Initiative and drive pay off

Press, 20 June 1984, Page 31

Initiative and drive pay off

By

ADRIAN BROKKING

“In Europe everyone dreams of New Zealand’ but very few go,” said a Swiss immigrant, Mr Lukas Zangger, when asked what made him come to this country.

Mr Zangger came here in 1982 on a four-week holiday, and chose to stay in Christchurch, originally with the idea of working as an accountant. However, he finished up an exporter. “I soon noticed products here not available overseas, and vice-versa,” he said. This observation led to the idea for an importexport business, concentrating on German-speaking countries, as German is Mr Zangger’s mother tongue.

He went to firms with products that attracted him, and suggested that he organise their exports to Switzerland, Germany, and Austria.

Responses were favourable, and with a New Zealand partner (who at present is in Tonga promoting New Zealand exports) he formed a company, Wallace and Zangger, Ltd. The company has several exclusive franchises to sell a diverse range of New Zealand products in France, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.

The range includes honeywine, mead, honey, leather and embossed leather goods, pot-belly

stoves, and blackboard chalk. Mr Zangger is especially enthusiastic about the mead, which he thinks will sell very well in Europe. It is rarely seen over there and fits in with the trend towards health foods. The New Zealand-made chalk is not made of the traditional materials, and is more suitable for use by people with respiratory allergies such as asthma. “And if the kids were to eat it, they would not come to any harm,” Mr Zangger said.

The reaction overseas was immediate, with some very positive leads, he said, but following these up was difficult. So he is moving back to Zurich, which will put one partner at either end of the trade links. Once settled in, back in his country of birth, he hopes to promote New Zealand as a tourist destination, especially for farm holidays.

Meanwhile, here in New Zealand, the company stays afloat by producing products for the home market, such as lampshades and a footbag game (a co-ordina-tion game). Of the footbag game, Mr Zangger said: “It is a funny little thing, but it keeps us going. Exports are a longterm development, the hacky-sack provides our every-day bread and butter.