Tuesday, 16 June 2020 09:04

Hort sector stalwart dies

Written by  Staff Reporters
Tony Gibbs. Tony Gibbs.

Former T&G chairman and long-standing director Tony Gibbs has recently died.

His death follows a period of ill health.

Gibbs led T&G Global for 16 years from 1995 until 2011. 

T&G says that throughout his tenure, the company grew from a domestic fruit and vegetable seller into a significant player in the international fresh produce industry, introducing new fruit varieties to the world – including Envy and JAZZ apples.

Gibbs was an early and prominent proponent of ending the single-desk export monopolies in both the apple and kiwifruit businesses,

Chief executive Gareth Edgecombe says T&G is grateful to Gibbs and his family for their passion, commitment and lifelong relationship.

“Under Tony’s leadership and strategic direction, T&G reshaped its business to focus on its core strength of fresh produce and expanded its global footprint.” Gibbs was also a long-time mandarin orchardist based at Matakana, Northland.

The 72-year-old had a long history in business in NZ. Gibbs was probably best known as an executive director of GPG and was also actively involved with several of New Zealand’s biggest companies, including Vector, Tower, Wrightson, and Turners & Growers.

In 2009, Gibbs was awarded a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business. 

Featured

National

NZ growers lead freshwater compliance

Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) says that commercial fruit and vegetable growers are getting ahead of freshwater farm plan regulations through…

Machinery & Products

Yamaha acquires Robotics Plus

New Zealand based company Robotics Plus, a specialist in agricultural automation, has announced an agreement for it to be acquired…

Ecorobotix announces NZ dealership

Swiss-based Ecorobotix has announced its entry into the New Zealand market through a strategic partnership with Canterbury-based New Zealand Tractors.

Sorting unwashed potatoes made easy

Downs, a leader in potato reception, automated sorting, and storage, has introduced its new high-throughput optical sorter for unwashed potatoes…

Jumbo X saves time and money

A winner of a prestigious ‘Technical Innovations 2024’ award by FederUnacoma at the EIMA show in Italy, the Maschio Jumbo…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Overbearing?

OPINION: Dust ups between rural media and PR types aren't unheard of but also aren't common, given part of the…

Foot-in-mouth

OPINION: The Hound hears from his canine pals in Southland that an individual's derogatory remarks on social media have left…

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter