Promoting our trades, industries

Press, 29 February 1984, Page 35

Promoting our trades, industries

Focus New Zealand is a joint venture between the Export Institute of New Zealand and the Department of Trade and Industry. The 1984 campaign aims to encourage current and prospective exporters to develop a better knowledge of the Australian market and take every advantage available under the C.E.R. agreement.

It also aims to introduce participants to prospective Australian buyers. The programme will target numerous product groups from furniture, furnishings and textiles to horticulture, foodstuffs, agricultural equipment and marine goods. Focus is also considering a market research consortium to study specific markets and discover areas where there is a need for

New Zealand products. Launched in September, Focus New Zealand has already drawn an enthusiastic response, with more than 800 companies registering as participants within the first six weeks. It was immediately successful in working with the wine industry to promote New Zealand wines at Expovin ’B3, Australia’s largest public wine fair, held in Melbourne in October. At the same time, Focus Organised a luncheon featuring New Zealand wines and food for the Wine Press Club of Victoria. In New Zealand, Focus took part in Export Week, organised by the Auckland branch of the Export Institute. The organisers for Focus presented a day-long seminar, with guest

speakers, to publicise Focus and offer suggestions on how exporters could improve their performances. The policy and direction of Focus New Zealand is the responsibility of a six-man supervisory board. The chairman is Mr Graham Boult, chief marketing executive for Knight Industries, Ltd, and immedi-ate-past national president of the Export Institute. The deputy chairman is Malcolm Craig, assistant secretary of trade services in the Department of Trade and Industry. The other members of the board are Mr Brian Service, Mr Neil Wilson, Mr John Lister and Mr Joe Turnbull. Mr Service is the general manager of New Zealand Pharmaceuticals, Ltd, and the national president of the Export Institute. Mr Wilson is the director of trade services in the Department of Trade and Industry. John Lister is the general manager of the export division of General Foods, and Auckland branch president of the Export Institute. Mr Turnbull is the Auckland regional director for the Department of Trade and Industry. The day-to-day activities of Focus are directed by two executives — one from the Export Institute and the other from the Department of Trade and Industty. They are the director, Bruce Renshaw, representing the Export Institute, and the co-ordinator, Paul Crack, representing the department. Bruce has over-all responsibility for the operations of the programme, from both an organisational and a financial point of view. After gaining qualifications in accounting and administration, Mr Renshaw spent eight years in management with Fletcher Steel, Ltd. He was then employed by Donaldson Engineering, Ltd, for six years. He then spent three years as the Export Institute’s executive officer before becoming first deputy director and then director. In recent years, Mr Renshaw has been responsible

for the organisation and management of several trade missions and various trade exhibitions. The co-ordinator for Focus, Mr Crack, is responsible for liaising with the Department of Trade and Industry, for registration procedures and records, and for the co-ordination of promotional ventures. Paul gained a degree in Social Sciences from Waikato University, and joined the Department of Trade and Industry in 1970. In 1978 he was posted to

San Francisco as trade commissioner for four years, and returned to Auckland in 1981 as an export liaison officer. In the future, Focus will devote further personnel and cash resources to promoting other trade and industry sectors in Australia — by means of trade promotions and related activities, market research on behalf of trade groups, and the widespread distribution of printed material publicising New Zealand and its industries.