Five Questions for Mayfair arbiter of Fine Living
From MSCNewsWire's European Corespondent: Laurence Davis is a by-word in London for fine living and his dealings with Cuba have bestowed on him an aura in the UK redolent of that conjured up by fellow Briton the novelist Graham Greene. The façade of Sautter of Mount Street remains among London’s most famous hallmark store-fronts. For cigar afficionados the Mayfair store is the ultimate destination of any vintage pilgrimage. MSC Newswire entered this high temple of connoisseurship and posed Five Questions to Mr Davis who is pictured outside his store. .
You were among the first to import regularly from Cuba?
We have been dealing with Cuba on and off for 60 years, importing directly certain things but mainly through an importer. We import cigars and rum.
How effective do you believe now were the various US embargoes against the Castro regime?
The US inspired embargo led to a big grey market trade and the quality buyers from the USA have been coming to my stores for years.
As an eyewitness how do you rate the changes since the death of Fidel Castro?
Since the death of Fidel the promise of closer relationships with Cuba has already cooled with President Trump. The effects though are that there is a huge influx of Middle America visiting Cuba. I have to say that though that the quality for visitors of the cigars brought through the shops out there is inferior to the English market selection.
Cuba is still an exotic port of call for tourists?
Cuba is a fantastic tourist destination with many facets of culture communism and some of the most beautiful architecture anyone can hope to see anywhere and which the population enjoys as part of its daily life rather than as set aside monuments and other such museum-pieces of the past. I suggest that Cuba is visited now before globalisation destroys it in the form of the introduction of Starbucks, McDonalds and the numerous American hotel chains.
Do you envisage Cuba as a worthwhile target for intensive New Zealand trade promotion, development?
In practical terms, I think it is very difficult for smaller economies like Cuba to develop anything beyond niche product trade with any nation so far removed from its trade routes.
| From the MSCNewsWire European correspondent || Friday 9 June 2017 |||
Goodman Fielder plans to close two factories in Auckland, consolidating their production to a single site and shifting its pie-making operation to Palmerston North as part of an ongoing efficiency drive in what it calls "a very competitive market".
The diversified manufacturer owned by Singapore-based Wilmar International and Hong Kong-listed investment firm First Pacific Co will close its Irvines bakery at Wiri and its Hot Plate bakery in East Tamaki.
The Irvines line will relocate to Palmerston North while production at Hot Plate will be consolidated to Goodman's larger Quality Bakers Auckland facility.
Some 147 workers are affected by the company's plans, which include automating some warehousing functions in Auckland and Christchurch.
Goodman Fielder New Zealand managing director Tim Deane said the company's new owners "are taking a very long-term view" investing in some plants and closing others.
The net impact on the workforce may be smaller because 60 new jobs would be created at its Ernest Adams plant in Palmerston North and 25 at the expanded Quality Bakers Auckland site, he said.
Goodman Fielder currently has 14 manufacturing sites in New Zealand and employs about 2,000 people, according to its website.
Its range of household brands include Meadowlea margarine, Meadow Fresh milk, Vogels, Molenberg, Tararua Dairy, Chesdale, Irvines, Ernest Adams, Olivani and Puhoi Valley.
| A GoodmanFielder release || June 8, 2017 |||
Port Nelson’s QuayConnect wins Green Ribbon Award
Port Nelson is celebrating today after winning the coveted Resilience to Climate Change category in the national 2017 Green Ribbon Awards for its QuayConnect freight logistics model. The two other finalists were New Zealand Post and Sustainability Trust.
Motivated to reduce fuel consumption and energy use across the company and provide supply chain improvements for customers in the Marlborough wine industry, Port Nelson worked with trucking company Central Express Ltd (CEL), and primarily two 3PL customers - glass bottle manufacturer O-I New Zealand (NZ) and wine bottler WineWorks Marlborough - to set up QuayConnect in February 2016 as a smarter way of distributing goods.
QuayConnect’s model optimises import and export loads, with four dedicated truck and trailers working 24-hours a day moving dry goods (palletised glass wine bottles) from Port Nelson to Marlborough, and bottled wine back to Port Nelson from Marlborough. This compares with the traditional transport model where trucks travel empty on one leg of the journey from ship to producer and back.
Over its first year of operation QuayConnect has reduced truck journeys by more than half between Nelson and Marlborough, which has cut the time that trucks are on the road by 10,000 hours. In total, this sustainable transport model has saved 348,436 litres of fuel and 1,602 tonnes of CO2 equivalent in its first year.
Environment Minister Hon Dr Nick Smith, who presented the Green Ribbon Awards last night at a prestigious ceremony in Wellington, says he’s proud a Green Ribbon Award in the climate resilience category went to an organisation from the top of the South Island.
“I am hugely proud of Port Nelson’s Green Ribbon Award as both the local MP and Environment Minister. It shows the sort of practical and innovative initiatives that can make a real difference to the difficult problems of climate change.
“This transformative logistics model has made such a positive environmental impact in just its first year of operation,” Smith says. “It will be reassuring for wine producers using this award-winning distribution and storage service to know it aligns with their company’s own sustainable values. It sends a clear message to opponents of climate change initiatives, like President Trump, that such projects can make both business and environmental sense.
“Not only has QuayConnect reduced carbon emission levels, I also commend the team for QuayConnect’s critical role supporting New Zealand’s valuable wine sector following the aftermath of the Kaikoura earthquake,” he says.
Port Nelson CEO Martin Byrne says winning the Green Ribbon Award ahead of two other organisations working equally hard to reduce the impact of climate change is an incredible endorsement of the Port’s work.
“The significant difference QuayConnect has made to the wine transport sector’s energy output is hugely rewarding and we are enormously honoured to have won this award on behalf of the project’s collaborators,” Byrne says.
“CEL, WineWorks Marlborough and O-I NZ also deserve the win as QuayConnect is very much a collaborative service, with all involved investing and changing their processes to create a more efficient and sustainable model for the long-term,” he says.
Following the November 2016 Kaikoura earthquake, QuayConnect enabled Marlborough winemakers (who produce 75% of the country’s wine) with damaged infrastructure to quickly move their valuable wine to secure storage and onto their New Zealand and international customers through Port Nelson.
CEL Director Jason Millar says the reduction of trucks on the road through QuayConnect, despite the increase in freight on the Marlborough to Nelson route post-earthquake, is remarkable.
“To be involved in a logistics service that has reduced truck hours by 10,000 on a busy tourist and freight road in just its first year is fantastic,” Miller says. “It is an innovative approach to transport logistics and we know now that as the number of customers using QuayConnect increases, we will actually be reducing the number of trucks on the road.”
Wine bottler WineWorks’ Business Innovation Manager Jason Gluer says as a QuayConnect foundation customer he feels the Green Ribbon Award win is a well-deserved accolade for a logistics system that is making a radical reduction to the wine transport sector’s carbon emission levels.
“Port Nelson’s QuayConnect service allows us to handle an increased volume for our wine customers within the same physical footprint while reducing the number of vehicles coming into the facility,” Gluer says. “It is a win-win all round.”
Another QuayConnect foundation customer is O-I NZ. Julie Turnbull, Logistics Manager for O-I NZ says her company prioritises sustainable business practices in everything it does.
“As makers of glass, the world's most natural and sustainable packaging, O-I NZ has incorporated sustainability into our business practices for more than a century,” Turnbull says. “We are thrilled to have played a part in the development of a Green Ribbon Award-winning freight and logistics service QuayConnect, which will have ongoing environmental benefits for the transport sector.”
| A Port Nelson release || June 9, 2017 |||
Trade Minister Todd McClay has announced the establishment of the Services Export Reference Group at a press conference to launch an OECD study in Paris today highlighting the significant opportunity services exports offer the New Zealand economy.
