Zespri has revealed plans to build a new global head office, after the single desk kiwifruit marketer agreed to the terms of a multi-million dollar land sale with the Tauranga City Council.
The deal will see Zespri purchase the site its current head offices are located on in Mount Maunganui, at a cost of NZ$10.1m (US$6.8m). Zespri currently leases the office building and surrounding land from the council. The new head office will be located at the southern end of the site, while parkland will be developed adjoining the new building.
Tauranga City Council has revealed Zespri’s offer was not the highest bid for the site, but was “unconditional and provided the best value to the council and the community,” according to a press release.
“It is fantastic that this truly global company will develop an iconic building that the city can be proud of, and work with us to reinstate the community space in the adjoining parkland,” Tauranga mayor Stuart Crosby said. “We will work closely with Zespri to develop this space, to create a sense of place and encourage community and commercial activities. Council has listened to the public and this is a great outcome for everyone involved: the community, the city and Zespri.”
Zespri will continue to operate from its current offices until the new building is ready in 2018. David Hazlehurst, Zespri’s chief financial officer, said the company was pleased to remain at its current location.
“This is a significant moment for Zespri and we are so pleased to cement our place in this community, near the heart of the New Zealand kiwifruit industry,” Hazlehurst said. “The industry has reached pre-Psa volumes of fruit and is set for strong growth so it is fitting that this opportunity came up to invest in our Maunganui Road site. This offers real value for our shareholders and means we can maintain business continuity.”
