Lockdown, Zoom, face mask, testing, social distancing, managed isolation and, of course, COVID-19.
Just some of the words that have become synonymous with a year of hardship, worry and, for so many people around the world, loss.
But the struggles of 2020 have also brought to the fore more positive terms – words such as resilience, compassion, care and pride.
Pride has been a recurring theme at Port Taranaki during the year.
Pride in our staff who, working in a challenging border-facing environment, pulled together, adapted to difficult conditions, and continued to provide world-class services and expertise to our customers.
And pride in our company’s ability to weather the COVID-19 storm, be a vital contributor to the region by providing essential supply chain services, and return an incredibly satisfying full-year financial result, which we have been able to share with our region through dividends paid to the Taranaki Regional Council. In addition, we have been pleased to be able to pay an extra, special dividend of $2.5m in late November.
The turbulence of 2020 has also given us the opportunity to hit the reset button, look to the future, and begin planning for how we wish to position our business for the next two decades.
At the forefront of this has been a focus on the statements that define the direction of our business – our vision and mission.
And, once again, the word pride has come to the fore.
After consulting with our staff and stakeholders, our redefined vision is to be The Pride of Taranaki.
In the COVID-19 environment, the importance of critical assets such as ports has been emphasised, and we believe it is our responsibility to ensure we remain a successful and sustainable business the region can be proud of for the long term.
The Pride of Taranaki reflects a vibrant organisation that the community recognises for doing what’s best for the region across a wide spectrum of activity. It also reflects a significant employer that provides opportunities for professional development and is a safe place to work.
It describes our desire to develop a deep connection with the community, through providing support and sponsorships to organisations and creating strong relationships with iwi and hapū, and signals our commitment to protecting and enhancing the environment in which we operate.
Alongside The Pride of Taranaki, is our new mission:
The inability to move cargo efficiently can destroy business and stifle regional growth.
We provide a safe harbour, services and facilities that our customers can rely on to make trade easy and enable our region to prosper.
We are driven to ensure our region prospers, and by excelling at our core activities we are able to actively grow our business.
Central to this is the relationships our staff form internally and, importantly, with our customers so that trade is made easy, enabling us to overcome the inevitable challenges.
So, as the world looks to 2021 with optimism that an answer to the COVID-19 pandemic is near, at Port Taranaki we also approach the year with excitement and enthusiasm about what lies ahead for our business and region.
I wish you all a safe and enjoyable Christmas and New Year.
