned,” says Martin. “We’re owned by the community and I think it’s helpful that we’re very visible and that we connect with the community, for instance with our open days, sponsorships and support of local organisations like the

There’s now a lot more visibility of management, for instance getting out on site, whether it’s to Toolbox meetings, on ships or out in the yards. Having a chance to get to know people and about their families is really important.

Chamber of Commerce. Our cargo volumes have increased and the results in terms of what we’ve paid back to our shareholders has been huge. That in turn reduces rates payments for people in the region – which is important to us.”

The Port has been involved in a number of youth-focussed initiatives, like Big Brothers Big Sisters, for which Martin became involved as a Director. He’s also served as Director to the Nelson Cricket Association, the Regional Development Agency (still current) and has been heavily involved in the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH), with positions including New Zealand Executive Director and Vice President representing Asia and Oceania. Most recently he made the news for having been awarded Honorary Life Membership – of which there are only two other recipients in New Zealand. The announcement was made at the 2019 World Ports Conference in China, which was attended by more than 1000 delegates from 60 countries and regions (see page 7).

As far as personal development goes, the memorable INSEAD management programme he attended in France in 2016 was an outstanding highlight. “It’s the best thing I’ve ever done,” he enthuses. “There were over 70 of us from around 30 countries and it covered management and leadership techniques. The fascinating thing was understanding that no matter what the industry, at a senior level the core challenges are all very similar.”

Martin’s clearly relished his time at Port Nelson, but the lure of new adventures has proved irresistible. “I’ve met a lot of different nationalities and been on Exec groups with people running the biggest ports in the world, seen lots of positive changes to the Port, and it’s all been really stimulating," says the proud father of three and owner of two much-loved German Shepherds. "However, when I arrived I was the youngest person on the Executive Team and now I’m the oldest (just!) so that’s probably a good gauge it’s time to move on.”

Martin and much loved Zeke


When the team at Port Nelson can collaborate with customers to help give them a competitive edge, they relish the opportunity. And it’s crystal clear that as a result of a new initiative with glass manufacturer O-I, that's exactly what's been achieved.

It’s not unusual for the two companies to work together in an innovative way – O-I was an integral partner in establishing QuayConnect, Port Nelson’s award-winning logistics model that stores and delivers its bottles throughout the South Island each year.

And now, as an extension to that service, QuayConnect is also organising and facilitating the coastal freight of the business’ product throughout New Zealand.

The deal gives Port Nelson authority to liaise directly with the shipping companies to facilitate shipping agreements on behalf of the global bottle and glass business' Auckland-based facility, and oversee deployment of the products to eight warehouses throughout the country. Since O-I is included in the discussions it gives transparency for all parties involved.

“Our warehousing facilities are strategically located in close proximity to our major customers,” says O-I’s New Zealand Distribution Manager, Craig Hitchcock. “This means we can get products to customers quickly, giving them greater flexibility and reducing the amount of inventory customers hold themselves. This gives us a unique advantage over our competitors.”

The new deal involves Port Nelson helping to establish a brand-new warehouse facility for O-I in Napier – the second largest wine growing region in New Zealand.

“We are continually reviewing our service, focusing on how we can improve our processes for our customers,” adds Craig. “This arrangement with Port Nelson does just that – offering a more efficient supply chain solution so we can deliver products faster and with greater reliability.

"We are extremely passionate about the environment and with an infinitely recyclable product such as glass, it’s important that we remain focused on continuing to do whatever we can to drive a more sustainable supply chain."

One region especially earmarked for increased supply via coastal shipping is that of Wellington, to reach the growing number of wine producers in the Martinborough area.

“It’s unique for a port to collaborate with a customer in this way, not to mention with other ports, as we are also doing,” says General Manager Business Development Eugene Beneke. “It’s a good example of industry working together. O-I has been a significant customer and we’ve always thought a bit more outside the box in terms of the services we can offer them.”

Given O-I is a major supplier of the bottles used for New Zealand-produced wine, as well as those used for bottling New Zealand beers, the volumes involved are significant. QuayConnect is now responsible for the coastal shipping for O-I of 145 million items a year around the country.

Crystal clear advantages from collaboration

The day shift team of QuayConnect


E-learning boosts training opportunities

Port Nelson’s new E-learning Centre may just look like a room with computers, but actually it’s a space to help people unlock their full potential.

The new facility fits well with the company’s drive towards the increased use of technology in training. It’s hoped that access to the six terminals will enable more to take advantage of this push, no matter what part of the business they’re from.

“There are some staff who don’t use computers at home, and some who might just like an environment away from their regular workspace in which to learn, so this will be a really valuable space,” says Stevedoring Training Coordinator Olivia Carson.

Although aimed at the wider business, the facility – which is based at the Vickerman Street site – will prove especially useful for stevedores and those in the Container Terminal during times of particularly bad weather.

“If there’s a high wind event for example that causes temporary closures it gives another option to utilise that time,” adds Olivia. “It’s especially helpful as the use of technology is growing throughout the business – for instance the use of Voyager, the new software that revolutionised our labour allocation processes.”

The company has also recently launched online training platform Bracken to facilitate access for staff to tailored online training and assessment material.

Through Bracken, online tutorials or lengthy guides to specific subjects can be broken down into modules of manageable sizes, with short tests or questions at the completion of each module. “It uses mixed media and includes videos and photos to help keep people engaged,” says Port Nelson Training Advisor Amanda Dykzeul. “In a port environment it can be pretty hard to get people in a classroom for additional training so this will work really well because with Bracken they can access the material from anywhere – as long as they have access to the internet. It enables us to reach a wide number of people, and allow them to complete at their convenience.

“We’ve had a good response from it so far. It’s useful to give people access to another way of understanding what the environment is that they’re going to be working in and to give context so they can see what their role is within that.

“It’s all been pretty exciting because there’s such great potential. The whole idea is to broaden what we can offer in terms of effective training delivery. It’s got to be part of the package though – we don’t want everyone just sitting on a computer to learn because you can’t beat on-job training.”

QuayConnect Operations Manager Jaron McLeod and his team have worked hard to get the process up and running. Further efficiencies are also in the pipeline through increased implementation of PELORUS, the new mobile application offering customers monitoring and management through live data direct from the Port.

“This is all part of our continuous improvement programme,” says Jaron. “There are also some operational benefits to the Port from this in terms of having insight into the flow of containers into the third party logistics sites, which means we can prepare resources in readiness for their arrival. It also enables us to avoid containers leaving empty because we can anticipate when there’s space for other products. We’re now able to re-issue containers before they have even arrived, so that there’s no time wasted.”

The plan now is to appoint a QuayConnect employee to work alongside O-I’s team at their Auckland base, where the plant operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They will manage the relationship, working closely with the production, sales and forecasting team, feeding information back to Port Nelson.

“Port Nelson and O-I are very similar in that we want to keep pushing the boundaries, ensuring we build one of the most efficient and sustainable supply chains in the country,” says Craig. “We work very well together. This new initiative is stepping it up to another level and I’m very excited by what’s to come.”

Bookings to use the new E-learning facility – whether independently or in conjunction with a trainer – can be made by emailing [email protected], or [email protected]

Members of the Auckland O-I Glass team

QuayConnect trucks transporting O-I Glass through Marlborough


The workshop – a tradie’s heaven equipped for giants

It’s more than fitting that a member of the team in Port Nelson’s busy workshop is nicknamed Hobbit – the enormous, well-equipped facility on Graham Street would dwarf anyone. The doors alone are 12m high and, weighing in at around two tonnes, are so large it took two people to open or close them. At least that was until Hobbit (aka Auto Electrician Greg Dyer) came up with an ingenious solution involving a car battery, solar panels and a chain system that enables its closure at the touch of a button.

Completed in 2017, the workshop is big enough to accommodate the giants on which the 17-strong team based here need to work – including the container-handling forklifts, which tower at 11.5m high. Prior to its construction any maintenance or repairs to these vehicles would be completed outside in all weathers since no indoor facility was large enough to house them.

The two-storey space gives the team of sparkies, engineers, plumbers, auto electricians, mechanics and storemen not just the benefit of height and space, but also improved lighting and ergonomics, and accommodates all the engineering, carpentry and mechanics activities within one facility.

“The workshop revolves around the mechanics,” says Workshop Supervisor Craig Terris, who’s headed up the team for the last 11 years. “If you can’t move cargo you don’t have a port, and everything that moves cargo has an engine, which means these guys look after it.

“Having this facility is fantastic. You can shut the doors so you’re out of the wind. It’s also out of the frost or the rain and has a nice

flat, flawless surface.” Mechanics Foreman Tony Raumati and his crew of six – Geoff Cross, Callan Savage, Marie Hearn, Dave Upton, Connor Griffith and apprentice Ashleigh Radford – are all highly appreciative of that.

The layout works well, with bench workspace around the periphery. It was Engineering Officer John Hart who came up with a rough sketch of the building’s initial design, and everyone else was then given an opportunity to refine it.

Craig, like the rest of his team, oozes enthusiasm. “Every day’s a good day,” he says. “I’m proud of what my team does. Sometimes I wrongly get credit for an idea or end result and I’m quick to point out that it’s my crew that make it work. I couldn’t ask for a better bunch.”

The first workbay through the giant doors is that used by Greg, who proudly tells how he gained his Tolkienesque nickname. “I used to be the shortest guy in the workshop and on some of the forklifts you have to get under the sump to clean the radiators out. I was the only guy that could fit in there and since they called it the Hobbit Hole, that’s how I got my nickname. For that job I basically turn into a human pipe-cleaner!”

Surprisingly clean and orderly, the workshop’s not what you’d expect of such a well-used facility. Large tanks store lubricants which are pumped directly to wherever they are needed. Even the pit, 12m-long and 2m-deep, is pristine. “The mechanics previously had to crawl underneath the container-handling forklifts,” adds Craig, who prior to joining Port Nelson had experience as a high voltage electrical fitter, and before that as a policeman. “Even for those vehicles that were small enough to get into the old workshop, the pit inside the old facility was narrower and shallower, so this new one means they can do the job quicker and much more efficiently.”

Alongside the mechanics’ two-storey workshop is the carpentry and plumbing area, watched over by Carpenter and Skilled Hand

The workshop team


Neil Ketchen and Plumber Barry Cross. “Barry’s just finished replacing the water pipe that runs the length of McGlashen Quay and Neil could be building a fence, fixing up a shelf, or putting up a sign, for instance,” says Craig. “Basically, anything to do with construction, carpentry or plumbing comes through here.”

No job is too big or too small – recently a bicycle on a stand was adapted to enable the rider to operate a blender driven off the front wheel for a keep-fit campaign. The golf trophies were also created here by Neil using parts of the old wharf and recycled clubs.

Another spacious separate bay is full of substantial metal-working equipment. It’s here that General Engineer Ian Harvey can be found, who’s also deputy slip master and a relief tug engineer. “He’s probably one of the cleverest general engineers I’ve ever known,” says Craig. “There’s nothing with metal he can’t do. It’s amazing!”

Also critical to the workshop team are the electricians, whose space – in keeping with the rest of the building – is clean, tidy and orderly, with equipment neatly stacked and toolboxes at the ready.

“It’s the variety that working here gives us that I love,” says Electrician Manfred Ortner. “One day I could be fixing a security camera, a gate or working on a power factor unit to make electricity use more efficient, and the next I could be out on a vessel checking the beacons or weather stations in the harbour. The most exciting part for me though is going to the top of the cranes because it’s a really beautiful view, especially on winter mornings as the sun rises.”

Flexibility is key in this department, just as it is throughout the whole workshop. Manfred and the two other sparkies – Dennis Maxted and Steve Williams – share overnight on-call duty between them. “They’re a dedicated bunch,” says Craig. “When the call comes at three in the morning that something needs fixing, they’ll be out there in all weathers.”