“Services account for 70 per cent of our GDP, 80 per cent of New Zealand jobs and 31 per cent of our exports,” Mr McClay says.
“It is therefore imperative that we work closely with the services sector to bring down barriers and help them find greater success in overseas markets.”
Mr McClay has invited 40 New Zealand services exporters and industry groups to join the reference group including from the healthcare, tech, R&D, entertainment and hospitality sectors.
“In 2016 services exports increased by $1.1 billion to $21.6 billion. That’s almost a third of all New Zealand exports, so it’s vitally important we nurture and support further growth,” Mr McClay says.
“There are huge global growth opportunities for services exports and the digital economy, and the Government’s working hard to ensure that our exporters are in a strong position to take advantage of them.”
“The OECD’s Services Trade Policies and the Global Economy study points out that services generate two-thirds of global GDP and concludes that better integration between countries can substantially reduce the administrative burden on our exporters and SMEs. That is an outcome the Government continues to advocate and fight for on behalf of our exporter.”
“As part of Trade Agenda 2030, our new trade strategy, the Government is committed to engaging more with New Zealanders and New Zealand businesses on trade. The reference group is an important part of our plans to grow trade and maximise the benefits of the increasing market access we are working so hard to achieve.”
The first meeting will be held on 20 June and will be hosted by the Auckland University of Technology.
OECD study is available here: http://www.oecd.org/publications/services-trade-policies-and-the-global-economy-9789264275232-en.htm
| A Beehive release || June 8, 2017 |||
A consortium of groups across a variety of sectors has created an alternative plan to get New Zealand's rivers back up to scratch after what they say is lack of urgency on the issue by the Government.
The Freshwater Rescue Plan was launched in Wellington on Thursday and is aimed at countering the Government's Clean Water Package which aimed to have 90 percent of the country's rivers and lakes swimmable by 2040.
Continue to full article on Newshub | June 8, 2017 |||
A fledgling, cutting-edge cyber security Wellington company has launched a virtual chief information security officer (vCISO) service aimed at helping New Zealand businesses to respond as cyber-crime begins to bite.
Cyber Toa chief executive and NZTech board member Mandy Simpson says cyber-attacks are a serious risk for all Kiwi businesses.
“To be honest, all indications are that cyber-crime is growing in New Zealand. Requests for assistance to the National Cyber Security Centre were up 66 percent in the year to April 2016 and global security provider Symantec put the cost of cyber-crime in New Zealand at $US200 million last year,” she says.
“Our virtual CISO service will help companies concentrate their resources where they can make the most difference in protecting them against this growing threat.
“It’s a growing problem for everyone. A security failure in a New Zealand company or organisation can cause substantial reputational damage and will almost certainly have financial consequences.
“But where a company is handing personal data, it can also have consequences for individuals too. Sensitive personal information can end up in the hands of criminals.
“It’s easy for companies to be overwhelmed with the number of things they must do to stay safe. While some companies can afford a full time chief information security officer (CISO) to deal with the growing risks, not every organisation has resources at their disposal. A virtual CISO allows companies to access our Cyber Toa expertise in a flexible way.
“A virtual CISO can work inside a company helping them to steadily improve their cyber-security stance. What that means is different for every company, but it might include a company-wide risk assessment, developing a response plan if a security breach occurs, or building a security awareness programme for staff.
“And of course, if an incident occurs, a virtual CISO can lead the response, including accessing our specialist team to help. We provide everything required for the virtual CISO to act quickly and protect the company.”
Simpson says the expertise to deal with cyber security incidents can be hard to come by in New Zealand.
Cyber Toa was set up by Chris Ward who has over 20 years’ experience in creating and leading incident response teams for the NZ Defence Force and before that the UK Ministry of Defence. He has represented New Zealand as chair of two executive International Cyber committees, she says.
