Lockwood Homes celebrates 70 years YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS DIGEST
| Published date | 09 October 2021 |
| Publication title | Daily Post, The (Rotorua, New Zealand) |
Lockwood Homes was founded in Rotorua in 1951 by two Dutch immigrants.
The nearby pine forest plantations and timber mills were the key drivers for Lockwood to establish manufacturing in Rotorua.
“Not only have we forged an enduring relationship with local suppliers, but the advantages of local sourcing have become even more relevant during these Covid times, allowing us to increase our manufacturing capacity to meet demand.”
La Grouw said from humble beginnings, the business now boasts a team of about 50 people at its head office in Rotorua and building more than 50,000 homes worldwide.
“We are extremely proud of our rich history.”
Lockwood was voted New Zealand’s Most Trusted Building Brand in 2013, 2014 and 2016 and runner up in 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Freshmax takes full ownership of BerryCo brand and operationsFreshmax has announced it is buying its joint venture partner, Southern Produce, to take full ownership of BerryCo.
Since 2015, the Freshmax Group has been in a 50/50 partnership with the Bay of Plenty company and have jointly operated the New Zealand blueberries business, trading as BerryCo.
The buy-out of Southern Produce’s 50 per cent stake in the business came into effect on October 1.
New Zealand’s blueberry industry was poised to grow by $100 million over the next five years and Freshmax Group chief executive Murray McCallum said berryfruit was a core strategy for its business.
“The joint venture has transitioned from a start-up to a company with strong volume growth forecast.
“Taking full ownership of it is an exciting step in expanding our footprint in this category.”
After the sale of its New Zealand domestic divisions in 2019, the Freshmax Group indicated long-term plans to ramp up its international operations and scale and a “considerable volume” of BerryCo’s fruit was exported to Asia.
Freshmax NZ chief executive Andrew Common said the acquisition provides an opportunity to invest further in the berryfruit category.
Southern Produce director and chief executive Tony Ponder said BerryCo’s growth in New Zealand and its performance in the export markets was something to be proud of.
“The business has evolved considerably over the last few years.”
Freshmax’s acquisition will not affect staffing or the structure of BerryCo, with all staff to continue in their current roles.
It coincides with the appointment of new BerryCo general manager, Alice Moore, who started with the business on October 4.
“Alice has extensive experience across...
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