Synlait's back
OPINION: After years of financial turmoil, Canterbury milk processor Synlait is now back in business.
SYNLAIT HAS appointed Mike Lee to the newly created role of general manager sales reporting to the managing director Dr John Penno.
Dr Penno says the appointment follows a decision to combine the previously separate ingredient and nutritional sales teams in order to better serve its customers.
"Over the past year we have made significant business development progress particularly with our tier one multinational customers," says Dr Penno.
"We are increasingly selling a range of products to them and we need to provide a single point of contact to better manage these relationships. The change to the senior team structure will also increase accountability and reduce operating complexity for us going forward."
Lee will oversee the sales function for the company. He has over 15 years dairy industry experience in business development and sales roles in New Zealand, Asia and Europe, and takes up the position after being with Synlait Milk for almost three years in the position of general manager ingredient sales.
"The infant formula market in China continues to be important to us and we are seeing new opportunities beginning to emerge as the regulatory changes taking place in that market begin to bed down. Working in China requires good relationships and a strong technical understanding, and therefore we have appointed Dr Tony McKenna as regional sales manager - China nutritionals reporting to Mike Lee.
"Tony has over 12 years' experience in the China market, four years of which have been while working at Synlait Milk, and this appointment will allow us to put even greater focus on developing our infant formula and nutritional business," says Dr Penno.
Synlait is in the final stages of completing construction of a $27 million dry blending and consumer packaging facility, and expects to be granted registration to export finished infant formula into China following the approval of its Risk Management Plan by the Ministry for Primary Industries.
Two butcheries have claimed victory at the 100% New Zealand Bacon & Ham Awards for 2025.
A Taupiri farming company has been convicted and fined $52,500 in the Hamilton District Court for the unlawful discharge of dairy effluent into the environment.
The Climate Change Commission’s 2025 emissions reduction monitoring report reveals steady progress on the reduction of New Zealand’s climate pollution.
Another milestone has been reached in the fight against Mycoplasma bovis with the compensation assistance service being wound up after helping more than 1300 farmers.
The Government’s directive for state farmer Landcorp Farming (trading as Pamu) to lifts its performance is yielding results.
The move to bring bovine TB testing in-house at Ospri officially started this month, as a team of 37 skilled and experienced technicians begin work with the disease eradication agency.
OPINION: Will synthetic milk derail NZ's economy?
OPINION: According to media reports, the eye-watering price of butter has prompted Finance Minister Nicola Willis to ask for a…