YOUR INDUSTRY
An artist's impression of the new $40 million post-harvest kiwifruit complex
Staff involved in design of $40 million complex A $40 million new kiwifruit post-harvest complex being built for DMS Progrowers in Te Puke could quite rightly be referred to as “the packhouse the people built,” as the company’s staff have had a major say in its design. By Elaine Fisher “We involved our staff from cleaners and caterers to forklift drivers, packers, logistics, office staff and the executive team, in the design,” says DMS chief executive Derek Masters. DMS met with both its teams from the existing Te Puke and Te Puna sites, set up a whiteboard and asked, “if there were no constraints, what kind of facility would you like?” It was a bold move which DMS saw as an opportunity to tap into the knowledge of those who will work there.
“Health and safety were crucial factors in the design, and staff suggestions about safe and efficient traffic flow for forklifts, trucks, vehicles and people were taken on board. So too was the advice of the company’s catering team, who pointed out that the new cafeteria should be big enough to allow for social distancing in the event of another pandemic such as Covid-19.” Consideration has also been given to facilities the cleaners need and how to keep people warm on the packing line in winter and cool in the summer.
More than their input into the design, Derek says DMS also gave consideration to the aspirations of its staff when deciding to invest in the new 5400m² packhouse and four new coolstores at the Te Matai Road site. “Even though DMS could remain profitable with its two current postharvest facilities, as kiwifruit volumes grow, we would lose market share. When it was put to the DMS board that we should consider building a new complex, Craig Greenlees and Paul Jones (co-founders of DMS) asked what did the staff think? The ORCHARDIST : AUGUST 2021 31
