It’s been something of a controversial year for the Talley family and its billion-dollar food empire.
The Talley’s group covers meat, vegetables, ice cream and – perhaps most prominently – fish. It was the last that caused the group trouble late last year when its deep-sea fishing vessel, Amaltal Apollo, was charged with allegedly fishing in a protected part of the Tasman Sea.
It was the first New Zealand ship placed on a blacklist by the South Pacific Regional Management Organisation, an inter-governmental group that monitors the health of South Pacific fisheries.
The controversy didn’t end there, however. Other governments were reportedly disgruntled when the ship was (perhaps temporarily) removed from the blacklist after New Zealand governmental lobbying. The saga is continuing, with a decision about the ship to be made next year.
Talley’s has said the ship ended up in the wrong area after following incorrect advice from a Primary Industries ministry observer on board.
Unfortunately for Talley’s, that wasn’t the only time one of its operations made the news for the wrong reasons. In April, WorkSafe won a legal fight to take Talley’s to court after one of the company’s employees was left a paraplegic in a 2015 accident. WorkSafe charged the company with failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the employee’s safety, with the employee suffering the injury when a bulk bin fell on her at Talley’s Ashburton processing plant.
The decision followed three years of legal wrangling; the charge was initially dropped in a district court because of a charge sheet problem but WorkSafe successfully challenged the decision in the High Court and Court of Appeal.
There was some good news on the business front, though. In February, Open Country, a dairy company owned by the Talley family, reported a 50% gain in earnings before interest and tax. Though profits were dragged down by the falling value of financial derivative contracts, they were still up on 2017’s.
Talley’s was founded in 1936 by Ivan Peter Talijancich in Motueka. The company has grown to become one of New Zealand’s most successful fishing and agribusiness concerns; it accounts for more than 150,000 tonnes of meat products, 65,0000 tonnes of potatoes and 85,000 of vegetables each year. It also catches over 70 species of fish. Its deep sea fleet operates out of Port Nelson, while their smaller boats operate out of Port Motueka.
With a long history of family involvement, it is now run by Sir Peter Talley though his brother Michael does not now appear to be involved.
2018: $385 million