ABOUT 65 per cent of Scales Corporation's business is in Hawke's Bay but managing director Andy Borland says he has no plans to move from his company's headquarters in Christchurch.
"We have a fair bit going on elsewhere too," he said.
This week, Scales reported a 50 per cent increase in after-tax profit to $20.4 million in the year to December 31, 2013. Revenue increased 17.2 per cent on 2012 to $278.1 million and EBITDA was up 34.4 per cent to $44.4 million.
Scales was once part of South Canterbury Finance, which collapsed under a mountain of debt in 2010. It is now owned by Auckland private equity firm Direct Capital.
It has horticulture and primary sector processing, exporting and logistics businesses.
Mr Borland said Hawke's Bay-based Mr Apple produced a record 2.82 million cartons, packed and exported from the company's orchards.
That represents about half of Scales' business activities. But Scales is active in other industry sectors in Hawke's Bay.
Whakatu-based Meateor Foods collects animal byproducts and exports them to the United States and Thailand in frozen 25kg blocks stacked on pallets.
Scales also owns Liqueo, a bulk storage business with tanks at Napier Port that has "a good share of the tallow business".
"They are connected by pipe to the wharf," Mr Borland said. "Tallow is pumped out of the tanks and put in the ships' bulk tanks, and we also import oils and molasses."
Liqueo's newest tank has just been commissioned. Relocation and commissioning costs for the 2000-tonne tank came in at less than $1 million.
"We purchased the tank off BP and relocated it down the railway line. It was quite a major project. It was a lot cheaper than commissioning a brand new tank."
Liqueo's business model is similar to Scales' Whakatu Coolstores, which has warehouses "all over Whakatu and in Hastings".
"We don't own the product, we are just providing the storage."
Scales also owns 50 per cent of Profruit in Hastings' Omahu Rd, with the Bostock Group. Non-export apples and kiwifruit are made into juice concentrate.
Last year, Scales bought a 50 per cent shareholding in Hawke's Bay food exporter Fern Ridge Produce.
"The plan there is to continue to work and consolidate with other exporters."
When asked if there were plans to buy more companies, Mr Borland said Scales was "always looking, always looking".
He said all Scales' divisions had done well but Mr Apple's performance was extra special. Mr Apple's figures are in Scales' annual report, which has not yet been released.
Mr Apple is Hawke's Bay's largest apple producer and the country's biggest apple exporter, employing more than 1000 at the height of the season and about 270 permanent staff.
It also handled more than 4 million cartons of fruit from external growers, another record.
"We export on behalf of Nelson and Hawke's Bay growers. We share in any benefits that we get out of our scale through sea freight, working with the shipping lines to get competitive freight rates for all our growers and our own apples. Any other bulk buying opportunities we can share with them we too. It is really about trying to increase their orchard gate return."
Mr Apple was "a big fan" of the Government's Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme that imported workers for seasonal spikes in employment.
"It has allowed us, as a big orchardist, to manage harvest a lot better and pack on a timely basis. It has improved quality of our fruit.
"It is a great scheme and is a good way for the people of the Pacific Islands to earn export dollars."
Mr Apple was experiencing increased demand from Middle Eastern and Asian countries, he said.
"There is good demand right across what we call the near market. If you look at the map, we are just straight up to those markets. That is an advantage we have over Chile and South Africa, the other Southern Hemisphere growers."
He said Mr Apple was well placed for the future.
"Hawke's Bay is a wonderful place for apples, it grows fantastic apples. A quarter of our orchards have been replanted into varieties to suit the Asian markets."
Production had "really ramped up" in the past three years for the new markets, which preferred sweeter and redder apples.
"We roll the white cloth out under the apple trees, which helps redden the fruit colour."
Mr Apple has invested $15 million in production, markets and efficiencies in the past three years.
But it is not just apples that have a rosy future. Mr Borland said the coolstore business gave an insight into all food exporters.
"We are getting increasing volumes of across-the-board butter and cheese, meat products - lamb beef, and also vegetables.
"Farmers are getting more productive, making more out of the same area. Irrigation, especially in the South Island, is helping that.
"Our customers are selling well into the Asian markets. We blast freeze a lot of meat that is destined for the Chinese market."
Despite the Hawke's Bay activity requiring a weekly trip to the region, he is not in a hurry to swap his Arrowtown crib for a Waimarama bach.
"Shipping logistics is based out of Christchurch, Polarcold has got cold stores throughout the South Island, and we are looking at expansion opportunities for cold storage in Auckland."
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