38 | Hume Pack-N-Cool T T Kim Newth Four decades of kiwifruit coolstores Back in the mid-1980s, the family’s modest target was to pack and store 100,000 trays of fruit a year. Today, the post-harvest team handles that much kiwifruit in just one day. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Kiwifruit packhouse and coolstore specialist Hume Pack-N-Cool Ltd reached a very special milestone at the end of March 2024, marking 40 years since the Hume family launched Katikati’s first kiwifruit coolstore. Their first packhouse soon followed. Fired by a spirit of innovation and a determination to support local growers, the business has continued to evolve, grow and adapt through the decades. Back in the mid-1980s, the family’s modest target was to pack and store 100,000 trays of fruit a year. Today, the postharvest team handles that much kiwifruit in just one day. In their 40th anniversary year, Hume Pack-NCool is on track to handle a record breaking 6.8 million trays. “Our early adoption and rapid scaling of automation, coupled with significant investment in coolstore capacity, is helping us to maximise our growers’ returns amidst the industry’s largest ever year on year increase on volume,” observes CEO Simon Bowker. This harvest season, as the kiwifruit bounty is being carefully packed, photos and stories are being gathered too as memories of the early years are shared and the team reflects on the legacy of their founder, the late Dave Hume. Dave was both a farmer and a community leader, who was quick to recognise the potential of kiwifruit back in the early 1980s and spearheaded his family’s transition from dairy farming into growing kiwifruit. All seven of Dave and Irene Hume’s children have contributed to Hume Pack-N-Cool’s evolution through the years. As second son Mark recalls, venturing into postharvest in the mid-1980s - by developing their own dedicated cool storage space and packhouse - was a logical step that brought greater control over their fledgling operation. It was a case of all hands on deck for harvest season in the early days, with everyone spending time away from day jobs to help in the family business. “It’s just what we did to make it work,” explains Mark, who serves today as Hume Pack-N-Cool’s Chairperson. “Now the season runs for nine months but back then we’d start packing about the 10th of May and would be all done by the end of May.” Packing was a labour intensive operation to begin with. Mark’s brother Owen, who ran the packhouse, used to stand at the side of the belt hand-filling every empty cup on the ma- “We are absolutely focused on delivering as much value back to our growers, staff and industry as we can.” chine. Facing rapid growth, the family was fast to respond by innovating, regularly building new coolstores to keep up with demand. Inevitably, there were tough years, for example in 1992 when the market dived just as interest rates soared. That same year, the Humes formed a grower supply entity that was industry leading at the time and helped growers navigate through that difficult period. Supporting the rise of Gold also stood them in good stead through some choppy years. The Humes were early adopters, too, of new software to replace reliance on paperwork. Technology and innovation have kept the company at the forefront. It’s certainly not all about volume. Quality is also king in this industry. Last year alone, Hume Pack-N-Cool spent $1.8m installing automatic, camera-driven graders to ensure that fruit is graded in line with grower and market expectations. “We are absolutely focused on delivering as much value back to our growers, staff and industry as we can,” says Simon. The company’s 40th anniversary is being recognised in a special way this year, with packing discounts being offered on the Hayward variety, as well as Gold to acknowledge the significant part both varieties have had in their journey. Community and family remain at the heart of this business. The Hume family still has a major stake in the company’s ownership. Today, Hume Pack-N-Cool employs 75 permanent staff and up to 500 seasonal workers, including two of Dave’s grandchildren. Together, they are continuing to build on what Dave started, as a major player in an industry that is still contributing so much to the region’s prosperity and wellbeing. keeping kiwis cool since 1997 PROUD TO SUPPORT HUME PACK N COOL
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