Pan Pac Forest Products Managing Director Tony Clifford is currently accompanying Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on a visit to Japan as part of a senior New Zealand business delegation.

Pan Pac is New Zealand’s largest integrated forest products company and is owned by Oji Group, a 150-year-old global paper and pulp business based in Tokyo.

Pan Pac is a major local employer and contributes 6% of Hawkes’ Bay’s GDP.

Mr Clifford says Oji’s longstanding investment in value-added processing of forest products has enabled Pan Pac to grow and innovate over the last 50 years.

“In an average year, Pan Pac turns $150 million of wood fibre into $450 million of wood products, which we supply locally and export to over 30 countries,” says Mr Clifford.

Mr Clifford says for New Zealand to attract value-added plant investments from overseas-owned forest products companies like Oji, greater clarity and stability is needed in the regulatory environment to purchase and develop forest estates.

“Pan Pac supports the Government’s long-term aspirations for New Zealand to become a high value, low emissions economy,” says Mr Clifford. “To achieve this goal, wood processors need to have control over their wood supply to ensure the wood quality and volume can meet demand.”

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says: “This is an excellent example of the way in which overseas-owned investment can benefit New Zealand and support our long-term goals. We want the forestry sector to transition from volume to value, with greater onshore processing providing more employment in our regions.”