By PHILIPPA STEVENSON
Global Dairy Company's search for a name has left one prime contender just so many dead letters.
Sources say there is a new frontrunner for the title of the company, which will be New Zealand's biggest by a country mile - twice the size of Telecom. Yet an industry
that normally leaks information like a sieve has kept that name under wraps.
Those in the know have signed confidentiality agreements.
Last week, chairman John Roadley would say only that he wanted the word "cooperative" to appear in the company name when it was revealed within six weeks.
In April, the Business Herald reported that Rabobank global dairy industry specialist Dr Adrie Zwanenberg believed the Dairy Board's established reputation suggested only three possible names for the new $12 billion company.
He picked NZ Dairy Board, NZ Dairy Group or company, or Anchor - the brand known worldwide and rated among the top brands in countries such as Britain.
But a cursory internet search suggests that Anchor would not be a good choice - the industry risks being confused with a vast array of similarly named businesses.
The final choice is likely to make little impact in overseas markets. After the October birth of the new company, the Dairy Board strategic business units NZ Milk and NZMP will continue to be the names seen and heard internationally.
www.nzherald.co.nz/dairy
