Business Central July 2021

60 | “We have a sales team in Auckland, and from a logistics point of view, we are ideally placed. We’re sourcing all our vegetables from three main areas of the North Island. These include Hawke’s Bay inclusive of Bay View, Havelock North and all around Hastings; Central Hawke’s Bay and the Manawatu.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Hawke’s Bay - McCain Foods Enjoying the bounty of Hawke’s Bay T T Richard loader McCain Foods has been an integral part of the Hawke’s Bay landscape since 1996. O perating at the peak of its busy pro- cessing season in Hawke’s Bay, the food bowl of New Zealand, McCain Foods has a saying, ‘We like to drink the local wine’. From a region with a history steeped in viticulture, drinking the local wine might seem apt, but the saying refers to the rich bounty of local people, product and services feeding into the successful operation at McCain Foods in Hastings. McCain Foods has been an integral part of the local landscape since 1996 when the family-owned Canadian business purchased the existing processing plant and a very manu- al packhouse from Growers Ltd. A legacy they have held strong ever since. Recently appointed Plant Manager Sonny Quilliam says McCain Foods has 108 perma- nent employees registered, increasing by up to 100 people during the six months peak processing between late November and the first two weeks of June. “Our people are predominantly drawn from the greater Hastings area, including the sub- urb of Flaxmere, and nearby Napier,” Sonny said. Staff safety and well-being are key consid- erations for Sonny and his team, and McCain Foods is in the process of endorsing a pro- gramme called ‘For Us - For Family’. “We want to ensure all our team return to their families safely after a day’s work. We’re organising a family day to celebrate the launch,” says Sonny. “We want to provide an opportunity for our people to show where their mother, father, brothers or sisters work on the line. The idea is to move the needle on safety and transition to a position of interdepend - ency, where we all take responsibility for our own and each other’s safety.” Working within the community also means supporting the community, and McCain Foods readily engages with a number of community charities, particularly those connected with food, and supports schools and organisations such as Women’s Refuge. Over its almost 25 years, the plant has un- dergone various upgrades, with a $50 million modernisation to the plant’s existing process - ing lines in 2010, along with the installation of a new prepared food line and a significantly upgraded packing room. The plant processes and packages carrots, beans, peas and corn. Enjoying between 2,100 and 2,200 sunshine hours each year, Hawke’s Bay’s warm and sheltered climate is a clear advantage for Mc- Cain Foods’ contract growers, but the plant is also centrally located for distribution through- out the country. “We have a sales team in Auckland, and from a logistics point of view, we are ideally placed. We’re sourcing all our vegetables from three main areas of the North Island. “These include Hawke’s Bay inclusive of Bay View, Havelock North and all around Hastings; Central Hawke’s Bay and the Manawatu.” With the fickle nature of vegetable growing, sourcing product from various regions pro- vides good risk management against floods or other conditions impacting any particular region, as last November’s Hawke’s Bay floods did. “Spreading our vegetable supply from here to Manawatu gives us good yields and crops at a staggered time. It’s also close to the plant. Manawatu is just three hours away. “All our vegetables are grown on contract and our agricultural team travels around mon- itoring planting and growing and providing agronomy advice when needed. “Then when it comes time for harvesting we get the sample results and analyse them to ensure we’re picking at prime.” Sonny has been part of the McCain journey for the majority of his working life, starting from the shop floor and working his way through a range of senior management roles in Australia and New Zealand. PROUD TO BE SUPPORTING McCain Foods - Hawkes Bay Providing McCain Foods with quality corrugated packaging, made from renewable, sustainably harvested forestry and recycled wood fibre. Oji Fibre Solutions (NZ) Ltd 30 Johnston Way, Whakatu 06 870 3604