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Leading New Zealand distributor and marketer Turners & Growers will strengthen its focus on “key” categories and reinforce its position in its domestic market as part of its new corporate strategy, unveiled yesterday.

Turners & Growers chief executive Alastair Hulbert said the new strategy was the result of extensive collaboration and research by the company’s management team over the past 12 months.

“As a business that has focused on fresh produce for over 117 years, we need to regularly re-evaluate what we are doing,” Hulbert said.

“Technological and scientific innovations have created a more dynamic industry - driven by passionate and hard-working people. We want to make sure that our strategy and direction positions us to lead this evolution.”

Under the strategy, the company has identified a number of produce categories where it believes greater integration and value can be achieved. Internationally these products include pipfruit, grapes and kiwifruit, while more focus will be placed on citrus in the domestic market.

The company also outlined a desire to strengthen relationships with customers and growers, while recognising the importance of its New Zealand business.

It also aims to bulk up its international trading business and build on global partnerships, such as the one in place with major shareholder BayWa.

As part of the overall strategy, Turners & Growers is working with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise as part of their Better by Design programme to support the organisation in becoming more innovative, efficient and internationally competitive.

“Through the Better by Design programme we have gathered feedback and insights from growers, customers, consumers and employees on how they perceive the organisation, what Turners & Growers does well and most importantly identified areas for improvement.”