Japanese giant marches into city

One of the world's leading multi-national companies, Japanese-based electronics and office products manufacturer Sharp Corporation, has made its first move into Tauranga by buying established Bay Business Centre (BBC).
Sharp has this month taken over BBC's document solutions business - in other words, the latest photocopiers which offer printing, scanning and fax services.
BBC's computer network and Vodafone mobile services have been sold to Hamilton-based Elite Business Systems, which has also expanded in Tauranga.
Sharp also bought BBC's Rotorua office, after buying its Hamilton branch two-and-a-half years ago. BBC founder Roger Loveridge, who managed  the Tauranga and Rotorua offices, is now a computer salesman with Elite here.
"That's what I used to do and I've got no management responsibility. I'm very happy," said Mr Loveridge.
Sixty per cent of his business was selling photocopiers and providing back-up services, and the other 40 per cent was installing PCs and servers and setting up computer networks, and providing connections to Vodafone services.
Sharp is operating out of the BBC outlets in Cameron Rd, Tauranga, and Arawa St, Rotorua, and has changed the name of the business to Sharp.
In Tauranga, nine of the staff have stayed with Sharp, seven moved to Elite, and three were made redundant after the administration work was centralised.
Sharp was established in 1912 and employs more than 54,000 worldwide. It took its name from one of the founder's first inventions, the Ever-Sharp mechanical pencil, developed by Tokuji Hayakawa.
BBC previously stocked Sharp and Toshiba products, but the multinational now has a direct presence with six branches in New Zealand - Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch, as well as Tauranga and Rotorua.
Mr Loveridge said Sharp had an innovative way of battling the recession by making acquisitions to grow its business.
"They pursued me to be honest," he said.
Elite Business Systems has taken a similar path. It has operated in Tauranga for more than six years, but lately it has increased its presence by taking over Business Technology Solutions.
Elite, which started in Hamilton 21 years ago, has 35 staff there and 20 in Tauranga.
Mr Loveridge established BBC in 1986 after moving to Tauranga from Wellington where he worked for IBM. He developed a business partnership with Richard Due in Rotorua.
BBC concentrated on business to business solutions and worked with clients through the Bay and the Coromandel.