Blueberries Could Be NZ's Next $150m Horticultural Export
Blueberries have the potential to become a major horticultural export, earning up to $150 million within the next three to five years.
SFF co-chair Rob Hewett says Simon Limmer has excellent skills and his experience will maintain the strong progress made as a food company.
“The board is excited by the leadership Simon will bring to Silver Fern Farms.
“He has deep commercial experience in the food, manufacturing and service sectors in NZ and in several key international markets in which we operate,” Hewett.
Limmer has worked nine years for Zespri in general management roles in NZ and China. Before that he spent 14 years with French multinational Veolia in Europe, East Asia, Oceania and the Americas.
“His experience, most recently with Zespri as their chief operating officer and prior to that as their general manager China, gives us confidence he will be able to continue our development as a consumer-oriented food business,” Hewett says.
“Simon has a clear affinity with NZ agriculture and what is required to successfully take our great products to consumers locally and around the world.”
Limmer says it is exciting to be taking on the leadership of Silver Fern Farms at an important time in the company’s development.
“The company is well-positioned to add value to NZ’s natural grass-fed red meat. There is a consumer trend to natural whole foods, the company has a good brand, is well capitalised and has a talented and enthusiastic group of people.”
Limmer will succeed Dean Hamilton in March next year.
Top CV
Simon Limmer graduated from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Management Studies degree.
He was in the Ford Motor Company sales and marketing graduate programme in NZ then worked 14 years for the environmental services company Veolia Environment (CGEA/Onyx) based in Paris, Auckland and UK.
He returned with his family from France in 2008 to become general manager of global supply with Zespri. There he has also worked as general manager grower and government relations, general manager China and since 2014 he has been chief operating officer. Limmer in 2015 attended the Te Hono Movement NZ primary sector ‘bootcamp’ at Stanford University.
