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  • 16 Oct 2019 1:32 PM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    Dunedin, New Zealand (October 15, 2019) - Silver Fern Farms, New Zealand’s largest grass-fed lamb, beef, and venison producer, has entered the U.S. retail market this week having launched in 14 Fairway Market stores across the Tri-State region.

    Silver Fern Farms’ grass-fed and pasture-raised products have been available to restaurants, specialty butcher shops and industry professionals through long standing specialty foodservice distributor North American Meats and More, a division of Marx Companies. Silver Fern Farms’ new Fairway Market partnership marks the first time U.S. consumers will have access to the brand’s retail packs and be able to taste the flavorful cuts at their local store.

    “New York City is one of the great food capitals of the world and we are excited to provide New Yorkers with delicious eating experiences in the comfort of their own homes,” said Nicola Johnston, Silver Fern Farms’ Group Marketing Manager. “Our products have been available in local butchers and restaurants in NYC for several years, and after listening to positive feedback from consumers we are confident that New York City has an appetite for our 100% grass-fed New Zealand products.”

    With its 100% standard program, Silver Fern Farms’ farmers go above and beyond the already world-leading New Zealand industry standard to produce meat that is 100% grass-fed, 100% pasture-raised, with no antibiotics ever, no added hormones ever, and no feedlots at any time in their life.

    Silver Fern Farms takes the highest level of care to guarantee the integrity of their products and supply chain, and has partnered with Oritain, and uses their Scientific Traceability system to verify the origin of their red meat.

    As part of its 100% standard promise, Silver Fern Farms retail products will soon feature a QR code-enabled on-pack product traceability system that will give consumers the ability to trace where the meat comes from and the quality of its environment.

    New Zealand’s pasture-based farming system is a forerunner in environmental sustainability and was rated first equal for animal welfare standards by the Animal Protection Index, one of four countries in the world to receive the top grade.  Silver Fern Farms is leading the country’s efforts to meet sustainable targets for its processing sites, removing 23.8 tons of plastic from its supply chain in 2017, and aiming to reduce water use and wastewater by 10% (2020) and greenhouse gas emissions by 30% (2030). So far, the company has already implemented a number of initiatives to address climate change and reduce its impact on the environment.

    Products that will be available in Fairway Market stores will include:

    • Beef: Premium Ground
    • Lamb: Medallions, Steaks, Premium Ground
    • Venison: Medallions, Premium Ground

    Silver Fern Farms has plans to expand its range with more products to come in the new year.

    ABOUT SILVER FERN FARMS: Silver Fern Farms is New Zealand’s largest grass-fed lamb, beef and venison producer, supplying the Tri-State area [NY, NJ, CT] from the rolling pastures in New Zealand and striving to set the world standard in red meat. Starting as a small farm cooperative in 1948, Silver Fern Farms has been built by passionate and skilled people and has become the world’s benchmark for red meat, bringing the finest grass-fed and naturally raised meat from New Zealand pastures to your table. From its farmers, graders and butchers, to any one of us in our own kitchens, Silver Fern Farms understands that the ability to make delicious is in the way they approach their product, from start to finish. The company was rated in the top 20 companies on the Colmar Bruntons Corporate Reputation Index 2019 for the second year, as one of only two food brands. It produces 30% of all New Zealand lamb, beef and venison in partnership with 16,000 farmers, and exports to over 60 countries.

    https://www.silverfernfarms.com
  • 15 Oct 2019 4:15 PM | Rebecca Caroe

    Airline update 

    LATAM currently operates popular daily flights from Sydney via Auckland to Santiago, however from 27 October three of the flights each week will overfly Auckland to provide the airline a non-stop Sydney to Santiago service.  The rationale is that together with One World partner Qantas they secure one-stop services between SE Asia and South America through the Qantas hub in Sydney.  This LATAM flight is very popular with our business traveller clients and now with only 4 flights each week from Auckland it is critical that you plan and book much earlier than in the past. Clients will often use this flight when combining business in North and South America due to the very good LATAM airfares available on that circuit. 

