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OPINION: Former politicians seem incapable of staying away from the limelight after they retire.
A new office for Tetra Pak, the world's leading processing and packaging company, has opened at Waikato Innovation Park in Hamilton.
Prime Minister John Key yesterday unveiled a plaque at the purpose-built facility in front of an audience of VIPs and Tetra Pak staff.
The Prime Minister was joined at the ceremony by the Mayor of Hamilton, Julie Hardaker, together with Waikato Innovation Park chairman, Earl Rattray, and Tim High, Tetra Pak Group executive vice-president for processing systems.
Hosting the event, Tetra Pak's market area leader for New Zealand, Chris Morgan, spoke of the company's commitment to the food industry in New Zealand, and the role that its processing business, in particular, is playing to support the country's dairy sector.
"The current dairy downturn re-emphasises the need for New Zealand's export businesses to hasten their diversification out of commodities into value-added products. Whilst this is well understood by the key players, the time to market needs to be accelerated. Tetra Pak has the portfolio, the people and the required capabilities to support our customers in this endeavour," he says.
Tetra Pak's global turnover in 2015 was €11.9 billion (NZ$20 billion), with a workforce of more than 23,600 employees and sales in around 170 countries. Locally in New Zealand, the company provides employment opportunities to more than 200 people. The company supplies innovative designs, projects and equipment from its Hamilton national headquarters to New Zealand's leading ingredients, food and beverage manufacturers.
Waikato Innovation Park chief executive, Stuart Gordon, says: "Tetra Pak is a perfect match with the DNA of Waikato Innovation Park. We are proud to have a multi-national company that is a world leader in food processing and packaging solutions in the Waikato Innovation Park, forming an important part of the agri-business cluster."
Meat co-operative, Alliance has met with a group of farmer shareholders, who oppose the sale of a controlling stake in the co-op to Irish company Dawn Meats.
Rollovers of quad bikes or ATVs towing calf milk trailers have typically prompted a Safety Alert from Safer Farms, the industry-led organisation dedicated to fostering a safer farming culture across New Zealand.
The Government has announced it has invested $8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research.
A group of Kiwi farmers are urging Alliance farmer-shareholders to vote against a deal that would see the red meat co-operative sell approximately $270 million in shares to Ireland's Dawn Meats.
In a few hundred words it's impossible to adequately describe the outstanding contribution that James Brendan Bolger made to New Zealand since he first entered politics in 1972.
Dawn Meats is set to increase its proposed investment in Alliance Group by up to $25 million following stronger than forecast year-end results by Alliance.