Times marks 140 years in business and going strong

As birthday parties go, there aren't many that celebrate 140 years - but the Bay of Plenty Times celebrated just that milestone last night.

At a special function at the Tauranga Club, general manager David Mackenzie said it was a great privilege to work for a business with such a strong heritage.

"We work for the Bay of Plenty Times because we love what it stands for and are passionate about our community and city. We cherish the paper's history and the people who worked tirelessly in those colonial days to bring news and commerce to the whole community, and most importantly we look forward to the future."

Mayor Stuart Crosby congratulated the paper for serving as a vehicle of debate and for also communicating key information to the community during civil emergencies such as the Rena disaster last year and the floods of 2005.

Editor Scott Inglis said: "The Bay of Plenty Times is the Western Bay's leading multimedia news and information organisation.

"The Bay of Plenty Times has served this region for 140 years - and we look forward to serving it for many more years to come."

APN New Zealand chief executive Martin Simons said the longevity of the paper would not be possible without the support of readers and advertisers.

"It's fantastic it's lasted 140 years - and there's plenty more to come," Mr Simons said.

Priority One chief executive Andrew Coker said it was a fantastic achievement to reach 140 years as a business.

"You won't find a landscape that has businesses that have been around that length of time and in this region and I think Bay of Plenty Times is one of those," he said.

"It's a business, not just a newspaper," Mr Coker said.