    • Fiji Airways has achieved the 4-Star SkyTrax rating putting them alongside neighbours Qantas and Air New Zealand. This rating is quite an achievement for this small regional airline to have gained. SkyTrax ratings are the most authoritative benchmark for airlines and allows us to assess an airline as to its suitability, service standard and safety ratings.  Fiji Airways operates beyond Nadi to both Los Angeles and San Francisco. The airline also receives two new Airbus A350 aircraft next month, an aircraft which has gained popularity for its cabin spaciousness, noting that the A350 has a slightly wider and taller cabin that the 787 Dreamliner.  
    It can cause travellers a lot of angst, but demystifying lounge access rules between partners United Airlines (UA) and Air New Zealand (NZ) once you hit the US comes with some explaining and multiple scenarios are possible!  Here’s some facts related to the most common scenarios:  
    • Fundamental to everything is the fact that United Club’s are largely based upon a membership programme and not the class of travel you fly  
    • If flying stand-alone Domestic First/Business Class within the US, no US domestic lounge access, unless you join United Club (some locations offer single entry access for US$59) 
    • If flying NZ flight numbers to the US and transitting onto domestic First/Business on United metal (on a UA or NZ flight number), no US domestic lounge access 
    • If flying UA flight numbers to the US and transitting onto domestic First/ Business, lounge access is available  
    • If you are a Star Alliance Gold Frequent Flyer, lounge access is possible irrespective of your class of travel and whether you are in transit or taking a stand alone flight  

    For your next staff Quiz Night these are the world’s top 10 busiest routes by departing aircraft. Having the world’s busiest airports, you’d expect US city pairs to be the busiest, but this is not the case. The information is compiled by CAPA (Centre for Aviation): 

    1. Jeju to Seoul (684 weekly aircraft departures)
    2. Sydney to Melbourne (552)
    3. Delhi to Mumbai (428)
    4. Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi (421)
    5. Tokyo Haneda to Sapporo
    6. Fukuoka to Tokyo
    7. Bogota to Medellin
    8. Jeddah to Ryadh
    9. Sydney to Brisbane 
    10. Los Angeles to San Francisco 

    Hotels

    California has banned hotels from giving guests small, plastic shampoo and soap bottles. A new law banning hotels from providing guests with small plastic bottles containing shampoo, conditioner or soap means that hotels would have to install reusable dispensers or use glass instead. The ban will apply to the more than 515,000 hotel rooms in California. The new law takes effect in 2023 for hotels with more than 50 rooms and 2024 for hotels with less than 50 rooms. 

    Travel better! At ATPI New Zealand we’re a member of the prestigious US-based Virtuoso, an invited group of the world’s leading travel agents and where we can achieve benefits over and above any other travel agent or booking site for our clients. For a similar level as any advertised rate included on the hotel site, Bookings.com or Expedia you’ll receive:

    • Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
    • Daily Breakfast for two 
    • Food & Beverage or Spa services credit usually around US$100 
    • Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
    • Complimentary Wi-Fi
    • Often some other kind of personalised in-room amenity
    • Take a look at www.virtuoso.com or call one of our BWT Travel Advisors

    Take a stopover on your way back from your heavily scheduled week of business with a layover near San Francisco in wine country! And when wine country beckons, Carneros Resort and Spa is the answer. This uniquely styled retreat is one of our Virtuoso partner hotels and has 94 individual guest cottages and suites, three full-service restaurants including renowned ‘Farm’ and a top-rated spa. The cottages themselves are heaven-sent, with cozy fireplaces, spacious patios with teak furnishings, and private outdoor spaces. Spend an afternoon at the inspired spa; treatments are based on local flavours, from rosemary and olive to quince and honey. Take to bikes for a ride through the vineyards. Then cap off a memorable day with a dinner of fresh local ingredients at FARM. We have a special offer for Amcham Members giving a 4th night free which is in addition to the usual Virtuoso amenities   – ask one of our team! 

    It's kick-off time in London.  Some of America’s top NFL teams return to London this month for four games, a couple of which are at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the first purpose-built NFL stadium outside the USA. On 13 October the Carolina Panthers played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Wembley Stadium hosts the final two games, with the Los Angeles Rams hosting Cincinnati Bengals on 27 October, and the Houston Texans playing the Jacksonville Jaguars on 3 November.

    In line with California removing plastic bottles from hotels, our international travellers will also notice a change to our travel documents. Gone are the less fashionable plastic ticket wallets (never single use we’re assured!) and we’ve developed an ATPI cardboard ticket wallet. We look forward to your feedback on the new ticket wallets. Actually our timing with California is only coincidental! 

    Reminder: Your international visitors to New Zealand may require an electronic travel authorisation to land in New Zealand NZeTA. There is essentially two parts to this – the basic electronic visa required for relevant nationals and the IVL – International Visitor Levey – which is the NZ$35 payable for us to build smarter facilities in National Parks (hopefully potentially more than that!). Have your visiting colleagues look at https://nzeta.immigration.govt.nz/.  As with the US ESTA site it’s likely that many copycat sites will show up and charge more than is necessary. The best source is our website noted below – refer to the Traveller Resources section for the correct websites. 

