Commercial TNL plans purchase of Te Puke land

Press, 19 April 1979, Page 14

Commercial TNL plans purchase of Te Puke land

I PA Tauranga] I An interest in purchasing [more than 200 acres of horticultural land in the Te [Puke district by TNL Group, Ltd, was confirmed yesterday by the company’s mani aging director (Mr G. Battler). I He was approached regarding reports that his I company had bought a parcel of land for about $2.75M with a view to Kiwifruit production. Mr Butler said that TNL was negotiating a sale of this magnitude, however, it was still to be completed. He hoped TNL would be in a position to make an an-

'nouncement early next week: on completion of the deal.

Asked the reason fori TNL’s interest in acquiring Kiwifruit intersts in the Bay of Plenty, Mr Butler said that it was some years since the company had been involved solely in road haul■age. i TNL has considerable land (holdings in the Nelson and Karamea districts, where it grows berry-fruits and grapes. The company’s export division markets [these products overseas. “We see a great future for Kiwifruit, and the move to acquire a producing orchard is a further extension of our interests in the horticultural field,” Mr Butler said. TNL already has an interest in the Te Puke area through its shareholding in Bay of Plenty Coldstorage, Ltd, which operates the large cool stores connected

iwith Fruitpackers, Ltd. the I major Te Puke — based ; Kiwifruit grower co-oper-iative.