Winstone change

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 241, 26 April 1988, Page 5

Winstone change

BY

SUSANNAH

WALKER

The change in ownership of Winstone Ltd brings only one minor change to the operation of Winstone's pulp mill at Karioi. That change is at the management level. The managing director of Winstone pulp will now report to Fletcher Challenge Ltd instead of to the Winstone board of directors. Brierley Investments Ltd sold Winstone to Fletcher Challenge last month. Manager of the mill, Mr Kit Wilson, says no changes have been made in the way the mill is run and he can foresee no changes. "As far as we're concerned, we're being maintained as a separate entity and will continue as before." The staff level of 140, as well as those employed in ancillary services, will remain unchanged. No site expansion is expected to take place. "Major expansion has been completed, so we're looking for some stability now." Winstone's mill will continue its 100 per cent export programme as before, says Mr Wilson. "We will continue to be a strong resourcebased development contributing close to $10 million a year to the Waimarino district through wages, salaries and additional services." Employees of the mill need not fear that their income will "disappear," he says. "We're quite happy to be sitting here doing just what we were doing before the takeover."