Wellington
Though there are inherent speed advantages in being small, being under-resourced is a largechallenge says Piako Gourmet Yoghurt general manager,Shaun Jacka.
“It’s always good to have more money available. Things will always cost double what you thinkit will to set up,” says the head of an Auckland-based team that begun making the company’spremium yoghurt based on a Queensland recipe two years ago.
The Auckland University School of Business
“Your relationship with your bank manager is key,” he says. Jacka was never that comfortableworking with his original bank manager, having acquired him and the bank through his family’shistory with it.
Being in debt to the bank, “day to day the relationship was dysfunctional,” he says. “Onlynow that we’ve got a bit of a positive balance sheet can we look at another bank taking uson.”
A decision to expand into Britain, producing the yoghurt in a recently purchased factory, hasalso meant that Piako’s missed a few opportunities back in New Zealand.
The decision to create and make a frozen yoghurt “spent ages in development.” Piako took fivemonths to perfect the recipe, which is even more labour intensive than making its thick, creamyindulgent original.
“We’ve now got it spot on, perfect,” Jacka says. “It’s enhanced our reputation, and isvalue-added for our loyal customers.”
This initially has been through delicatessens, with a slowly growing supermarket market.
“It keeps the delis onboard, and the frozen yoghurt is a point of difference,” he says. “Italso helps keep them from answering our competitors’ phone calls.”