Key personnel
John Long
Director
A foundation director of Primor Produce, John has been involved with the export of horticultural products since 1978. For fifteen years he was a director of the Horticultural Export Authority, retiring from the Authority in 2002. John also holds directorships in other companies in the horticultural industry, so he is able to bring a broad perspective of market conditions and industry knowledge to Primor Produce.
Michael Kember
Director of Finance and Administration
One of the founding directors of Primor Produce, Michael holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Victoria University and is an associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. He has masterminded the implementation of the best practice administrative and finance systems at Primor, to ensure that payments travel securely around the world, and that Primor's growers are paid correctly and promptly. In addition Michael's significant experience in Foreign Exchange management is a key asset in the daily stewardship of Primor's import and export activity.
John Carroll
Director and General Manager
One of the founding directors of Primor Produce, John holds overall responsibility for the team of twenty-odd. He balances his management role with grower liaison and ongoing involvement with the sales and marketing of avocados. John is Chairman of the New Zealand Association of Avocado Exporters and a Director of the Avocado Industry Council. He has a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics from Massey University.
Ted Thomas
Export Manager
Ted holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration from Victoria University. He has been involved with the horticultural export industry for 20 years, and with Primor for nine. In his role as Export Manager for Primor, he manages the seasonal flow of produce from packers to offshore distributors and direct to retail. This involves seasonal planning and ongoing price negotiations with suppliers and buyers. Ted keeps a watching brief on market opportunities in the Pacific Rim region, so that Primor will always be the first to react when new doors open.
Michael McDowall
Domestic Sales Manager
Michael has been with Primor Produce since 1992. He is responsible for all sales of both domestically grown and imported fruit. Michael coordinates a 12 month supply of domestic avocados for supermarket customers throughout New Zealand. This starts with early season fruit, moves through the main export season and into the very late season deal. Michael and his team handle similar programmes in other domestic fruit as well as running the imported citrus and grape programmes where product is sourced from Australia and the United States, then sold throughout the country. Michael holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Auckland University.