Team Work Wins Beef Jerky Plant

17 July 2002

Team Work Wins Beef Jerky Plant

The $12 million Mangere beef jerky plant is a great example of team work to promote investment in New Zealand, says Industry New Zealand Chief Executive Neil Mackay.

Commenting on today’s (Wednesday) opening of the plant by the Minister for Economic Development Jim Anderton, Mr Mackay said Industry New Zealand, Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ), Skill New Zealand, Competenz and the Manukau City Council worked together to attract US beef jerky manufacturer, Links Snacks, to South Auckland.

“We all have something different to offer,” he said. “Industry New Zealand played a significant role in pulling everyone’s strengths together.

“It’s a classic example of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.”

The government package included:

- Industry New Zealand’s Major Investment Fund gave Jack Links a $50,000 grant for a feasibility study focusing on the strategic benefits of investing in New Zealand.

- Skill NZ and Competenz job training programmes in food safety, handling and hygiene.

- WINZ employment and training programmes, which selected long-term unemployed and got them up-skilled.

- The Major Investment Fund provided a $500,000 guarantee for these programmes.

- The Manukau City Council gave assistance through its Business Incentive Fund.

Mr Mackay said the beef jerky plant was a good example of a package of benefits New Zealand can offer overseas investors including, in this case, a skilled labour force and quality raw materials.

“Industry New Zealand will continue to work with the private sector and other government agencies, both from central and local government, to put together other packages to attract investment here, for example involving other Kiwi assets such as our ideas and can-do attitude.”

ENDS

Editor’s note

Link Snacks Inc is one of the largest meat snack manufacturers in the USA, with four plants in the USA, one in Brazil, and now one in New Zealand. The Manukau plant is 60% owned by US family firm Jack Links, and 40% by New Zealand’s John Corner.

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