Goodtime Pies eyes Asia after increasing investment in plant and production

Goodtime Pies managing director Phil Pollett is targeting exports to Asia.

Goodtime Pies hopes to grow its 50-supermarket foothold in Singapore to about 200 supermarkets in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.

Managing director Phil Pollett said there was a population of about 400,000 expats in Singapore "so it is a pretty safe market for us to get into".

A Goodtime Food Company team will be heading to Singapore next month as part of a New Zealand contingent attending the New Zealand Food Fair held by NZTE and the Cold Storage supermarket chain.

"It is a matter of convincing all the Singaporean nationals to eat pies, which is the goal we have there on May 14 for a week-long food show of 12 hours a day for seven days," Mr Pollet said.

"My feet are sore already thinking about it. They say we will be talking to about 6000 people, which I can't imagine myself, but it is a big country."

Goodtime has exported to Australia for the almost two years, with its ninth container of pies branded I Love Pies on its way to US-owned Costco, the world's second-largest retailer.

Mr Pollet said it took an investment of more than $2 million to become export compliant.

"New Zealand Food Standards are common between Australia and New Zealand and approved by New Zealand authorities so it's okay to export to Australia. But, if you want to send your product further afield, you need to have a Risk Management Programme which is administered by the Ministry of Primary Industries. It is very strict but well worth the effort."

The investment has seen machinery, processing, equipment and plant changes in the Napier plant but overheads have dropped thanks to an investment in LED lighting.

"With other changes included our power bill went from around $15,000 a month to $9000 - the payback on the investment was very quick."

Production is increasing but staffing levels remain about 60, for now.

"We have created a lot of capacity and that will be capacity for staff as well in the future."

The 39-year old company reversed a period of decline in 2011 when it won a multi-million dollar deal to supply hundreds of Z Energy service stations throughout the country.

In 2015 Goodtime purchased a manufacturing plant in Christchurch, bringing pie production to 12 million, and promptly invested $500,000 in the plant to increase capacity.

It recently bought a 3900 sq m section opposite its Onekawa plant for future expansion.