Making sure the Port is well stocked helps significantly with its smooth-running, especially considering the nature of the work involves operating to short timeframes dictated by tides and vessels. “If a ship’s meant to leave on a high tide and a piece of kit breaks down we need to make sure we can fix it quickly. We don’t want to end up with a situation where the vessel has to leave without containers because of a breakdown so we keep a reasonable amount of spares.”

Thanks to warehouse storerooms specially built alongside the workshop, there’s plenty of space to stock all sorts of items. Making sure this is well provided for is Storeman Chris Growcott. He buys the bulk of what Port Nelson requires on a day-to-day basis, from replacement giant timbers for wharf repairs, engine parts, oil filters and lubricants, to hi-vis jackets, glass cleaner, coffee, and even the onions for Port BBQs.

“A lot of what we need in the workshop – for instance the 1.6m-high tyres for the container handlers – can’t just be bought up the road, so Chris keeps a number in stock.”

And ensuring items are paid for promptly, with the correct coding applied, not to mention keeping the team’s payroll entries up-to-date, is Tina Rajino who Craig refers to as ‘the God of Data’. “She looks after all our systems, our maintenance management, payroll and our credit card transactions,” adds Craig. “We spend a lot of money here just to keep the show on the road. It’s got to be coded properly and accounted for. We might not contribute to profit but we certainly facilitate that the business is functioning properly and to that end the new workshop was definitely a sound investment.

“As a team the crew feel a sense of duty and pride in what they do. They are driven and that’s what makes things work so well here.”

Every day’s a good day. I’m proud of what my team does. Sometimes I wrongly get credit for an idea or end result and I’m quick to point out that it’s my crew that make it work. I couldn’t ask for a better bunch.

Team members attending to some heavy lifting Barry Cross


Students learn the ropes with mussel workshops

Having access to world-class laboratory facilities is something most NCEA Biology students can only dream of. For some it's reality though thanks to an initiative that’s making ‘real world’ science available to youngsters.

Every year, biology students from colleges and high schools throughout the top of the South Island are invited to spend two days at the Cawthron Institute’s Aquaculture Park (CAP) studying green-lipped mussels and developing their own research projects.

The annual workshops, which are supported by Port Nelson, are delivered by the Cawthron Institute in collaboration with the University of Otago, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) and SpatNZ.

The aim is to provide Year 13 students from the Nelson Tasman region with an opportunity to participate in science in a working laboratory, showing them how exciting a career in aquaculture research can be.

“The philosophy behind establishing the workshops was that since we've got the expertise, industry support and facilities, we could make that accessible to students,” says Cawthron Manager Elizabeth Bean. “They cater for up to 200 students each year and have been really popular, with some really excellent feedback. It’s quite exciting for the students to put on the white coats and be out at the facility they wouldn’t otherwise have access to.”

The first workshop was held in 2012 and since then more than 1,200 students have taken part, some from as far afield as Kaikoura.

Prior to the visit to CAP, the students are introduced to the topic via a classroom visit or Skype call from either a member of the Cawthron team or from NZ Marine Studies Educator Richard de Hamel, who works with the University of Otago. “This gives the educators chance to explain about the mussel lifecycle and its biology, with discussions around potential experiments, so students have time in their own classrooms to come up with ideas they might want to investigate,” says Elizabeth.

As part of their visit the students are initially taken on a tour of the state-of-the-art facilities at CAP, including SpatNZ, and are then given full access to the NMIT laboratory to carry out their experiments. During break times they get to rub shoulders with the professionals themselves as they share the tearoom with the resident scientists.

Each student carries out a bespoke experiment that’s been approved in advance with their teacher. Some of these have included changing variables such as water temperature, salinity, adrenalin, or oxygen levels to see the response on the mussels’ heart-rate.

“The students get to see and work with baby mussels – the spat – as well as fully grown mussels, so they see the process right through from DNA to dinner plate, and gain an understanding of how the research at CAP can effect productivity,” says Elizabeth.

“We’ve never had to turn students away because on the occasions where demand has been greater than expected, we’ve expanded the number of places available by running workshops on Saturday too.”

One student who attended the first workshop in 2012 went on to complete a Bachelor of Science and a Graduate Diploma in Marine Science. Alice McCullough, who studied at Waimea College, has now started her Master’s degree. Alice was also one of Cawthron’s summer scholars and spent ten weeks looking at the use of algae as feed in the aquaculture industry.

