There are many exciting career opportunities in the apple and pear industry. Whatever your ambition, whatever your experience, you’ll find a position to suit the life you want to live. From orchardist to scientist, supervisor to sales and everything in between.
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Despite growing up on an orchard, Elliot Easton was always looking past the apple trees to the world beyond. His love of travel has taken him around the globe, and he’s found a way to combine his love of exploring the world into a career in the New Zealand apple industry.
EXPORT PACKHOUSE MANAGER
Working with technology always appealed to Scott Frater, and he’s found an exciting career in tech in the New Zealand apple and pear industry.
LEADING HAND
I love the mental stimulation of my job. I’ve always wanted to be a scientist and studied Applied Science at EIT a few years ago.
I also love the fact that the work we do here on the orchard is helping feed people in other countries. As I’m originally from the UK, maybe my father or siblings might be eating our apples!
I’ve set myself a goal of becoming an Orchard Manager and I’m working hard to achieve that.”
Responsibilities
FOREMAN
“I originally started in a temporary job and then I was offered a permanent role thinning, pruning and redeveloping one of Mr. Apple’s orchards. Working on the trees reminded me about learning about auxin and other hormones at high school. I started to pay attention because I could better understand what was happening. I’m now an orchard foreman with increased responsibilities, including taking care of people and overseeing an RSE team.
I like teaching people new things, new skills and in this role I get to meet people and experience new cultures. I like seeing the results of the work they do and that’s pretty cool.
It’s not just about picking apples. There’s a lot of knowledge needed to grow quality apples – we're all learning more every day.”
Responsibilities
ORCHARD MANAGER
“I entered the horticultural industry as a means to pay the bills for my family. I have three young boys that depend on me and I saw an opportunity to work for Kono so I signed up.
My background has been in shearing and raising my young family. I have always worked well outdoors and was glad I have ended up in horticulture. Since signing up for a thinning season I quickly realised I had an interest in how the trees work. I’ve now completed my Level 3 horticulture certificate and am on my way to Level 4.
I have had a few roles within Kono during my 5 years here – from being a thinner, to supervisor and now to Pipfruit and Kiwifruit manager.
I enjoy working for Kono as it aligns with my values and enables me to grow. I enjoy working in horticulture as I see many opportunities and an exciting future in this industry”.
Responsibilities
PHYTOSANITARY INSPECTOR
“I started out packing fruit one day and kept going! I have been in the industry for 36 years now and during this time I have packed for three packhouses, Nelpack, Hoddys Orchard, and Compass Fruit (Heartland Group).
Fifteen years ago, I got an opportunity to change from packing and started my Phytosanitary Inspection training and have been an inspector ever since.
Now I am responsible for carrying out Phytosanitary Inspections for pests, diseases, and defects during the export season.
What I love about my job are all the people I work with. I especially enjoy meeting and working with backpackers from different countries and our RSEs. I come from the Philippines and always miss my New Zealand friends when I go home."
Responsibilities
TOWER OPERATOR
“When I saw the Tower Operator job advertised online I saw it as a challenge to use my skills in something different.
I had come from a manufacturing background in the Seafood Industry in Nelson and was excited about the huge opportunity this job offered.
I love my job because of the huge challenge of running machinery, computer systems, and maintaining and operating equipment programmes in those systems. Understanding an apple is not just an apple, that heaps of things go into getting good fruit into export and domestic markets.
I have really enjoyed the extensive training given to me by all the Compass Fruit Ltd (Heartlands Group) staff and managers, and also the training provided from Compaq- Equipment Technicians.”
Responsibilities
PACKHOUSE SUPERVISOR
“I’ve learned so many new skills on the job, including computer technology and pest identification, and I’m now able to understand the signs of damage pests can cause to a crop.
Mostly though, my job is about managing people. I have to communicate effectively to make sure everyone is doing their job packing the premium quality fruit and sending it to the right markets. For half of our workers, English is their second language so my experience teaching English in Thailand has come in really handy.
Everyone in the packhouse is an important piece of the puzzle. If one person isn’t doing their job, it comes back on everyone. So it’s important we work as a team.”
Responsibilities
COOLSTORE MANAGER
“I started at Compass Fruit Ltd in 1999 after leaving school. I joined as a stacker in the packing shed and quickly progressed up the ranks to Fork Truck Driver and Tower Supervisor.
From there I moved to a role as a Coolstore Supervisor, then with frozen foods, and returned to the apple industry in a new role with Compass Fruit (Heartland Group) as Coolstore Manager
I love the varied nature of my role. One day I might be inducting a contractor, the next day I could be assisting Engineers with repairs, and plant monitoring. There are so many different things, it’s never the same day.
People are a great part about my job, all the people! The friendships I made along the way, and continue to make with packhouse teams, cool-store staff, to the seasonal RSEs and growers.
The apple industry is always changing, with new varieties and new ways of doing things!”
Responsibilities:
EXPORT, SALES & LOGISTICS
“I’m a pipfruit, summerfruit and more recently truffle marketer from the sunny Hawke's Bay. I work for Fern Ridge Fresh in the role of Export Sales and Logistics.
It is a diverse role, including post-harvest administration and management, grower liaison, packing coordination and planning, and shipping and export sales. I’m also involved in our family orcharding business where we grow plums, apples, and currently planting the exciting new Piqa™Boo™ pear variety.
I grew up in Hawke’s Bay, working on the family orchard during the school holidays, then went to Lincoln University to earn a degree in Supply Chain Management and Global Business. After
University I returned to the Bay and began working for Fern Ridge Fresh, where I help with the management of the KORU® apple variety and Piqa™Boo™ pear.
No two days are the same in the horticulture industry. I enjoy the challenge of trying to maximise the value of New Zealand grown produce, so the growers receive premium returns for their hard work. It’s exciting to be involved in the whole apple supply chain and see the complexities of getting the fruit from tree to the shelf.
In 2021, I began the Associate Director Programme with New Zealand Apples & Pears and recently completed the Hort New Zealand leadership programme to help me develop my industry leadership role moving forward.”
RESPONSIBILITIES
POST GRADUATE RESEARCH
Masters of Social Science with Plant and Food Research
“My desire to do good for people pushed me to enter a career where I could help people – more specifically my own Māori people.
Being a young wāhine Māori with a keen interest in science, I only ever saw a career pathway in health, until the end of my high school year where I was introduced to horticulture for the first time. Less than 6 months later I found myself at Massey University studying a Bachelor in Agri-Science majoring in Horticulture.
My journey at Massey and connections with the industry gave me opportunities to be involved in educational trips through Europe, South Korea, Canada, the USA, Mexico, Europe, and South Korea. The connections and experiences from these opportunities has increased my understanding of my place in this world, and what impact I can have.
I continued my career journey with a role as Student Liaison at New Zealand Apples & Pears, focusing on promoting horticulture as a career for young people.
I recently started a Masters of Social Science with Plant and Food Research in Hawke’s Bay, looking to link the horticulture industry and my whanau / hapu / iwi groups.
I have big goals to one day manage my own production site and create a space for my whanau that incorporates Māori tikanga, but until then I want to learn as much as I can about our horticultural sector.”
