HBF Info Magazine 1982 Vol 2 No 4

HBF INFO

HBF’s two-storey building on the main street of Waipukurau was opened in 1960 and is still the handsomest edifice in town. HBF is an important employer in the area, with a staff of 43 full-time and 6 part-time employees. For the year ending June 1981, actual sales were over $19-million, not including Takapau, which comes within Waipukurau’s jurisdiction. But getting those sales isn’t easy because HBF is up against a lot of competition in Central Hawke’s Bay from other stock and station companies, a trading society and the Vet Club. More photos on pages 2 and 3.

MAY 1982
Vol. 2 N0. 4

HBF INFO  is published quarterly for employees of THE HAWKE’S BAY FARMERS’ CO-OPERATIVE  ASSOCIATION LTD. P.O. Box 147, Hastings. Telephone 66-119.
Registered at Post Office Headquarters as a magazine.

DEER FARMING IS HERE TO STAY

After five years in the deer business, HBF senior executives are convinced that deer farming is here to stay.

HBF was the first North Island stock and station company to take a chance on deer, back in 1977. At this moment the company holds over $1-million in forward deer contracts. Prices of animals range from $700-1000 for six-month hinds (females) to $1500 – 3000 for master stags; so deer are a source of good commissions for HBF.

Deer involve a complete range of mercantile activities (drenches, fencing, etc) plus insurance of animals on farms, insurance in transit, export sales of velvet, and export of venison.

Company deer manager David Ward goes to the South Island frequently to buy superior red deer base stock for clients, through Southland Farmers Co-operative Association, Invercargill, and NZ Farmers Co-operative, Canterbury.

He also spends a lot of time in Auckland with potential investors: “Contributions by city people have done a lot to establish the deer industry over the past two or three years,” he says.

Of course these new urban investors need land to put the deer on, so our real estate division finds it for them.

Three years ago, HBF organised a velvet pool for clients. (Velvet is the name given to deer antlers in the soft growing stage).  “We felt farmers were not receiving full value for their velvet, and that the grading system was questionable.”  So David devised a more sophisticated 16-category system.

The latest innovation is a venison schedule, in addition to selling on owner’s account.

Photo captions –

David Ward (right), company deer manager, and Doug Evans, meat marketing officer who handles venison sales and arranges killing space, check on deer being processed at the new Hastings deer slaughterhouse. David Ward joined HBF sixteen years ago and took on the new job of deer manager in 1977.

HBF owns a small share in the new deer slaughterhouse, East Coast Venison Ltd. Here David Ward and Doug Evans chat with farming client Derek Snow (second from left) and Craig Hickson (right), manager of the slaughterhouse. The building on the left is the deer holding pen; on the right, the slaughterhouse, boning room and packing room.

Who does what in WAIPUKURAU

Brian Kelsey is area manager for Central Hawke’s Bay, which includes Takapau. He earned his B.Ag.Comm. degree from Lincoln in 1973, joined Hastings real estate in January 1974, became field officer in 1975, meat marketing officer in 1979, then succeeded Jim Scotland in Waipukurau in early 1981.

Pat Christian manages the coffee-shop, which may be enlarged.

Stock agent Jim Howard invites bids at the annual Waipukurau Ewe Fair, a prestigious event attracting buyers from all over the country. Waipukurau’s actual sheep sales for the year ending June 1981 were over $5-million.

Anne Marfell, grocery supervisor, and Martin Price check prices in the liquor department.

Retail occupies ground floor and part of the mezzanine.

Pauline Gordon, supervisor, serves a customer upstairs in the showroom.

Archie Steedman, supervisor, and Theresa Brown run the menswear department.

Faye McCoy (left), drapery supervisor, and Irene Coleman price merchandise.

Shona Crooks, payroll clerk, has been with HBF 23 years, and accountant John Brasell, 16 years.

Richard Behagel, travel manager, and Raema Brun, travel consultant, rearrange literature in their new ground floor offices.
Reminder: final Draw in the HBF TRAVELBAG competition is June 30. Details are on your bulletin board.

John Stanley, mercantile retail store salesman, who has been with HBF 27 years, adjusts a display in the newly renovated Farm-n-Town section.

Allan D. Harrison, produce storeman, checks the control panel of the seed cleaning operation.

HBF Waipukurau is unique in that it has a big seed cleaning department, including five silos for storage.