“Our technical team is led by Tony Grasso, with decades of experience in the New Zealand intelligence community, and GCHQ. The virtual CISO service gives companies access to expertise that would be very difficult for them to directly employ.”
| A Make Lemonade release || June 9, 2017 |||
C-Tech send Team NZ emergency 'go fast' package
The seven steps to healthier New Zealand waterways
Pressure is mounting on central government to impose a plastic bag levy
Farming without fences with new technology
Steel & Tube stands by its mesh products
New supercomputing capability for New Zealand
Entrepreneur visa attracts 300 applicants in first year
New services group to enhance trade opportunity says Todd McClay
Foodstuffs supermarkets will be microbead-free from 1 July 2017
Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith today announced an investment of $31.7 million to upgrade New Zealand’s supercomputing capabilities.
“The existing supercomputers are at the end of their operating lives and energy intensive by today’s standards. The new supercomputers will deliver up to 10 times the computing capability and more than four times the storage capacity of their predecessors,” says Mr Goldsmith.
The computing research service is designed and provided by the New Zealand eScience Infrastructure (NeSI), a collaboration between NIWA, Landcare and the Universities of Auckland and Otago.
“Computational needs of the science community are growing exponentially and from a range of key areas from natural hazards and climate science, through to computational chemistry, astronomy, and biomedical research,” Mr Goldsmith says.
“There are also a number of key government science initiatives that require computational support including the National Science Challenges, Centres of Research Excellence and the genomics platform.”
New Zealand currently has two supercomputers available to the research community, FitzRoy, based at NIWA’s Greta Point, Wellington site, and Pan, based at the University of Auckland.
They will be superseded by three supercomputers, with replacements for Fitzroy and Pan at NIWA in Wellington, and a smaller back up computer for NIWA housed at the University of Auckland’s Tamaki Data Centre.
“This new investment will significantly enhance New Zealand’s ability to meet the growing demands of the scientific research community and help them to tackle some of the issues crucial to our country’s future prosperity,” says Mr Goldsmith.
Installation for the new supercomputers begins in August and they are expected to be operational around February 2018. More information can be found HERE.
| A Beehive release || June 8, 2017 |||
Goodman Fielder today announced proposed changes to optimise its manufacturing network across New Zealand.
Goodman Fielder New Zealand Managing Director, Tim Deane, said the proposed changes were part of the company’s strategy to invest further in its key manufacturing sites across its network to create a more sustainable business.
“These proposals continue the $80 million investment we have made in the company since 2015 and are part of our planned additional investment of nearly $150 million as we continue to create a more sustainable business for the longer term,” he said.
Goodman Fielder is proposing to relocate production of pies from its Irvine’s facility at Wiri, and ice cream cones from its Hot Plate bakery, to its Palmerston North facility, creating over 60 new jobs in the region.
Goodman Fielder is also proposing to relocate production of garlic bread and other baked goods from its Hot Plate bakery, East Tamaki to its larger site, Quality Bakers Auckland, creating 25 new permanent roles.
The proposed changes to relocate production would result in the closure of the Irvines and Hot Plate bakeries in around April 2018.
In a separate proposal, the company is also planning significant capital investments to increase efficiencies at its Quality Bakers Auckland and Meadow Fresh Christchurch sites.
“Today, we have put forward proposals to consolidate and invest further in our manufacturing network which will expand our regional operations, and ultimately create a more sustainable and competitive platform for the future of our business in New Zealand,” said Mr Deane.
“We are working directly with the 147 employees impacted by these proposals. Where possible, employees will be provided the opportunity for redeployment to fill vacancies at other Goodman Fielder sites. Employees who are not able to be redeployed will receive their full entitlements as well as an extensive employee assistance program including outplacement and career support.
“We understand the impact these proposals have on our people and our immediate priority is to ensure that they are supported through this process,” said Mr Deane.
| A Goodmann Fielder release || June 8, 2017 |||