City woman new member

A Rotorua woman will be one of four new members welcomed on to the executive committee at ExportNZ Bay of Plenty's annual meeting in Tauranga today.

Rachael Snowball, sales manager (industrial and appearance) at Red Stag Timber, will become the only representative on the 26-strong executive from the wood industry.

Ms Snowball has more than 15 years experience in export and has worked at Red Stag for seven.

She is responsible for the sales of 10,000cu m per month of sawn timber to New Zealand and Asia.

"I welcome the opportunity to represent the Rotorua export community and assist where I can with the challenges and issues they face," said Ms Snowball.

"With the high calibre and size of the executive group I am sure the learning curve will be steep but of absolute value to myself and the greater group."

Red Stag exports approximately 40 per cent of its production to Australia, Pacific Islands, Asia and the United States.

ExportNZ Bay of Plenty executive officer Angela Wallace said she was excited to have Ms Snowball join the executive, especially given the importance of the timber industry to the region.

Rotorua's only other committee member, Chris Asby of Waiariki Institute of Technology, will also be confirmed to serve his fourth year on the executive.

Despite having a very different export "product" to those of others in the organisation, Mr Asby said Waiariki had gained a lot from the executive meetings and group events.

"We need to know what's going on in the region," he said.

"It [membership] keeps us in touch with what's going on ... and the direction our portfolio needs to go in the future."

Mr Asby said "export education" was hugely important to Waiariki and Rotorua, with international students now making up 20 per cent of the Waiariki student base.

"Every student coming in is supporting the Rotorua economy in one way or another," he said.

He said he had been working with ExportNZ Bay of Plenty to try to raise awareness of the specialised benefits it could offer exporters - particularly those in Rotorua - that were focused on their particular needs.

"There's already strong established business systems in Rotorua e.g. the Chamber of Commerce," he said.

"So we need to work with Rotorua exporters to get them to go to something extra."

Ms Wallace admitted the group, a division of the Employers' and Manufacturers' Association, had traditionally been quite "Tauranga-centric".

Of the 288 current members just 79 were from Rotorua, the Eastern Bay of Plenty or Taupo.

ExportNZ provides a range of services to members, including educational and networking events, advocacy and connecting the local export community.

Any company that is a member of the Employers' and Manufacturers' Association that is also an exporter or service provider to exporters can join ExportNZ for no extra cost.

For details see www.bayofplenty.exportnz.org.nz.