Extreme right: Eric Sargison, inwards storeman, turns bartender at an after- hours shout.

Left: Michael Ward, mercantile clerk, keeps in touch by radio-telephone with Waipukurau and Dannevirke produce and stock agents

All about money…

The continuing downturn in farmer income, causing a slump in sales and profits, is of great concern to all stock and station companies.

“It’s a total market problem, not just HBF,” points out General Manager Jim Scotland. “And we think it is not just seasonal but long term.

“Our six-months results were not as good as we had hoped, and we are concerned about it. So we are running a major corporate exercise to determine which trends are long-term or permanent, and which are merely seasonal.

“We are looking at ourselves and asking, why are we in business? What are our objectives? Where will HBF be in 1987? Where would we like to be?

“I am convinced that if we are to thrive and grow, we must – as Jock McKenzie is always saying – work smarter, not harder.”

Computer strategy

To work smarter, managers need essential data, fast. Therefore, PA Management Consultants are studying our information requirements and our data processing system to come up with a new computer strategy.

As our general manager explains, “We are trying to identify our long-term management information requirements. How can we give people better information faster? How can we ensure that accounting is done as cost effectively as possible?”

New job created

A new job of project accountant has been created to supply an in-company expert to work with PA Management Consultants on this new computer strategy, and the job will be filled, beginning June 8, by David J. Morris B.C.A., A.C.A., coming from Lower Hutt. He will be travelling throughout the company.

His basic objective will be to assist in the fact-finding design and implementation of the computer development strategy, plus any other projects which may be specified. He will work closely with the computer consultants.

The project accountant will report to the computer steering committee on overall objectives and to the company accountant on routine matters.

David Morris earned his B.C.A. from Victoria University in 1969, then worked seven years with a firm of accountants followed by four years as systems accountant with A. & T. Burt, merchants.

Change in financial year

A new financial year has been established, to begin August 2, and end August 1 midnight. Formerly the financial year ran from July 1 to June 30.

This is expected to be advantageous to the meat marketing operation by allowing a larger proportion of the season’s kill to be brought into the appropriate financial year.

Changes in farming policy have extended the trading period into July, where June used to be the low point in the year.

Other companies with whom HBF deals have changed their financial year similarly.

And December 31 is a difficult time for the stocktaking which is required for half-yearly reports to the Stock Exchange Association.

So brace yourself for a 13-month year.

And furthermore . . .

Despite the NZ Meat Board taking over the marketing of lamb “we still have a meat marketing operation,” says Jim Scotland. “It is a new concept in marketing and we will have to restructure accordingly. We will be selling 100% of our production to the Meat Board and buying back 53% of it. We will be servicing all traditional markets with the exception of Iran. The traditional ‘owner’s account’ facility has stopped but we will offer a pool facility.”

“We will have lost some profit opportunity; but the Meat Board intervention also reduces our risk. And if the Government signs a contract with Iran, they may – who knows? – hand the marketing back to us, so the situation may be temporary.”

Remember the Blossom Festivals?

HBF used to earn much good will and publicity from its prize-winning floats in the annual Blossom Festivals. This remarkable entry – designed, as they all were, by A.A. McCormick (now retired) – won the “champion of champions” prize in 1959. But unfortunately the festivals came to an end in the late 1960’s.

BELOW: Now as part of its continuing campaign to attract city people, HBF sponsors the annual Highland Games in Hastings. As a result, the company made the front pages of local newspapers several times. Also, in one 19-minute Apple Radio broadcast, HBF was mentioned 13 times.

HBF INFO is published every three months to keep employees and their families better informed on what is going on within the company. Extra copies are available from your area manager or from Bill Plapp, personnel manager, HBF, Box 147, Hastings.

Editor: Kate Contos.
Printer: Brebner Printing Co, Napier.

New real estate premises lure in the public

Roger Duff (left), company real estate manager, and Bill Ormond, salesman, stand across from their new ground-floor offices in Hastings, after a shift from first-floor premises. “People aren’t inclined to walk up one floor to make inquiries, and passers-by wouldn’t know we were there,” says Roger. “Now they stop to look at the colour photos, drop in to chat about how one buys a house, and then six months later come back to buy.” The same move has been made in Waipukurau.

Nancy Burgmans transferred from Westermans to take over as receptionist in the new real estate offices.