As we adapt our business to meet the demands of the changing and challenging shipping and logistics industry, our staff are playing a leading role in determining our way forward.

Staff, their knowledge, skills and experience, are the most valuable asset of any company – they drive a business to success through pride in their work, and pride in the team they work with.

There is also no greater source of information for how a business is operating and where things can be improved than those who are working on the ‘front line’ every day in their area of expertise.

Our Business Improvement Project has given staff the responsibility to look across the entire company and find ways we can work smarter and more efficiently. In the first few months we have already had 77 ideas, with a number being taken forward for further investigation and, possibly, implementation.

Working smarter and more efficiently also requires adaptability and flexibility. The port is a 365 days per year operation which, due to tides, weather and the vagaries of shipping, can be unpredictable, in spite of the greatest planning. For us to maintain a strong place in the market, we must meet our customers’ needs, which includes being ready and willing when needed.

Technology advances and changes in processes also require upskilling and the introduction of new people. We continue to invest in the development of staff through training, and look to our experienced people to share their knowledge with those coming onboard, who bring different skills and ideas.

As you can read in the latest Portal publication, the article ‘Waiwera visit marks birth of modern port’,  a century ago, after years of “disappointment, discouragement and sacrifice”, Port Taranaki at last became a deep sea export port.

In the years since, the port has developed greatly. It proudly services a wide range of industries and plays a key role in the success and wellbeing of the Taranaki region.

At the heart have been the port’s employees – generations of staff who have worked hard and built on the toil of those early pioneers.

We have a responsibility to continue that, building a legacy of “customer intimacy, asset utilisation and service excellence” so that our port thrives for the next 100 years.

I thank our staff for leading the way.