Tuesday, 05 December 2017 10:55

From kiwifruit to chops

Written by 
Simon Limmer. Simon Limmer.

Meat company Silver Fern Farms has poached a top executive from Zespri to be its new chief executive next year.

SFF co-chair Rob Hewett says Simon Limmer has excellent skills and his experience will maintain the strong progress made as a food company.

“The board is excited by the leadership Simon will bring to Silver Fern Farms.

“He has deep commercial experience in the food, manufacturing and service sectors in NZ and in several key international markets in which we operate,” Hewett.

Limmer has worked nine years for Zespri in general management roles in NZ and China. Before that he spent 14 years with French multinational Veolia in Europe, East Asia, Oceania and the Americas.

“His experience, most recently with Zespri as their chief operating officer and prior to that as their general manager China, gives us confidence he will be able to continue our development as a consumer-oriented food business,” Hewett says.

“Simon has a clear affinity with NZ agriculture and what is required to successfully take our great products to consumers locally and around the world.”

Limmer says it is exciting to be taking on the leadership of Silver Fern Farms at an important time in the company’s development.

“The company is well-positioned to add value to NZ’s natural grass-fed red meat. There is a consumer trend to natural whole foods, the company has a good brand, is well capitalised and has a talented and enthusiastic group of people.”

Limmer will succeed Dean Hamilton in March next year.

Top CV

Simon Limmer graduated from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Management Studies degree.

He was in the Ford Motor Company sales and marketing graduate programme in NZ then worked 14 years for the environmental services company Veolia Environment (CGEA/Onyx) based in Paris, Auckland and UK.

He returned with his family from France in 2008 to become general manager of global supply with Zespri. There he has also worked as general manager grower and government relations, general manager China and since 2014 he has been chief operating officer. Limmer in 2015 attended the Te Hono Movement NZ primary sector ‘bootcamp’ at Stanford University.

More like this

Kiwifruit set to benefit from NZ-EU FTA

The fast-tracked implementation of New Zealand’s Free Trade Agreement with the European Union (EU) could provide a significant boost for the kiwifruit industry.

Shipping crisis deepens

The shipping crisis caused by Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea and problems with a lack of water in the Panama Canal appears to be deepening by the day.

Featured

Sheep drench resistance costly

Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.

Dairy sheep and goat turmoil

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.

Hurry up and slow down!

OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.

National

Knowing bugs means fewer drugs

A mastitis management company claims to deliver the fastest and most accurate mastitis testing available at scale for New Zealand…

Machinery & Products

100 years of Farmall Tractors

Returning after an enforced break, the Wheat and Wheels Rally will take place on the Lauriston -Barhill Road, North-East of…

JD unveils its latest beast

John Deere has unveiled its most powerful tractor ever, with the launch of the all new 9RX Series Tractor line-up…

Biggest Quadtrac coming to NZ!

In the biggest announcement that Case IH Australia/New Zealand has made around its tractor range, its biggest tractor is about…

A different shade of blue for Norwood

Norwood and ARGO Tractors, the Italian manufacturer of Landini and McCormick tractors, have announced an agreement that gives Norwood exclusive…

Kubota tests diesel engines

Kubota last month used the UK LAMMA Show to test the water with its new 200hp, four-cylinder 09-series diesel engines.

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Why?

OPINION: A mate of yours truly wants to know why the beef schedule differential is now more than 45-50 cents…

Fat to cut

OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that MPI were recently in front of the Parliamentary Primary Sector Select Committee for an…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter