An investment in career development is paying dividends for T&G Global.
Two of the company’s young growers have won regional titles at New Zealand’s 2021 Young Grower of the Year competition.
Heather Feetham, production manager at T&G Fresh, was named Pukekohe Young Grower of the Year, while orchard foreman Regan Judd won Hawke’s Bay Young Fruit Grower of the Year.
Contestants were assessed on numerous modules and had to deliver a speech on a range of topics covering the challenges and opportunities facing the primary industry.
Feetham and Judd will now compete in the national Young Grower of the Year competition, being held in Wellington in September.
“We’re incredibly proud of Heather and Regan for their determination and drive to lead Aotearoa’s horticulture industry forward,” said T&G Global chief executive, Gareth Edgecombe. “They are the future leaders of our industry and we’re honoured to have them in our team.
“At T&G we believe that success is all about our people, so to see Heather and Regan flourishing at these competitions across the country brings great pride to everyone within our business.”
Feetham and Judd both participated in T&G’s Emerging Leaders Programme.
The programme is part of a “well-researched” performance framework developed by T&G in 2019, according to Edgecombe. The framework aims to create a high-performance environment.
“We’re focused on creating a workplace where our people can grow and reach the greatest of their potential,” Edgecombe explained. “That’s why we’ve invested in initiatives to develop our people throughout our company. This has included our Emerging Leaders Programme, which both Heather and Regan have completed.
“This programme is developing our frontline and future leaders, growing their confidence and leadership capabilities. As shown by Heather and Regan, the programme has created incredible value for our people and T&G.”
