Tainui Group Holdings (TGH) today announced the appointment of Blair Morris to the new role of General Manager Ruakura.
TGH Chief Executive Chris Joblin said Mr Morris’ deep experience and understanding of New Zealand’s logistics sector will be invaluable as TGH progresses its plans for an inland port and logistics hub at Ruakura to link the ‘Golden Triangle’ of Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
“Blair’s appointment is a key step as the region’s premier inland port and logistics hub at Ruakura comes to fruition. He brings decades of experience in understanding and meeting the needs of exporters and importers and the logistics sector,” Mr Joblin said.
For the past four and a half years Mr Morris has been General Manager Commercial at Kotahi Logistics LP, New Zealand’s largest collaboration of exporters, owned by Fonterra and Silver Fern Farms where he provided strategic direction and management of Kotahi’s business growth in New Zealand and Australia including customer solution design and customer experience.
Prior to his role at Kotahi, Mr Morris spent 22 years in the shipping industry, holding a wide variety commercial and trade management roles in Australia and New Zealand. He was General Manager of Hapag-Lloyd New Zealand (a German shipping line headquartered in Hamburg Germany) before relocating to their Singapore Corporate Office where he was Senior Director Region Asia for the business.
Mr Morris said he was looking forward to leading the development of Ruakura which the government has deemed to be a project of national significance.
“This is an exciting opportunity as Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga move ever closer as an economic unit. With the region generating high and growing levels of freight, Ruakura offers a unique opportunity to develop an infrastructure designed for New Zealand’s future needs.”
“I am excited to be part of a strategic infrastructure build and by TGH’s vision for a centrally located logistics hub to drive greater supply chain efficiency, whether for international imports, exports or domestic distribution needs. A real opportunity exists to design for scale as this multi-user development will cater for all parties across the logistics spectrum with best-in-class transport connections to offer stand-out efficiencies for users,” Mr Morris said.
Prospective port operators in New Zealand and overseas have recently submitted formal expressions of interest. A process is now in place to appoint a preferred inland port operator by early 2017. Earthworks are on track to commence on the site in the current construction season and formal marketing commences next year.
Mr Morris’ start date with TGH is Monday 5 December.