Kiwi Organics products are grown in some of the most fertile soils in the world and we take responsibility for the whole process, from growing the seed to delivering the final high quality product which is safe and meets the highest standards. Our products are Bio Gro Certified, Asure Quality Certified, USDA/NOP Certified and EU Certified.
How have your found your overseas customers and how have you identified key markets?
We have travelled a lot and done a lot of hard work. We attend food shows both as customers and exhibitors to get the feel of a nation. We have done this throughout NZ as well as Australia, Korea, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Denmark and London.
Often we send small quantities for early sampling. We listen to comments, ask questions and process the exact needs of the customer.
We are big fans of connecting online. We have a website that is visited by many customers www.kiwiorgancs.com and we are accessible on Facebook and LinkedIn. And we're constantly on email and phone.
What countries are your biggest exports?
Australia are great to deal with. They have big companies dealing on both sides of the ditch. The Aussies are straight up, they say it like it is and we like that!
There are three main direct manufacturers we work with: Certified Organic, Gluten Free and Both. We have met them through travel, food shows and online as well as through newspapers and magazines such as The Healthy Living Magazine, Life and Leisure and numerous Australian publications.
What is your reaction to the Fonterra situation?
We all do our best to provide a top product and so often it is somewhere in the processing that the little guy ends up suffering. It's a major reason why we have chosen to be in control of our own processes.
The food industry is a tough game. You are always aiming for perfection. But when something does go wrong, you must move quickly for all concerned.
At a personal level, the dollar possibly dropping substantially has worried us. It means we get less for our exports but on the other hand we currently have two containers of upgraded milling plant coming in from China and it has been getting dearer by the day.
Our customers were initially very concerned on different fronts: the dairy payout, the dollar, and should they stay in the game.
Do you have systems in place to follow a problem with a product batch?
Yes, we have excellent systems and continue to improve them. We are fortunate too that our Organic Certifiers Bio Gro and Asure Quality, also support us in having excellent traceability. If a problem arises we can act immediately. We have batch dates that trace every grain that is sold. We are continually monitoring the quality of our product.
What other export markets are you targeting in the future?
Australia is a vast country with a lot of opportunity yet for us. The Pacific Rim is close, are great to deal with and the Free Trade options opening are really making it accessible for us and great to do business.
Trade and Enterprise have run some great courses in conjunction with BNZ who have provided great technical and financial support including an Icehouse Achieving Business Growth Workshop. It's great to have an understanding bank manager when you are expanding into new territories. We are also working with Katabolt to strengthen our export strategy so we can continue to grow in the future.
Next week, we are taking a look at the changing workplace health and safety landscape in corporate New Zealand triggered by the Pike River tragedy. With a new Crown agency, Worksafe NZ, being set up to regulate workplace health and safety by the end of 2013, and much more stringent enforcement measures including heavy fines and corporate manslaughter, it's time all businesses checke that their house is in order.
