When Guy Roper looks out across Port Taranaki’s shoreline he sees a lot more than sand, sea and ships.

“We’ve got it all here, really,” says the port’s chief executive. “Port Taranaki is now a multifaceted business that covers everything from providing transport and storage services, through to using our network of contacts to facilitate connections between customers – it’s a one-stop logistics shop.”

The drive to provide world-class logistics solutions for customers – regionally, nationally and internationally – is a company-wide focus.

“Our aim is to put customers and their business first in everything we do, by listening, being proactive, price competitive and providing the facilities, services and expertise they need to ensure they run efficiently and profitably. This all comes under our three company pillars of customer intimacy, maximum asset utilisation and service excellence.”

Recently the port employed Chris Dillon as customer relationship manager to build on the customer intimacy pillar by ensuring the needs of the port’s customers are being met, developing new contacts, and providing one point of contact for customers across the operational and commercial areas.

“We have a lot of contacts through the range of customers and partnerships we have in oil and gas, forestry, dry goods, trucking and shipping, and the Government agencies that share our building –Customs, the Ministry for Primary Industries, and Maritime New Zealand,” says Port Taranaki chief financial officer and head of commercial Allan Melhuish. “We can use those connections to help bring parties together and enhance their businesses.

“We are also flexible and open to any discussions on price competitive solutions and new business logistics solutions to ensure our customers and prospective customers are operating efficiently and profitably.”

In line with its second pillar, the port is maximising the use of its assets. Part of the former Contact Energy power station is now used as a dry bulk hub, where customers can store product close to the berths, and the former Fitzroy Yachts building, on 1.2 hectares at the eastern side of harbour land, is available for port-related development.

“We also have about seven hectares of land still available for development, so we are keen to talk with businesses who have the need for design-and-build facilities within the port gates and close to the shipping berths,” Guy says.

“Although we do not have an import-export container service at port at the moment, we continue to work hard to bring it back and have the cranes and mobile plant ready to use.”

The third pillar, service excellence, is an inherent part of the Port Taranaki culture.

“We have very experienced staff throughout who can help with logistics solutions and offer onshore and offshore support. Being New Zealand’s key oil and gas port, we also have industry-leading health and safety procedures and stringent security, so our staff are well trained for handling customers’ products and goods.

“As I said, we really do have it all here.”