10th June 2024
Primor announced today that John Carroll is stepping down as CEO effective 1st July 2024, and the new CEO will be Michael McDowall, a fellow Primor Director and manager of the company’s import and domestic business unit.
John will remain a shareholder and executive Director and will continue to be actively involved in the business, taking up a new role as General Manager – Avocados, with primary focus on governance and supply relationships associated with the AVOCO joint venture which Primor is a 50% partner in.
As a founding shareholder and Director since Primor Produce was established in July 1988, John is very proud of the business growth and achievements of the past 36 years.
John says “Primor is positioned to be an evergreen company providing stable future growth, profitability, and durability, working always in the interests of our suppliers, staff, shareholders and customers. There is a shared commitment from fellow shareholders and Directors, meaning these business principles will remain key drivers. And the fact that two of my sons are involved is satisfying”.
Having reached 65 and with 8 grandchildren in the family, John feels that this is a good time to make change and is delighted that the Board has selected Michael for the CEO role. Michael has been with Primor since 1992, becoming a shareholder in 1999 and Director since 2010.
This change in CEO has been planned for some time, being part of Primor’s business transition plan designed to ensure a stable, seamless handover of responsibilities.
“The business is in great shape and continues to grow each year. We have committed significant capital investment in the past couple of years at our warehouse, ripening and distribution centre at Mt. Wellington, as well as at our new Pukekohe site to support our vegetable and Pacific Islands exports business units. Most recently we have added prepacking to our service offer, having installed new equipment at the Lockhart Place Mt. Wellington site.” John adds.
Michael McDowall takes on the CEO role with substantial fresh produce experience, mostly in sales and supply chain management, developing broader company management responsibilities over time.
Michael says “I love the business and our industry and am honoured to be appointed CEO at this exciting time in our development. We are a company that has always had a strong leadership team and a reputation for honesty and integrity. Our people are our strength, and we have a high calibre experienced team that tend to stay with us. Having close relationships with long-term supply partners and key customers both in New Zealand and overseas is pivotal to our success”.
Like John, Michael has a long-term vision for the business and required investment in staff and infrastructure to support continued growth.
“Foodstuffs North Island’s awarding us their “Fresh Partnership Award 2024” in April is testament to the performance of our staff and business model. Another truly proud moment.” adds Michael.
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