Interview with Heath Wilkins and Eleni Hogg, Golden Bay Fruit
Hosted by Gareth Power Gordon, Nelson Regional Development Agency
Golden Bay Fruit is a local fruit export business with global stature, grounded in a commitment to business and environmental sustainability.
The company is vertically integrated, working directly with around a dozen major apple, pear and kiwifruit growers based, for generations, in the Tasman region – together packing and exporting produce to over 20 different countries throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Cemented with family values, Golden Bay Fruit, which includes orcharding businesses Birdhurst, Heywood and Wood, came together in the early 2000s to create a sustainable business model for future generations. Caring for the environment is part of this philosophy, with sprays, water and energy use, supplier locality and packaging waste ongoing considerations.
Golden Bay Fruit aims to grow premium New Zealand fruit by growing good people, good land and good partnerships.
Health Wilkins is the Managing Director of Golden Bay Fruit and a third-generation co-owner of Birdhurst, an apple and kiwifruit grower and founding member of Golden Bay Fruit. He grew up in the Tasman region and has been working in the fruit-growing industry for over 30 years.
Eleni Hogg, Marketing Director for Golden Bay Fruit, is an international marketing and brand expert with substantial experience working with Food and Beverage brands across Asia, from a base in China. Eleni is a key figure driving the response to climate change within Golden Bay Fruit.
Thank you to the Nelson Regional Development Agency for their support for Mission Insights.
