Fletcher Fishing Ltd
Date established
1979
Date closed
1990
History
FLETCHER FISHING LTD 1979-1990
Fletcher Fishing Ltd was set up in 1979 using management staff from Fletcher Agriculture in marketing, operating and administration for a six-month period. The company began as a joint venture 51% owned by Fletcher Holdings and 49% by Soviet State Fisheries Sovrybflot, known as Fletsof. Catching of squid and oreo dory began in January 1980, using Russian vessels, and the entire catch was exported. In its first year of trading Fletsof achieve $7.5m in exports. In September 1980 Wrightson Fisheries and Fletcher Sovrybflot opened processing plants in Dunedin.
With the merger of Fletcher Holdings, Challenge Corporation and Tasman Pulp & Paper, the Fisheries Division of Wrightson NMA was transferred to Fletcher Fishing. The Division had a long association with the rock lobster business in Dunedin, Gisborne and the Chatham Islands, had processing factories for wet fish at these locations and further depots throughout NZ. It also owned a deep-sea trawler, Otago Challenge, 9 lobster catching boats and in 1981 was completing construction of a processing factory in Birch Street, Dunedin. At the time of the merger, the Division was unprofitable and restructuring was necessary. [1] Simon Tiller was appointed General Manager of the Wrightson Fisheries Division of Fletcher Fishing, and legal ownership of the division was transferred to Fletcher Fishing in July 1982. From this point on the name Fletcher Fishing was used by all activities.[3]
In 1981, Fletcher Fishing gained government approval for the purchase of two deep-sea trawlers, the Otago Buccaneer and Otago Galliard. By 1982, turnover was $35m per year and investments in ships, plant and land totalled $55.1m. Research into development of orange roughy oil was funded to $100,000 per year.[2]
Fletcher Fishing continued to develop its export markets, while the Inshore Division operations included buying, processing, wholesaling and exporting of rock lobster and inshore fish species.
In November 1982 the company acquired Jaybel Ltd and set up a 51% owned joint venture with Nichimo of Tokyo to catch and market New Zealand deepwater species in Japan. During 1982, further investment in processing plant was made with the $1m refit of the Gisborne factory of Wrightson Fisheries.
The assests of the Chatham Islands operations, Fish Packers Ltd, were sold in 1984 to Chatham Island Packing Company Ltd, when it became evident that competing in the area was not viable. [11] Fish Packers continued to operate as a subsidiary company of Fletcher Fishing.
Dennis Easton was appointed General Manager Foreign Charters in 1984 [4] but retained his positions as Company Secretary of Fletcher Fishing, Fletcher Sovrybflot Fishing and Jaybel Nichimo. Also in 1984 Noel Guscott was appointed General Manager Deepwater Division, based in Dunedin.[5]
In June 1984, a new wholesale fish market was opened on the Auckland waterfront, marking a turnaround for Jaybel from a loss operation at the time of acquisition to profit, with sales exceeding $7m a year. Fletcher Fishing's success was marked by the 1984 Fletcher Challenge Export Club Award after achieving export sales of $48m.
Management restructuring was undertaken in 1985 to further strengthen the company's organisation and capacity for growth. The Charters Division was combined with the Deepwater Division to form a Deepwater Division which would run the company!'s own deepwater fleet, the Dunedin processing plant and the shore plant of Fletcher Sovrybflot now 100% owned, under General Manager Noel Jones, and an Inshore Divison under General Manager David Bell.[6]
In November 1985, Fletcher Fishing acquired the assets of the Norfish Co-operative Ltd, which had been placed into receivership. Acquisition of the Norfish depots extended Fletcher Fishing!'s interests throughout Northland and it became part of the Inshore Fisheries Division.
Graham Kearns was appointed General Manager of the Inshore Division in 1986.[7]
In 1986, Fletcher fishing became involved in salmon farming with the acquisition of 20.6% of the shareholding of NZ Marine Farms Ltd, and the option of becoming a majority shareholder. The two companies undertook a 12 month study of salmon farming in Marlborough in conjunction with Nichimo of Japan.
Further Japanese involvement occurred when Fletcher Fishing was granted an experimental licence in April 1986 to catch hoki and southern blue whiting for processing into surimi for marketing in Japan. Two Japanese factory ships were chartered from Kyokuya to undertake the work.
During December 1986/January 1987, the Birch Street plant was refitted at a cost of $2m.
In 1987, the New Zealand government made major changes to the method of allocating fishing quotas and Fletcher Fishing was restructured into two divisions from July 1, 1987, in response to this. Moves into developing a trans-tasman industry were made with the acquisition of 49.5% of Australia's leading fishing and seafood company, Kailis & France Holdings Pty Ltd. Kailis & France was Australia's largest fishing and seafood company with operations around Australia's western, southern and eastern coasts catching and processing fresh and frozen fish and producing added-value seafoods for Australian and export markets.[8]
In January 1988, Fletcher Fishing International was formed to further develop the company's overseas involvement. Eric Henry was appointed CEO and also Chairman of Fletcher Fishing New Zealand. Jeffrey Jackson was appointed CEO of Fletcher Fishing New Zealand on March 1. Bruce Robertson was also appointed Business Development Manager. [9]
Fletcher Seafoods Ltd USA was established in 1988 as a marketing and distribution division for Fletcher Fishing's frozen products in North America, operating from Seattle.
In 1989, the company announced plans to buy another deepwater trawler, the Acona, to be commissioned in May 1990. The ship, a rebuilt US trawler costing $64m, was able to fish both US and New Zealand waters, as it retained its US registration.
