Zespri opens global hub in Singapore with fanfare

Zespri has recently officially opened its new Centre of Sales and Marketing Excellence in Singapore. First established in 2015, the facility is a vital hub for Zespri’s markets, as well as for connecting markets with growers in New Zealand and offshore, according to a news release.

The new office was completed in late 2020 but COVID-19 and associated travel restrictions in recent years delayed an official opening until now. Zespri CEO Dan Mathieson says the Singapore hub plays a critical role in Zespri’s ability to return value back to growers and communities. 

“Our Centre of Sales and Marketing Excellence is the gateway to all of our major markets and the heartbeat of our sales and marketing strategy, supporting our 17 offices around the world, and it was brilliant we could have our growers join us for this important event after the extended COVID-enforced delay,” Mathieson said in the release. 

New Zealand High Commissioner to Singapore Gabrielle Rush and New Zealand Trade Commissioner Maggie Christie attended the opening, along with around 60 growers from New Zealand as part of the first industry tour since COVID-19, which included visits orchards, packhouses and key markets in Europe, the release said.

Tauranga Moana Kaumatua Turi Ngatai blessed the office and bestowed a traditional Māori carving which symbolizes the connection to Zespri’s roots in the Bay of Plenty, where the majority of Zespri kiwifruit is grown. The office features several collaboration spaces and a base camp area where the New Zealand kiwifruit industry’s history is on display, with a mural demonstrating the connection between New Zealand and Singapore, where Zespri has been selling kiwifruit for more than 30 years, according to the release.

“The hub has been pivotal in the ongoing strengthening of our brand, including the global roll-out of our successful KiwiBrothers campaigns, which has helped us grow demand and attract new consumers, and we’re looking forward to this continuing in the years ahead,” Mathieson said.

Mathieson says Zespri had been able to recruit several sales and marketing experts from the fast-moving consumer goods sector as it continued to invest in strengthening the way it sells kiwifruit and the Zespri brand. 

“The hub and the people we’ve been able to attract has been pivotal in accelerating our growth over the past eight years, including changing the way we partner with our distributors and retailers, which has enabled us to return more value back to our industry,” he said. “Our sales and marketing programs have been a key driver of value creation in the category which has seen Zespri’s total global kiwifruit sales increase from $1.9 billion in 2015-16 to $3.92 billion last year.”

Māori Kiwifruit Growers Inc. grower Geoff Rolleston attended the opening and said the event reinforced and celebrated the important cultural connections between Māori, New Zealand growers and the Zespri teams, which are truly multicultural. 

“The sharing of culture strengthens the partnerships and connection and it’s these long-term relationships that underpin the success of the industry and the connection to people and communities,” Rolleston said in the release. 

Bay of Plenty kiwifruit grower Ray Sharp said in the release that it’s important for growers to see the work that takes place across the markets to bring kiwifruit and the Zespri brand to life for consumers and customers. The Centre of Sales and Marketing Excellence now plays a leading role with some very talented people, he added.