    ATPI New Zealand     NZ wide: 0800 508 580  

    www.atpi.co.nz



  • 08 Oct 2019 11:21 AM | Rebecca Caroe

    NZX-listed Manuka honey exporter, Comvita (NZX:CVT), has achieved the official Non-GMO Project seal of approval for its UMF™ Manuka honey range sold in the USA and Canada.

    The company’s UMF™ 5+, 10+, 15+ and 20+ Manuka honey, which is available across North America via large, well-known retailers such as Costco and Vitamin Shoppe as well as online, now features the impartial third-party’s seal of approval front-of-pack.

    Comvita Head of Category, Shane Bloor, says with increased awareness about GMOs across North America, and more in-market shoppers paying attention to labels, displaying the Non-GMO verification on-pack gives American shoppers another reason to choose Comvita.

    “This verification, while not available in other markets, is really important to American and Canadian consumers. It offers an additional level of assurance of the quality and purity of Comvita Manuka honey, and that our products are true-to-label."

    Read more
  • 04 Oct 2019 11:10 AM | Rebecca Caroe

    Christchurch-based exporter Garra International will merge with global trading company KIT International creating a joint venture, with a combined turnover in excess of NZ$350 million taking New Zealand and international primary produce to the world.

    Garra founder Ali Mossalem said today that combining their resources and product ranges will strengthen both companies as they have complementary markets, products and customers.

    “For example,” Mossalem said, “Garra does not trade in chicken meat, but KIT does. So, for our established customers in the Middle East, the ability to add chicken to our range is likely to grow our market share in that region. Similarly, Garra’s access to some of the best red meats and other primary produce that New Zealand and Australia have to offer will augment KIT’s product range.”

    Mossalem founded Garra in Christchurch 25 years ago. It specialises in marketing and exporting high quality red meat, offal, dairy, vegetables and seafood – sourced from trusted suppliers throughout the world – to markets in the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and North America.

    KIT International was founded in the United States in 2011 and sells around 65,000 tonnes of primary produce annually throughout the world. The company promotes its trading role as an important link between the animal protein production sector and the international consumer market.

    The joint venture will combine 85 current staff and necessitate new hires in Christchurch and other global offices.

    Read more

  • 02 Oct 2019 6:16 PM | Rebecca Caroe

    A Kiwi-made app which uses augmented reality (AR) to help retailers and restaurateurs visualise in-store elements before implementing them has been acquired by an American company.

    Staccar, created by Christchurch-based software developer, Smudge, makes it easy to accurately visualise and customise in-store merchandising elements — such as drinks fridges, display units, signage and more — by virtually placing them in-situ on phone and tablet screens.

    The product dramatically improves the sell-in process for field sales reps, execution managers and visual merchandisers by helping them show and share in-store solutions with customers before they commit.

    "Gone are the days of having to imagine what new elements might look like in a retail space. Now, retailers can see it for themselves in a totally immersive and realistic way,” Reuben Bijl, Managing Director of Smudge, says.

    “Augmented reality offers tremendous potential to help businesses make better decisions, and Staccar is a perfect example of that.”

    “Beyond live visualisation, AR can be used for education, entertainment, communication and collaboration, among many other things.

    “The possibilities are endless and this is the kind of work we love doing — to help businesses around the world solve problems using technology. By building better tools in the virtual world, we can help them make better decisions in the real world.”

    Under the terms of the acquisition agreement, InContext Solutions buys the underlying technology for Staccar, as well as related apps and services.

    Read More

  • 02 Oct 2019 6:13 PM | Rebecca Caroe

    Seven New Zealand startups with US market ambitions are set to showcase at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco this week, as part of an in-market immersion week in Silicon Valley organised by ecentre, the business incubator hosted at Massey University.

    The Kiwi startup founders, recent graduates of ecentre’s Sprint Global programme, will join around 10,000 people interested in the startup and technology world aTechCrunch Disrupt SF 2019. A New Zealand Pavilion in Startup Alley, hosted by ecentre, will provide a valuable opportunity for the startups to showcase their tech products, platforms and services at the event.

    The startups showcasing at TechCrunch, as part of the ecentre’s New Zealand Pavilion, include:

    • Bee Intelligence – software and technology for precision apiculture from bee hive to honey jar

    • Demandlytix - real time consumer demand platform to help business planning

    • iLose - weight loss app for coaches and their clients

    • Narrative Muse - an artificial intelligence company that engages audiences and predicts demand for women-focused content

    • PICMI - the seasonal staffing solution - hiring and working made easy!

