Michael McDowall

CEO

Michael joined Primor Produce in 1992 and was appointed a Director in 2010. Taking on the role of CEO in 2024, Michael is responsible for the overall governance and future planning of Primor’s business. His key strengths lie in organisation and planning, and he enjoys working to maintain the company’s credibility and the confidence of both customers and suppliers. He has seen the company thrive and grow into an award-winning supply partner for Foodstuffs North Island. Relationships based on integrity and performance have been the building blocks of this success. Michael gained a Science degree from Auckland University and for the last 25 years he and his wife Donna have lived in Huapai where they raised their two, now adult, sons. He enjoys time with his family, socialising, travel, and all sports, particularly football which he has played all his life.

John Carroll

General Manager – Avocados

John is one of Primor’s original founders, having spotted an opportunity to set up a specialist marketing business linking growers and supermarkets back in 1988. Until 2024, John held the position of CEO at Primor and has made the decision to stand aside from that role as he recently reached retirement age and it was time for new talent to flourish. John however remains with Primor in a new executive role, General Manager – Avocados. He also remains Chairman of the Primor Board. He holds an Agricultural Economics Degree from Massey University and has worked closely with both growers and packhouses throughout his career. John loves the challenge of dealing with perishable products and retaining the confidence of key customers. He believes staff stability and excellence are central to Primor’s success, and that strength will make the Company a respected, long-term player in the NZ produce scene. He is also a director of AVOCO and AVANZA and is proud of the reputation each company has built. John’s been married to Kaye for 42 years and enjoys spending time with his four children and eight grandchildren. He maintains a healthy interest in all things Sport.

Ted Thomas

General Manager – Export Sales

Ted joined Primor in 1999, having previously been Zespri International’s Marketing Manager for South East Asia. He’s enjoyed a long career in primary produce marketing and international sales, and spent two years living in Kuala Lumpur to set up Zespri’s SEA office in the mid-1990s. Ted grew up in Taranaki and holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration from Victoria University. As a Director, he enjoys overseeing the growth of Primor and helping to instill a culture of personal and professional development among staff. Auckland has been Ted’s home since 1992, his interests are boating, fresh and saltwater fishing. He also enjoys family time and catching up with his two sons when they are home from Dunedin where they both attend University.

Emmett Farrell

General Manager – Domestic Vegetable Sales

Born and raised in Pukekohe, Emmett left high school on a Friday and started work at Primor’s local warehouse the following Monday, dispatching orders for fresh vegetables. That was in 1989 and he is now a Director of the company. He was appointed to the position in 2010 and is proud to have watched Primor grow substantially during his career. Emmett likes spending time with his fellow Directors and staff while carrying out his governance duties. He is married with four children and is a typical Kiwi bloke who enjoys reeling in snapper and watching rugby in his spare time.

Ted Thomas

Ted is Primor’s General Manager of Exports. He has a particular focus on exporting and marketing avocados and enjoys dealing with customers both on and off-shore. Market development, particularly in Asia, is always an enjoyable challenge, with different education and marketing tools required for trade and consumers. Ted also manages key retail accounts in Australia and works hard to build relationships that will deliver ongoing business and strong returns for growers. He’s been a passionate fresh water fly fisherman for over 30 years and enjoys getting out on a boat to reel in a catch when spare time allows.

Martin Napper

Martin looks after avocado exports to Korea for AVANZA and is Primor’s key liaison with Apata and Trevelyan’s packhouses. He also develops information systems for avocado and is involved in Team Kiwi exports to Australia. Martin had vast experience in marketing and perishable export sales (chilled fish and live lobster exports) and worked for a global trading company before joining Primor in 2008. He loves the diversity of his current role and relishes the challenge of discovering what marketing approach works best for different countries and cultures.

Ella Stowers

Ella has been Primor’s Market Support Executive since 2014 and has many years’ experience in the refrigerated transport sector, having previously co-ordinated frozen and chilled commodity imports and exports between New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands for Cooltainer NZ. Her superb organisation skills are now used to ensure Primor’s avocado and kiwifruit data is up-to-date so local packhouses and our export sales team know how much fruit is needed to fill export orders to Australia each week. She loves working with down-to-earth people and for a family-friendly company. Ella has a son and manages his rugby league and tag sports teams in her spare time.

