Zespri seeking extra office space

EXPANSION: Zespri looking to expand its Mount Maunganui headquarters.

Zespri is seeking permission to construct extra office space on council land adjacent to its head office in Maunganui Rd.

The kiwifruit exporting entity wants the extra space as a temporary two-year measure while it considers all the available long-term alternatives, a spokeswoman said.

The company currently leases the former Mount Maunganui council office complex.

The Te Puke Economic Development Group said yesterday it believed it could make a compelling case to attract Zespri to set up premises in Te Puke. Managing director Mark Boyle said Te Puke was the ideal location for Zespri in the short and longer term.

However, Zespri has ruled out splitting its operations in the short term.

The Zespri spokeswoman said the company was committed to staying in the Bay of Plenty region, which supplied about 80 per cent of NZ's kiwifruit.

"In the short term, we do not want to split the Zespri campus on different locations due to the complexities of our business during this growth period, with fruit volumes set to increase strongly over the next few years," she said. "We're taking the time to make sure we get the right site for our needs."

Zespri would consider the range of viable sites in the region for its new long-term offices, including potentially redeveloping the current site, once it had confirmed short-term office accommodation requirements.

Mr Boyle said there were a number of existing commercial properties in Te Puke that could be set up for office operations for Zespri. And in the longer term Te Puke's Rangiuru Business Park would be a perfect site for a permanent Zespri Headquarters, he said.

"With the opening of the new Tauranga Eastern Link in mid-2015, travel times to Tauranga and the Port will be a maximum of 20 minutes," he said. "Rangiuru is at the centre of Kiwifruit growing and the post-harvest industry."

Mr Boyle said a greenfield site in Rangiuru would allow Zespri to plan and implement a purpose-built facility to match the growth of the industry over the coming decades. Swift access to the site from the eastern and western parts of the Bay of Plenty would be guaranteed with new roading currently being delivered, he said.

"Our local infrastructure can support a facility of this kind and the location may well appeal to staff who could benefit from new high quality affordable housing developments under construction in Paengaroa and Te Puke," said Mr Boyle.

"Te Puke EDG would love to host Zespri chief executive Lain Jager and his management team for a few hours in Te Puke to highlight what we can offer both short and long term.

"I am sure we can make a compelling case."