It was an evening of justifiable pride for more than 200 men and women as they assembled to participate in the 90th anniversary celebration of Patton Limited on October 30, 2013 at Pullman Hotel in Auckland.
Among them were staff, customers, suppliers and well-wishers, many of who were aware that in one way or another, the Company was a part of their living and working environment.
Paul Smart, Chairman of Patton and Holding Company NZPM Group, said that Patton had continuously expanded to include a global family of people.
“Although NZPM has owned Patton for over 12 years and during this time has seen extreme market conditions in New Zealand and overseas, it has been a reasonably smooth and prosperous journey for Patton under the continuous leadership of Sameer Handa as the Global Chief Executive,” he said.
Inevitable changes
Mr Smart said that organisations undergo inevitable changes, often not exactly envisaged by their founders, but dictated by the business environment and market trends.
“Patton too, since its establishment by George Patton in 1923 in Christchurch, has taken significant strides. From a modest operation in the South Island, it has grown to become a multinational company,” he said.
Mr Handa said that the past seven years have been significant for Patton.
“We have grown from a local company to a multinational organisation, with 27 offices in four countries, employing more than 200 staff. The Company today accounts for four manufacturing facilities, eight subsidiary companies including five ventures.
“Despite its global expansion, Patton remains essentially a New Zealand company with its expertise and experience in the commercial refrigeration industry and intellectual property retained here,” he said.
Planned expansion
Patton will continue to seek opportunities in the overseas markets, not only to expand its international presence but also to widen its customer base, he said.
Describing Australia as the biggest part of the company’s business, he said that Patton has been opening two new outlets every year for the past three years.
The Company currently has 13 outlets in five States across the Tasman, he said.
“Thailand has become a major centre of interest for Patton. Established six years ago mainly to cater to our growing demand for Australia & Middle East, the manufacturing facility (at Bangpoo Industrial Estate) has developed a good domestic market and we supply our equipment to most of the local retail supermarkets. Our Thailand factory is also supplying more and more products to New Zealand and India,” he said.
Scoring in India
Mr Handa said that Patton commenced operations in India six years ago with a small acquisition in Delhi. Since then, the company has established a central warehouse near Mumbai port and sales offices in Mumbai and Bangalore. As well as representing 10 companies, the Company has opened an outlet in Jaipur, Capital of Rajasthan State.
“We continue to expand and examine existing and emerging opportunities in many markets around the world. Honesty, integrity and commitment to quality products & services, the core principles on which the company was established 90 years ago remain the same,” Mr Handa said.
Gratifying experience
As mentioned in these columns in an earlier issue, Mr Handa was one of the youngest persons of Indian origin to lead a New Zealand corporate, when Patton appointed him to the post of Chief Executive 15 years ago (a meteoric rise from the post of Sales Manager just two years earlie).
“Apart from meeting challenges, I have learnt human values in a different light. There are duties and obligations to customers, shareholders, joint venture partners (in Australia and Thailand), suppliers, distributors, staff and other associates.
“In discharging these responsibilities, I have learnt that just as individual talent and the will to execute that talent to the best advantage of everyone differs between people, so do career ambitions and inter-personal behaviour. It’s in creating a synergy between the available resources that we as a company have continued to move forward,” he said.
Staff retention
Mr Handa said that the partnership between staff and management is manifest in low staff turnover.
Citing an example, he said that Brian Yates retired from the Company in 2012 after 52 years of continuous service in Christchurch (Indian Newslink, January 15, 2013).
“In its 90 years of existence Patton has matured as a socially and environmentally responsible company, and committed to the wellbeing of its people. We now march towards our Century with greater confidence and commitment,” he said.
Popular Television host and celebrity speaker Jeremy Corbett was the Master of Ceremonies.
Photo :
1. Sameer Handa receiving a plaque from BDT General Manager Darryl Rochester
2. Sameer Handa and others cutting the ‘90th Anniversary Cake’