Steve Trickett

Steve grew up on a citrus and avocado orchard in Gisborne before attending Lincoln University, graduating Dip. Hort. (1979) and Dip. Hort. Mgt. (1980). He joined Primor’s team in December 2017 to help support the management of our export market programmes, and to oversee our group communications strategy which includes our associated businesses AVOCO and AVANZA. Steve has worked in the fresh produce export industry for over 40 years and loves being involved with supplying healthy nutritious food to a global consumer base. He is happily married with one son, and enjoys wine tasting, horse racing, golf and boating.

Clayton Marriner

Clayton’s entire career has focussed on produce sales and since 2006 he’s managed Primor’s export programme to the Pacific Islands. He’s based in Pukekohe and works with New Zealand fruit and vegetable growers to fill orders for Pacific Island nations including Fiji, Cook Islands, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Tahiti and New Caledonia, among others. He enjoys other cultures and dealing with the challenges that different languages can present. The fast-paced turnaround of receiving and filling orders at short notice is also an exciting and rewarding part of his job.

Kelly Maxwell

Kelly works at Primor’s Pukekohe depot as a Quality Inspector. She grew up in a family of market gardeners and has worked for various growers the local area in the past. She joined Primor in 2015 and inspects all of our fruit and vegetables before clearing them for export. In addition to checking for quality, Kelly also has to ensure the produce meets export market regulations which differ from country to country. She loves to operate a tidy and orderly work space, and has a great eye for detail. She also enjoys having a laugh with the people and growers she works alongside each day.

Tim Carroll

Tim is the newest addition to the Primor export team, joining the business in August 2021.

Prior to joining Primor, Tim started his fresh produce career in 2019 working in an export role for RD8, specialising in the export of Apples, Summerfruit and Blueberries. Tim’s background prior to fresh produce was working in Fast-moving-consumer-goods (FMCG) across a number of category insights & sales roles across New Zealand, United Kingdom, and Australian markets. Developing his passion for analysis, trends, and insights along the way.

Outside of the 9 to 5, Tim enjoys spending time with his young family. He is a passionate supporter of Rugby and League and enjoys playing golf & tennis. He also enjoys learning Spanish & reading.

Michael McDowall

After returning home from his OE in 1992, Michael landed a job as a sales assistant for Primor. He has since risen through the company’s ranks and is now General Manager of Domestic Sales for the fruit side of Primor’s business. He oversees the fruit import programme and sources citrus, grapes and other seasonal produce to help meet customer demand here in New Zealand. He particularly enjoys the strategic planning involved each season and dealing with ever-changing seasonal factors and market supply & demand challenges to satisfy both his offshore suppliers and his local customers’ needs. In addition to managing imports, Michael also helps guide Primor’s wider domestic sales team.

Emmett Farrell

Emmett’s parents were commercial vegetable growers and dairy farmers, and he was put to work digging up potatoes and onions from a young age. As General Manager of Domestic Sales for Primor’s vegetable business, he’s now responsible for procuring orders for green vegetables from Foodstuffs and liaising with local growers face-to-face. His industry knowledge and experience means he understands the vegetable sector from all angles and he loves getting his boots and ute dirty out in the paddocks around Pukekohe six days a week.

Regan Booth

Like many staff members, Regan has a long history working for Primor. He started in 2003 and is currently in charge of domestic sales, ripening and marketing for avocados. Regan’s main responsibilities include marketing, procurement and packing of avocados, and organising the promotional calendar and sales for retail customers. He enjoys dealing with many different people throughout the industry and Primor’s family-orientated culture. He’s not particularly good at sitting still so any spare time is devoted to keeping fit, tinkering in the garage and hanging out with his wife and son.