    • Sparrows – real time freight tracking, monitoring and alerts for the supply chain

    • Trickle - maximising hospitality venues by tracking every drop of beer poured on tap

    Read More

  • 30 Sep 2019 6:26 PM | Rebecca Caroe

    Cin7, a pioneer in cloud-based inventory management software (IMS) and point-of-sale (POS) solutions, has agreed to a majority investment from Rubicon Technology Partners (“Rubicon”), a US-based private equity firm that invests exclusively in enterprise software companies. The funding will be used to accelerate Cin7’s global growth strategy through product innovation, sales expansion and continued investment in customer success.

    “This investment validates all of the hard work our team has put in to building a market-leading product and delivering best-in-class support to our growing, global customer base,”

    said Danny Ing, Founder and Chief Architect of Cin7.

    “We are now doubling-down to reach the global growth we know is possible with a great partner that has the resources, operational expertise and cultural fit to accelerate our growth.”

    “With the most comprehensive, easy to use and swift-to-implement inventory management software product on the market, Cin7 is ready to become the clear leader in the global IMS market,”

    said Jason Winsten, Partner, Rubicon.

    “The company has built a highly differentiated IMS solution that solves a critical and complex problem for growing merchants selling their products through multiple online and offline channels. Cin7’s proven ability to capture global market share provides a strong foundation for continued growth, which we plan to aggressively accelerate with our investment in and partnership with the Cin7 team.”

    Read more

  • 29 Sep 2019 6:09 PM | Rebecca Caroe

    Coffee chain Mojo has caught the attention of some high-profile All Blacks in its pursuit to conquer the United States cafe scene.

    The Kiwi rugby stars are among a group of 15 international rugby players, current and retired, setting up an investment company to buy into the business.

    Last year investment company ADP Investments, set up by Brett Gamble and rich-lister Ben Gough, bought a 35 per cent stake in Mojo after plans for Cooks Global Foods to buy the company for $19 million fell through.

    Gamble said ADP Investment's stake in the business had grown to 57 per cent over the last six months.

    Gamble did not reveal who the players were, but said this would be announced within the next month.

    US investment company Soulcaster also recently bought a 13 per cent stake in Mojo.

    "It really is nice to see a range of different investors recognising the opportunity in Mojo. They love the New Zealand export opportunity. The backing of a US-based investor gives some quantum and justification for what we're doing.

    "And it's great having high-profile rugby players involved because they have great brands they can attach to the business."

    The coffee chain was opening its fourth cafe in Chicago, two years after launching in the US.

    Read More


  • 28 Sep 2019 3:34 PM | Mike Hearn (Administrator)

    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today announced the appointment of Kevin Burnett as New Zealand’s next Consul-General in Honolulu.

    “The Consul-General role in Honolulu is an important one particularly as New Zealand places increased importance on regional diplomatic engagement through the Pacific Reset policy,” said Mr Peters.

    “Mr Burnett is well qualified for this posting. He has previously served as Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and is currently seconded of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. He has also held senior roles in the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Defence following a distinguished career as an NZDF Army Officer,” said Mr Peters.

    Mr Burnett will also be New Zealand’s accredited Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and Republic of Marshall Islands.

    “From his post in Honolulu the new Consul-General will liaise with the United States Indo-Pacific Command on opportunities for strengthen cooperation. And within the wider North Pacific he will represent New Zealand on climate change, fisheries, and oceans policy,” said Mr Peters.

    The new Consul General will start his posting in early December.

    Source: https://www.beehive.govt.nz

  • 26 Sep 2019 6:35 PM | Rebecca Caroe

    Kiwi maternity activewear company Cadenshae is enjoying huge success in the US, with sales tripling in the region since launching in 2017.

    The $5 million-dollar enterprise broke into the US after learning the maternity industry was set to become one of the largest growth segments there, with 60 percent of women turning to maternity apparel for a comfortable solution to their wardrobe.

    Since being founded in 2015, Cadenshae has become the world’s most popular and recognised maternity activewear brands. The e-commerce business specialises in stylish sportswear specifically designed for nursing mums and mums-to-be. From breastfeeding sports bras, tank tops and t-shirts to hoodies and medically endorsed maternity leggings, all merchandise is made from high quality materials, and designed to last.

    Cadenshae owner and founder, Nikki Clarke says she ‘stumbled-upon’ the niche market that globally, was not being serviced properly.

    “After giving birth to my first daughter four years ago, I realised there was nothing for me to wear to the gym and to feed my baby in. I searched high and low for something suitable to wear and came up with nothing."

    "I thought I couldn’t be the only new mum with this problem, so after a bit of research, I realised there was a major shortfall for this type of clothing, and soon after Cadenshae was born,”

    says Clarke.

    Read more




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