By PHILIPPA STEVENSON
Westland Milk has signalled a move along the high-tech product path of fellow independent dairy company Tatua by employing its "door opener".
The West Coast company's new chief executive is Dr Barry Richardson, architect of much of the high-value protein and nutritional business which made Tatua the consistent
industry top payer.
Dr Richardson, 55, said his role in Tatua's business development had been as a "door opener" - starting businesses but leaving others to build them.
Westland had a reputation for high-quality commodity products but needed to produce more with added-value, he said.
The change of emphasis would not happen overnight but "given my background that has to be the strategy".
Dr Richardson's career began as a protein chemist at the Dairy Research Institute.
After 15 years studying the likes of milk proteins and amino acids he turned to managing a joint venture between the Dairy Board and NZ Pharmaceuticals, Alapharm, before becoming business development manager for the board's protein division.
He joined Tatua in 1991 to establish its protein and nutritional product business.
There would be opportunities for Westland and Tatua to work more closely but the boards had not discussed any possibilities, he said.
"For either company, if it made good business sense to work together on something ... we would look at it."
Tatua chairman Dr Alan Frampton said the company had not wanted to lose Dr Richardson but the departure was amicable.
Dr Richardson said the impact of his going would be lessened by the team he left at Tatua.
"Essentially my role at Tatua has been developing strategy, putting relationships in place, getting projects and the business going but then you need other people to come in and build the business. A lot of that has now been done."
He formally starts the Westland job in three weeks but is already splitting his time between the companies.
