Business News

Dieter Adam, a senior executive with experience in a broad range of international and national commercial and scientific organisations, has been appointed Chief Executive of the New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association (NZMEA). Announcing the appointment, NZMEA President Tom Thomson said Dieter has a solid record of performance and leadership especially in the areas of international business development and innovation management. “He comes to us from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) where he worked with a large number of New Zealand’s leading food and beverage exporters, as well as manufacturers in the agritech sector, helping them grow their export businesses. This experience gave him a unique oversight of different approaches to international business development.” With a Ph.D. in plant biotechnology and having held research positions in Germany and Denmark, Dieter Adam arrived in New Zealand from Germany in 1986 to take up an academic position at the University of Waikato. He joined the commercial world in 1994 and has held senior management positions in the primary industry (Rayonier New Zealand, Livestock Improvement Corporation), as well as his own consultancy business. “Dieter’s experience covers senior executive and governance roles in the manufacturing and service sectors combined with business-to-business and business-to-consumer relationships, both internationally and in New Zealand. “His time with NZTE allowed him to build valuable relationships with government agencies charged with implementing the Government’s Business Growth Agenda,” Tom Thomson said. Dieter Adam said he is looking forward to joining the NZMEA at a time when there are significant opportunities and challenges for New Zealand’s manufacturing and exporting sector.  

Over the last couple of years I have been receiving information from Wal Mart workers in the USA about their conditions and terms of employment and salary. They have a very intensive campaign which continues their push for improved wages so they have a fair deal and can afford to pay their bills. So my ears pricked up here – naturally enough – when the plight of the takeaway workers became apparent with their employers over zero-hour contracts. At this time, let’s give some credit for the role of the trade unions doing the right thing by the above mentioned workers. Trade unions support workers, they want to see people getting a fair go and being able to feed their children and not left at the bottom of the pecking order. Trade unions are a compass to show the direction to better things. And even if you are not a member of a union you can still applaud their pro-activity for attempting to make life better for others. If we measure the take away worker on a low income as against, say, a tradesman the salary is miles apart. The take away worker is still productive, however, and through their efforts allows their employer to add to the nation’s GDP. Maybe less skilled but still a valued member of society, of a community and contributing in domestic and business environments. New Zealand is a high tech country. However, not all of our citizens are into hi-tech working at Fisher & Paykel or the Reserve Bank. We are all, though, the sum of parts that make up this country and contribute to our going forward. All countries are categorised as having blue and white collar workers. The colour of your collar is not what makes you a better person, is it? […]

Guests at the HERA House re-opening           HERA House, home of the New Zealand Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA), celebrated the re-opening of its refurbished premises, officiated by the Minister for Research and Innovation Hon Steven Joyce. The building’s refurbishment coincided with 30 years of service, and the Minister congratulated the Association on the impressive $2m face-lift of the metals engineering industry-owned facility. Acknowledging HERA’s role as an important non-profit private sector [WS1]industry body that acts as the resource centre for New Zealand’s metals-based engineering industry, Mr Joyce said that while there are very good CRI and university research entities, it is organisations such as HERA and sister associations like SCNZ (Steel Construction NZ), NASH (National Association for Steel-framed Housing) and Metals New Zealand that play an important role in growing the industries and sectors they represent. The Heavy Engineering Educational Research Foundation or HEERF is the owner of HERA House. A key objective of HEERF is to recognise individual and company excellence, and promote the careers and development of the engineering profession associated to the industry. This has been achieved in the funding of awards such as the annual sponsorship of final year student engineering project awards, the industry awards Innovator of the Year and Exporter of the Year, and the most prestigious award the Keith Smith Memorial Award for Distinguished Services to Industry. HERA Executive Chairman John Frear introduced HERA’s mission “to have an internationally competitive New Zealand Metals Engineering Industry. We want HERA to be the catalyst to achieve this through ongoing innovation. Therefore HERA’s mission is clearly to assist industry innovation in the provision of research, education, marketing and advocacy functions.” John also introduced HERA’s New Zealand Welding Centre, “The Welding Centre focuses on the key technology of metals based fabrication – […]

The TGM Creative team (Rachael Smith positioned second-from-right and Andrea Leadbetter positioned middle). New Plymouth-based TGM Creative has made a rewarding entry to PrintNZ training programmes, with its print specialist/graphic designer Rachael Smith being named as one of five finalists in this year’s Apprentice of the Year Awards. With judges now in the throes of determining the ultimate winner, TGM Creative owner Andrea Leadbetter says the process has “really opened our eyes to the benefits of extra staff training”. “Rachael is currently our only staff member in a PrintNZ training programme and this is the first time we have entered this award,” says Mrs Leadbetter. “As a design, print, web and marketing agency working with many of Taranaki’s largest organisations, it is important that the company offers the most qualified and experienced specialists across all areas and this qualification was no exception. We can now offer specialist print knowledge to the Taranaki business community that wasn’t previously available.” In regards to Ms Smith specifically, Mrs Leadbetter describes her as being an “extremely organised person” who takes her role within the company “very seriously”. “Helping clients to produce the best solutions for their printing requirements is something she does on a daily basis, so completing her print apprenticeship one whole year early with three of her five assignments achieving excellence was no surprise to us. “She also actively participates in assisting the organisation with continuous improvement and helping other staff members to improve their own delivery through streamlining systems, as well as regularly updating quality manuals. “Additionally, Rachael has some medical challenges, so she has juggled this whole process in between regular visits to her specialist in Wellington, life-changing surgery and full-time work — and has co-ordinated it so she causes the least amount of disruption in the workplace.” Ms Smith […]