New Chief Executive For The Wood Processing And Manufacturing Association Of NZ

This week Mark Ross started a new position as Chief Executive of the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association of NZ.

WPMA represents over 65 companies involved in the wider wood products industry, with a vision where wood processing and manufacturing is core to New Zealand’s economic growth, regional development, and environmental protection.

Mark has a strong passion for our primary industries and natural environment, having worked within the wider agricultural, horticultural, and forestry industries throughout his career. He has a great understanding of the machinery of government, strong leadership ability, as well as advocacy and policy development.

‘With my experience working across the primary industries I am well versed in the forestry and wood processing sectors. Specifically, in my earlier career at the Ministry of Forestry (prior to becoming MPI), where I worked in forestry import and export quarantine, forest health and biosecurity incursions, such as the aerial operation to successfully eradicate the white-spotted tussock moth from Auckland’ said Mark ‘the recent announcement by the government of the $57 million wood processing growth fund and the launch of the Forestry and Wood Processing Transformation Plan makes it an exciting time for me to join the WPMA’.

The WPMA has a leading role to play in a number of areas, including:

• Improving government and the WPMA industry collaboration and policy alignment.
• Encouraging investment to increase manufacturing and research into advanced wood-based products for building, biotech and fuels.
• Advocating for the ‘delayed emissions’ benefit of long-lived harvested wood products through development of a scheme to bring Harvested Wood Products into the ETS to the benefit of wood processors; and
• Providing leadership and support to its members through fronting industry advocacy and issues.

Ross says ‘It is essential that as a country we hasten the development of our domestic wood processing and manufacturing sector. This will be progressed through creating and selling our wood product story, plus working closely with government and the wider industry to encourage greater support, innovation, and investment.’

Mark was previously the Chief Executive of Animal and Plant Health NZ (formerly Agcarm), a position he held for eight years.

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