Plans for Tasman

Press, 14 December 1977, Page 23

Plans for Tasman

Challenges and difficulties face the Tasman Pulp and Paper Company, Ltd, the new deputy-chairman (Mr R. Trotter) said yesterdayAfter a familiarisation tour of the company at Kawerau last week, Mr Trotter said he would obviously be spending a lot of time on Tasman business. Mr Trotter and the company’s chairman (Mr J. Fletcher) are the two board members on a committee which has been formed to look into long-term planning of the company. “I will not be acting as an executive but there will be a lot of work required with the extra issues, various negotiations over Government charges and with likely changes in long-term marketing arrangements,” said Mr Trotter.

Mr Trotter said the Tasman Board, as any other, would review management structure from time to time as a part of the process of getting to know a company. On the subject of increases in geothermal and rail charges proposed by the Government for the company, he said he was quite confident that the Government would be fair and reasonable. He believed there could be scope for further increases in newsprint sales to Australia, and would be suggesting that every move possible was made to secure markets overseas. “Tasman is dependent on satisfactory exports and we will be paying particular attention to marketing,” said Mr Trotter.