52 | FORESTRY Kaingaroa Tipu Hugh de Lacy New nursery strengthens supply chain to page 54 Kaingaroa Tipu, the forestry company previously known as Timberlands, has reinforced its commitment to Rotorua and the central North Island with the development of a purpose-built bare-root nursery at Rerewhakaaitu. Built on a former dairy farm and designed for scale, sustainability and future growth — hence the “tipu” which translates as growth or blooming — the new facility strengthens tree crop supply for the 215,000ha Kaingaroa Forest estate, while generating local employment, contractor activity and enduring economic benefit for the region. The nursery, south-east of Rotorua, was officially opened by the city’s Mayor, Tania Tapsell, in November. The event coincided with the company announcing its re-branding, making it a celebration of its long-term investment in forestry infrastructure and regional development. Forestry is one of Rotorua’s cornerstone industries, and the new Kaingaroa Tipu nursery strengthens the value-chain from seedling tree to processing and export in the central North Island. Describing the nursery’s opening as a landmark for the business, Kaingaroa Tipu Chief Operating Officer Dean Witehira says the development had been years in the making. “To see it come to life was both humbling and exciting. “This sets our nursery operations up for the future, supporting our people and the contractors we work with,” Dean says. The company employs staff totaling about 160 across its main sites and the Rotorua head office, the Rerewhakaaitu and Te Ngae nurseries, the Kaingaroa Processing Plant and the Murupara Log Yard. Totalspan Rotorua-Taupo is proud to have been involved with the Rerewhakaaitu Nursery development, helping support the future of forestry in New Zealand. Totalspan Rotorua-Taupo 114 Old Taupo Road, Rotorua 07 349 4050 Its workforce spans the supply chain, from the forest genetics laboratory and nursery through to industry leaders in forest operations and the health and safety regimes that go with them. The workforce is rounded out with a range of technical and environmental specialists and corporate staff.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=