| 33 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT - SOUTH CANTERBURY Silver Fern Farms Pareora Pareora plant an ‘all year round employer’ from page 30 Loving the job - page 34 ”We’ve established a great reputation and relationship with our farmers and there are a number of farmers wanting to sign up with us. Being a preferred processor is certainty something to be proud of. “Pareora is one of the few plants, if not the only meat processing plant in New Zealand that has the capability to process five species including lamb/sheep, goat, beef/calves and venison.” While predominantly processing sheep and lamb, bobby calves are processed from the start of August to the end of October. “We’ve gone from being a seasonal processor to an all year round employer, which has helped with the retention of staff. “Pareora currently operates quite a traditional meat processing plant in terms of technology but there will be investment in new technologies including automation, mainly to fill the gap given the shortage of people to operate the plant. “Before those technologies can be introduced there will need to be quite a bit of work on the building structures themselves to facilitate workflow. Automation will not lead to a loss of jobs.” Last year Silver Fern Farm’s Pareora plant injected $55 million into the wider community through wages and salaries with a further $35 million also going to local suppliers and contractors. Bruce says as site manager he has also been fortunate to have the ability and the funds to support community based projects. “We operate our own composting system and donate a lot of compost to the local Lions Club who sell it to fund special projects. Last year we supported the Caroline Bay Rock & Hop with a BBQ as a joint venture with Fulton Hogan and all those proceeds go to the local hospice. “We also supported the Central South Island Charity Bike Ride with three riders in it, fully funded by the business. This year we have five riders including myself.” Through its 117-year journey, Silver Fern Farm’s Pareora processing plant has embedded itself firmly into the wider South Canterbury landscape, as well as playing a significant role showcasing high quality produce from the paddocks of Aoteoroa. “Pareora is one of the few plants, if not the only meat processing plant in New Zealand that has the capability to process five species including lamb/ sheep, goat, beef/calves and venison.” Innovative and solutions focused, wholly New Zealand owned and operated, Signals NZ has a mission to design and develop reliable communication systems for a diverse range of businesses, services and organisations. Group Operations Manager Shontelle Christison puts it simply; “A client will approach Signals with a communication problem and the Signals team will embrace that challenge, and do it very well.” First established in Dunedin 28 years ago as a specialist two-way radio communications provider for emergency services, transport & logistics, and the primary sector; Signals’ trajectory has continually embraced research & development and now designs, develops and interfaces communication technologies to meet its customers’ diverse needs. With their head o ice now based in Christchurch and a branch in Auckland, Signals services the depth and breadth of New Zealand and into the Paci ic Islands. Signals customers include civil defence, ire & emergency, marine, utilities, forestry, road & civil construction, transport & logistics, construction & contractors, security, manufacturing, aviation, land search & rescue, and farming & agriculture. Employing an experienced and passionate team of electronic engineers, together with suppling premium brands of two-way radio systems; Signals is about radio communications and technology integration. “We do a lot of research and development, designing hardware and creating software systems tailored for our customers and their communication needs,” says Shontelle. “We have evolved from traditional two-way radio and now include technology integration telemetry.” Signals continues to develop communication solutions to ensure their customers operations run smoothly and they continue to be on top of ever-changing technology, providing tailored systems and communications for businesses. “Signals’ new venture can now move customers to integrate telemetry into vehicles systems, which provides vehicle data for base to monitor fuel consumption, oil levels, temperatures, speed, revs, GPS and driver behavior,” says General Manager Ian Lisk. Ian adds that having a talented team that is able to innovate and create e ective solutions for its customers, along with the ability to evolve and adapt with the times has positioned Signals in the forefront of a changing world. “Our R&D division determines what the customer requirements are and then designs the hardware and software for them. Changing work structures resulting from Covid has seen increased interest in our Lone Worker System that enables an alert to be sent back to base in the event of a problem. We have always been a solutions-based company so we’ve always been inventing technology.” Innovation and expertise Trusted Providers Of Qual ity Communications Solutions, Equipment, Maintenance and Design • Government Departments • Emergency Services • Emergency Management • Aviation • Transport • Mining • Uti l ities • Security • Tourism & Adventure Signals is proud to support such a wide range of organisations and businesses who have chosen the Signals advantage. After al l, your business has needs and requirements that are different – even unique! We strive to offer the best products and technology solutions tai lor made to serve our valued cl ients. We can offer your business many advantages, including direct procurement from manufacturers, personal ised technical support and good honest unbiased advice. After al l, our business is al l about supporting yours! We’ve Helped Businesses in Many Industries 9 Knight Place, Riccarton 8041, Christchurch 0800 454 756 03 339 7191 signals.co.nz
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