Napier Port’s Influence Grows

11th December, 2012

Napier Port’s Influence Grows

“Napier Port is Now the North Island’s Second Largest Export Port by Volume (Tonnage) And New Zealand’s Fourth Largest Container Terminal,” Says Napier Port’s Chief Executive, Garth Cowie.

“That will come as a surprise to many people, including locals. We’re probably an unrecognized jewel. Our growth has been based on a superior service model provided by all the port staff, not only the Port Company but also stevedores, marshalling companies, MPI and Customs, all working together, and we intend to become even stronger and more widely recognised.”

Cowie says ongoing ramifications from the global economic crisis have caused some regional ports to suffer a loss of trade and key customers. However, as results released at Monday’s AGM indicate, Napier Port’s continued to buck the trend and it reported another healthy result for the year ending 30 September.

“That’s built on a lot of hard work across all our operations, through understanding and deepening our logistics relationships with all our customers and suppliers whilst providing exporters and importers with a level of service that is hard to match,” he says.

Forestry products, processed fruit and vegetables, growing apple exports with the planting of new varieties, and increased dairy and meat exports have all contributed to record 3,713,057 tonnes handled through the port. This is 2% higher than last year.

A record 204,065 containers (TEU, or twenty foot equivalent) were handled, an 8.5% improvement on last year.

Cowie says much of the increase in cargo volume can be attributed to staff working together to understand individual customer’s business needs, and increasingly providing transport logistics solutions specifically tailored to those requirements wherever possible.

“As we convert our growth aspirations into reality, Napier Port’s significance at a national level continues to increase,” says Cowie.

“There are a number of factors that contribute to our enhanced standing. But ultimately it is the degree to which our customers and staff consistently work together to provide superior service outcomes that differentiates us.”

Cowie says the range and depth of solutions that Napier Port provide is a major factor behind its rebranding.

“It is our staff and customers that enable us to stand up and be counted, and we’re proud of the contribution we jointly make to Hawke’s Bay and to the national economy,” he says.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

• Revenue: $60.3 million, up 11%

• Net profit after tax: $11.080 million

• Shareholder's funds: $169 million

• Decrease in debt: 7.6%

• Dividends paid: $5.854 million

THE PORT’S THROUGHPUT IS A REFLECTION OF INVESTMENT AND PERFORMANCE IN THE HAWKE'S BAY ECONOMY

• New record tonnage 3,713,057; up 2%

• Handled 204,065 TEU containers, up 8.5%

• Export log volumes close to 1 million tonnes

• Apple volumes ahead of 5 and 10 year averages

• Record cruise season with 69 cruise ships

• Completion of capital dredging programme to handle larger vessels.

SAFETY FOCUS REWARDED

ON 2 DECEMBER, NAPIER PORT SURPASSED 12 MONTHS WITHOUT A LOST TIME INJURY.

Napier Port has now achieved a record 373, and counting, days with no lost time injuries.

This is a considerable achievement in an environment of heavy containers and cargos’, moving machinery, vessels and people, says the Port’s culture and capability manager, Viv Bull. “It reflects our Zero Harm philosophy and practices. It is our top priority.”

It is also part of Napier Port’s attitude to “do it once, do it safely, do it RIGHT,” says Viv. In this case RIGHT is an acronym for Respect, Integrity, Going the extra mile, Honesty and Teamwork.

Near misses and incidents are used as learning experiences under this

model she says. “Our internal pool of investigators actively

reviews these and other hazards to determine root causes and identify where safety improvements can be made,” says Viv.

A year without injuries is a great achievement, and is a credit to all staff she says, but the Port’s commitment to continuous improvement means we are determined to extend this run into the future and provide an ever safer working environment.
ends

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