The Competenz Food & Beverage Manufacturing Forum for the Future |
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The Recipe for Success Starts With YouCompetenz recently hosted a Forum themed ‘A Recipe For Success' where industry leaders came together to contribute ideas on a conference for the food and beverage manufacturing industry - one that will add value to your businesses and give you some insight into the future of food and beverage manufacturing in NZ
Rod Oram - Business journalist and broadcasterKeynote speech
Rod brings a valuable global dimension to the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand's primary producers and food & beverage manufacturers. The importance of sustainability is discussed and given an international context, ably setting the scene for further discussion by Warren McNabb.
Rod's belief that the dramatically altered post-recession world is now a permanent feature of doing business on the international stage leads to a call for our productive sector to think beyond the old model. He says that the UN's call for 50% more food production over the next 20 years shouldn't be seen in New Zealand as an invitation to do even more of what we already do. Rather, he advocates a more niche and specialised product focus, supporting this view with graphic examples of how hard it will be to compete with the developing world's cheaper commodities' production processes.
PowerPoint presentation: Rod Oram
Warren McNabb - General Manager of Food & Textiles Science and Technology Group, AgResearchView of the Future 1: Where Science is Heading
Warren explains the impact that sustainability issues will have on food and beverage manufacturers in the future. When it takes 11,000 litres of water to produce a single hamburger, we can expect consumers to make more of their purchasing decisions based on a product's perceived sustainability. His view of the future encompasses a sector that's capable of feeding people within a resource-light and low-carbon, ‘virtual' water economy. Warren also highlighted the importance of burnishing the healthful credentials of products to capture the loyalty of increasingly educated and discerning consumers.
PowerPoint presentation: Warren McNabb
Nevin Amos - Chief Supply Chain Officer, ComvitaView of the Future 2: Where Manufacturing & Marketing are Heading
Nevin delivers compelling evidence of the success awaiting producers who embrace the specialised product focus advocated by Rod Oram. Rather than compete for space on local breakfast tables with honey products suitable for spreading on toast, Comvita has invested in producing therapeutic products (mainly from honey) and then marketing them to the world. The dramatically enhanced value of the product has been underpinned by strong supplier relationships and significant investment in science and production processes.
Armed with a world-class product, the company has pursued an aggressive strategy (including the implementation of lean manufacturing) and opened up overseas markets. This includes purchasing distribution companies in the UK and Hong Kong. Comvita's biggest market is now the burgeoning middle class in China and the company's five-year plan sees half of the 1,000 outlets they intend opening being in that country.
PowerPoint presentation: Nevin Amos
Paul Holmes - Broadcaster, author and food & beverage manufacturerThe inimitable Paul Holmes blends his ingredients for success in a revealing and humorous journey through his own association with the F&B trade. Paul's Extra Virgin Olive Oil needs no introduction to a kiwi audience, it¹s a brand that¹s now firmly established on supermarket shelves, but he admits that it hasn¹t been easy. Along the way he¹s learned that olive oil production is a romanticised road to penury and that leveraging his personal brand across a group of quality producers was the true secret to success. Paul's must-have qualities for growing a business include commitment, industry relationships and a love of the public, and a vege retailing business in Australia¹s sweltering north was his proving ground. A cast of colourful outback characters lines up to support his hard won experience and alongside the wit of a raconteur there are some real pearls of wisdom for any nascent enterprise.
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