Alistair Holt

Alistair joined Primor in 2002 but has been involved in the industry for three decades. Alistair is in charge of domestic sales, particularly for imported melons throughout the year (rockmelon, honeydew and watermelon). He also sources courgettes, capsicums, cucumbers and tomatoes from North Queensland to fill the gaps during New Zealand’s off season. Alistair enjoys liaising with retail customers and Australian suppliers to build relationships and secure good quality crops, and brings extensive product knowledge to his role. He was Southern born, but brought up in Auckland. Alistair is very passionate about his family and together they enjoy most outdoor pursuits especially kitesurfing, windsurfing, fishing and snowboarding/skiing.

Seb Langridge

With six ripening rooms to oversee in our Mt Wellington warehouse (capable of holding hundreds of thousands of avocados), Seb has a great eye for detail, an awful lot of patience and endures a few sleepless nights. He joined Primor in mid-2015, having previously worked on Hawkes Bay apple and citrus orchards and at an Auckland fruit and vegetable store. As well as ripening Primor’s avocados, Seb is also in charge of domestic sales and marketing for all fruit categories including kiwifruit, mandarins, melons and coconuts. He enjoys the early 6am starts so he can knock off mid-afternoon to play cricket, rugby or get out onto the Hauraki Gulf in his boat to go fishing.

Scott Carroll

Scott is one of the newest members of Primor’s team, having returned from Australia to join the company in August 2016. He has an extensive background in imports and now helps bring in a range of fresh produce so local retailers can fill gaps in New Zealand’s growing season. He enjoys working across the entire supply chain to nail the timing and planning involved, and interacting with customers and suppliers to build strong business relationships. The teamwork required at Primor, and the flexibility to move between roles, is another satisfying aspect of his job. In his spare time, Scott loves to watch and play rugby, cricket and golf.

Louis Corkill

At 6am every morning Louis hits the phones on behalf of Primor, checking in with growers and liaising with supermarket produce managers to confirm what volume needs to be picked and moved that day. Louis joined our team in January 2019 after graduating from Otago University with a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in marketing and management. While it’s taken time to adjust to the early starts, Louis loves talking with people and building relationships, so he’s right at home in his new marketing assistant role. He primarily deals with lettuce, cabbage and cauliflower growers but helps our entire domestic sales team when required. If growers have excess supply, he’ll organise promotions to ensure product is moved swiftly and doesn’t go to waste. He’s also a keen footballer and looks forward to playing each season.

Dan McDowall

Dan grew up in Kumeu near Muriwai Beach and spent several summers working in Primor’s Mt Wellington warehouse while at high school. He was part-way through a Bachelor of Commerce and was working for an Auckland signwriting company when he heard a fulltime role at Primor was available. He now works hard to win new business and liaises with supermarket produce managers throughout the upper North Island to place orders for avocados, watermelons, mandarins, oranges and other key lines of fruit. He loves looking after customers and relishes the 6am starts so he can knock-off by mid-afternoon. Dan is a talented footballer, having played since the age of four. He has coached several representative age group teams for Waitakere and has also helped run holiday academy programmes.

Ross Mutton

Ross is a full time avocado grower in Houhora in the Far North. He works part-time for both Primor and AVOCO to support local growers throughout the season and procure supply. He enjoys being at the forefront of what’s happening in our export markets and the variety of his daily role. Ross has been involved in post-harvest, marketing and distribution of both avocados and kiwifruit for over 30 years and decided to plant his own orchard in 2002. Because of this, he understands growers’ needs and viewpoints. Every April he looks forward to escaping into the central North Island bush to hunt roaring stags, relax and unwind.

Greg Stansfield

Greg Joined Primor in 2021 and is based in Whangarei. As a representative for AVOCO, he supports growers in the Mid North region, particularly through the often challenging harvesting season. Greg comes originally from the Wool industry where he did a cadetship with Wrightson Dalgety. He later moved to the New Zealand Wool board as a buyer and exporter. Greg’s horticultural experience came from growing Macadamia nuts on a block in Pukekohe where he was an active member of the Franklin Tree Croppers assn.

Fresh to the avocado industry, Greg enjoys working alongside growers and understanding the different approaches they all take to maximise their crop. Greg says “it’s contagious the passion growers have managing their orchards”.
In his free time Greg enjoys sailing and fishing with his partner Anya. They have 3 grown children and a border collie cross called Ash (otherwise known as the favourite child).