Fletcher Challenge sold the inshore operations of Fletcher Fishing, including processing facilities in Auckland, Gisborne and Napier, vessels management facilities in Auckland and quota in September 1990.[10]
Fletcher Fishing Ltd was set up in 1979 using management staff from Fletcher Agriculture in marketing, operating and administration for a six-month period. The company began as a joint venture 51% owned by Fletcher Holdings and 49% by Soviet State Fisheries Sovrybflot, known as Fletsof. Catching of squid and oreo dory began in January 1980, using Russian vessels, and the entire catch was exported. In its first year of trading Fletsof achieve $7.5m in exports. In September 1980 Wrightson Fisheries and Fletcher Sovrybflot opened processing plants in Dunedin.
With the merger of Fletcher Holdings, Challenge Corporation and Tasman Pulp & Paper, the Fisheries Division of Wrightson NMA was transferred to Fletcher Fishing. The Division had a long association with the rock lobster business in Dunedin, Gisborne and the Chatham Islands, had processing factories for wet fish at these locations and further depots throughout NZ. It also owned a deep-sea trawler, Otago Challenge, 9 lobster catching boats and in 1981 was completing construction of a processing factory in Birch Street, Dunedin. At the time of the merger, the Division was unprofitable and restructuring was necessary. [1] Simon Tiller was appointed General Manager of the Wrightson Fisheries Division of Fletcher Fishing, and legal ownership of the division was transferred to Fletcher Fishing in July 1982. From this point on the name Fletcher Fishing was used by all activities.[3]
In 1981, Fletcher Fishing gained government approval for the purchase of two deep-sea trawlers, the Otago Buccaneer and Otago Galliard. By 1982, turnover was $35m per year and investments in ships, plant and land totalled $55.1m. Research into development of orange roughy oil was funded to $100,000 per year.[2]
Fletcher Fishing continued to develop its export markets, while the Inshore Division operations included buying, processing, wholesaling and exporting of rock lobster and inshore fish species.
In November 1982 the company acquired Jaybel Ltd and set up a 51% owned joint venture with Nichimo of Tokyo to catch and market New Zealand deepwater species in Japan. During 1982, further investment in processing plant was made with the $1m refit of the Gisborne factory of Wrightson Fisheries.
The assests of the Chatham Islands operations, Fish Packers Ltd, were sold in 1984 to Chatham Island Packing Company Ltd, when it became evident that competing in the area was not viable. [11] Fish Packers continued to operate as a subsidiary company of Fletcher Fishing.
Dennis Easton was appointed General Manager Foreign Charters in 1984 [4] but retained his positions as Company Secretary of Fletcher Fishing, Fletcher Sovrybflot Fishing and Jaybel Nichimo. Also in 1984 Noel Guscott was appointed General Manager Deepwater Division, based in Dunedin.[5]
In June 1984, a new wholesale fish market was opened on the Auckland waterfront, marking a turnaround for Jaybel from a loss operation at the time of acquisition to profit, with sales exceeding $7m a year. Fletcher Fishing's success was marked by the 1984 Fletcher Challenge Export Club Award after achieving export sales of $48m.
Management restructuring was undertaken in 1985 to further strengthen the company's organisation and capacity for growth. The Charters Division was combined with the Deepwater Division to form a Deepwater Division which would run the company!'s own deepwater fleet, the Dunedin processing plant and the shore plant of Fletcher Sovrybflot now 100% owned, under General Manager Noel Jones, and an Inshore Divison under General Manager David Bell.[6]
In November 1985, Fletcher Fishing acquired the assets of the Norfish Co-operative Ltd, which had been placed into receivership. Acquisition of the Norfish depots extended Fletcher Fishing!'s interests throughout Northland and it became part of the Inshore Fisheries Division.
Graham Kearns was appointed General Manager of the Inshore Division in 1986.[7]
In 1986, Fletcher fishing became involved in salmon farming with the acquisition of 20.6% of the shareholding of NZ Marine Farms Ltd, and the option of becoming a majority shareholder. The two companies undertook a 12 month study of salmon farming in Marlborough in conjunction with Nichimo of Japan.
Further Japanese involvement occurred when Fletcher Fishing was granted an experimental licence in April 1986 to catch hoki and southern blue whiting for processing into surimi for marketing in Japan. Two Japanese factory ships were chartered from Kyokuya to undertake the work.
During December 1986/January 1987, the Birch Street plant was refitted at a cost of $2m.
In 1987, the New Zealand government made major changes to the method of allocating fishing quotas and Fletcher Fishing was restructured into two divisions from July 1, 1987, in response to this. Moves into developing a trans-tasman industry were made with the acquisition of 49.5% of Australia's leading fishing and seafood company, Kailis & France Holdings Pty Ltd. Kailis & France was Australia's largest fishing and seafood company with operations around Australia's western, southern and eastern coasts catching and processing fresh and frozen fish and producing added-value seafoods for Australian and export markets.[8]
In January 1988, Fletcher Fishing International was formed to further develop the company's overseas involvement. Eric Henry was appointed CEO and also Chairman of Fletcher Fishing New Zealand. Jeffrey Jackson was appointed CEO of Fletcher Fishing New Zealand on March 1. Bruce Robertson was also appointed Business Development Manager. [9]
Fletcher Seafoods Ltd USA was established in 1988 as a marketing and distribution division for Fletcher Fishing's frozen products in North America, operating from Seattle.
In 1989, the company announced plans to buy another deepwater trawler, the Acona, to be commissioned in May 1990. The ship, a rebuilt US trawler costing $64m, was able to fish both US and New Zealand waters, as it retained its US registration.
Fletcher Challenge sold the inshore operations of Fletcher Fishing, including processing facilities in Auckland, Gisborne and Napier, vessels management facilities in Auckland and quota in September 1990.[10]
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