Major milestone for distribution network

Media Release

30 November 2006

New Ballance Hastings Centre a major milestone for distribution network

The opening of Ballance Agri-Nutrient’s Service Centre in Hastings on December 1 marks a major milestone in the company’s nationwide distribution network programme.

Over seven years Ballance has invested more than $20 million developing 15 new service centres across the country.

Chairman David Graham says the Hastings Service Centre is the last of the major centres to be built under the initial North Island distribution network project, which focused on expansion in the lower North Island.
“There has been growing farmer interest in our products in the Hastings region and the development of a store on this site ideally positions us to meet local demands for product. The centre completes the East Coast network, including our stores at Waipukurau, Dannevirke, Paihaitua, Masterton and Featherston.
“Because of the success of the company’s nationwide distribution network project and continuing demands for products and services, we will be continuing to invest and build more stores around the country as needs are identified.”
David says that the Hastings Service Centre has been designed specifically with local interests in mind and offers a technically advanced blending plant, very similar to the state of the art plant installed at Te Puke.

“The sophisticated blending plant was a key requirement for the Hastings store, as increasing numbers of farmers are requesting special mixes to ensure they get maximum performance from their fertiliser investments.

“The plant also features underfloor heating which will improve product quality and offers a 3000 tonne holding capacity.

Situated on the Maraekakaho Rd, only 4 km out of Hastings, the Hastings Service Centre accesses the major roads into and around Napier and Hastings and will reduce time travel for farmers, carriers and spreaders. It also provides three bulk dispatch lanes for quick turnarounds – a great benefit to trucks needing to uplift product quickly.

The new service centre will be managed by Errol Gore who has more than six years’ experience servicing the horticultural market in the Otaki and Levin regions. He will be joined by Technical Sales Representative Kim Harris.

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