Primary Collaboration New Zealand – Ten Years Anniversary

This week, a relatively unknown, but important player in the New Zealand - China trade nexus reaches an important anniversary, 10 years after it became fully operational in 2015. Primary Collaboration New Zealand Ltd, has served as a market-entry vehicle for some well-known Kiwi companies, supporting their first steps in China from its shared services offices in Shanghai.

The company was formed by six original shareholders, including Silver Fern Farms, Sealord, Synlait, Villa Maria (Indevin), Kono, and Pacific Pace, which is itself an apple coalition comprised of Mr Apple, Bostock, and Kiwi Crunch. Kono’s shares were later purchased by Rockit Apple. Over the subsequent ten years a further 11 member companies have also enjoyed PCNZ’s support.

PCNZ’s founding Chairman Andy Borland, who is also Managing Director of Scales Corp, remembers the humble beginnings. “A group of primary produce business leaders traveled to Stanford University in 2012, for a workshop that intended to solve the vexing question of how Kiwi businesses could do better in China. We could see the size of the opportunity, but we wanted to enter China with less risk, we wanted to put boots on the ground, and we wanted a simple business model. New Zealand was such a small trading partner for China, and so we came up with the idea of a collaboration. It took us a couple of years to iron out the details, but we had a “coalition of the willing” ready to go, in 2015. “

By several measures it has been a big success. PCNZ’s recent analysis of total export sales in China from its shareholder and member companies, reports revenues of approximately NZ$750 million a year from 2022 – 2024. PCNZ has employed over 56 Chinese managers to serve its respective member Kiwi companies, a number of whom have been educated in New Zealand, or have Kiwi connections.

“The whole journey so far has not been without a few bumps along the road,” says Mr Borland, “including COVID, and including a few moments when Kiwi companies have hesitated about China. But we have signed two new companies in 2024, and another two new members in 2025, as we backfill the departing ‘graduates’. Personally, I’m very positive about trade with China; especially in the last few days! “

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