“Just reading the feedback forms from students saying how much they’ve learnt and how they see science as fun and hands-on, shows how valuable they think the workshops are,” adds Elizabeth. “To be given this insight into the way research can make a really positive difference to industry success is inspirational for students.”

Students participating in aquaculture research


There’s a huge amount of pride that goes into growing premium quality kiwifruit worthy of Zespri branding.

So when it comes to transporting the trays of precious cargo overseas, ensuring it remains in prime condition is top priority.

And that’s where Port Nelson and CMA CGM, a world leader in shipping and logistics, have a role to play. As part of a special deal with Zespri, CMA CGM offers a service throughout the kiwifruit season that provides a weekly containerised link direct from Nelson to Northern Europe.

This means that fruit grown in the top of the South Island can reach its market in only 34 days on just one vessel.

“This special service is great for our growers because they know that every week they can ship their kiwifruit from Nelson in containers directly to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge,” says Zespri’s Shipping Manager Mike Knowles.

Not only does this direct service mean a faster transit time, since it avoids the need to transfer containers to different ships en-route (known in the business as trans-shipment), it removes the risk of delays that could be caused by missed connections. There’s also less chance of the containers getting knocked and damaged.

“CMA CGM is the world’s second-largest carrier of refrigerated containers, otherwise known as Reefers, with a fleet of 380,000 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units),” says CMA CGM Agency Manager in New Zealand Gary Carter. “We are happy to help our customers such as Zespri use the Group’s best-in-class services and technology innovation capabilities to handle and ship their fresh produce.”

Around three million trays, or approximately 10,000 tonnes of green and gold kiwifruit are grown in Nelson alone for Zespri and transported on the CMA CGM vessels from Nelson. Their journey takes them through the Panama Canal and then to the East Coast of the USA, before crossing the Atlantic.

“There are additional benefits too in that once the vessel leaves Nelson it calls at Tauranga, where we load our kiwifruit grown in the North Island,” adds Mike. “We also use it for trans-shipping our

containers that are going to other destinations like Asia.

“To be able to offer this link to our growers is a huge advantage. Kiwifruit is perishable and although it’s a very strong fruit, from the minute it’s picked it starts to soften. It’s our aim to get it to the market quickly and keep it in optimum storage conditions.”

And it’s not just Zespri which appreciates the value of the regular direct service. “A number of other exporters use it because of the advantages it offers,” adds Mike.

Zespri’s relationship with Port Nelson first began over 30 years ago. “I would say that’s strengthened since we introduced the containerised service direct to Northern Europe,” adds Mike.

“Port Nelson has a good team and is always responsive, for instance the extension of operating hours for receival of containers during busy times. I also think their customer focus has really increased in recent years, and with the investment in the new tug and main wharf, the quality infrastructure will allow the Port to continue to operate to a good standard. From a customer’s point of view that’s great to know.”

Thomas Bros LtdPaul Thomas’ family have been growing kiwifruit in the Tasman region since the late 1970s and supplying to Zespri since it was formed. Paul’s grandfather planted the farm’s first kiwi vines in 1978.

From Thomas Bros Ltd’s 65 hectares they now grow 3000 tonnes of kiwifruit, as well as apples, pears and cherries.

The firm has been very appreciative of the weekly direct service. “We export 90% of what we grow and that travels via Port Nelson,” says Paul. “This regular link gives us consistency to move the right product to the right part of the world, at the right time.

“Our whole business revolves around trying to provide a good eating quality for the consumer, so we benefit hugely when our logistics coolchain movement is efficient and effective.

“In addition to that though, by having a similar amount of fruit going out each week we can ensure we have consistent work for our staff, which helps significantly and that’s definitely a huge advantage.”

From Zespri to Zeebrugge – keeping fruit fresh

Thomas Bros Ltd Orchard Kiwifruit ready for export


www.portnelson.co.nz

T h e R e g i o n ’s G a t e w a y t o t h e W o r l d

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