A company which grew from a backyard project in to an international player celebrated the opening of its 'Kiwifruit Centre of Excellence” in Papamoa last night.

Hamish Kennedy, who 30 years ago built a fruit sorting machine in his parents' garage and went on to found the company known as Compac, says the technology business is now in play in 40 countries around the world.

Marking the opening of Compac's new centre of excellence are (from left) Compac CEO Mike Riley, Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller, chairman of the Compac Board Jonathon Mason, general manger Compac north Craig Hart and company founder Hamish Kennedy. Photo: Elaine Fisher.

Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller and general manger Compac north Craig Hart performed the ribbon cutting-ceremony, declaring the new Papamoa facility officially open.

Its 32 staff, including 10 service technicians, are focused on the kiwifruit and avocado industries, and the facility replaces Compac's previous premises in Te Puke, which it has rapidly outgrown.

'As our business continues to expand and develop globally, so has our thinking around how we can deliver the best possible products and services to our customers,” says Craig.

'No one knows more about high-performance postharvest facilities than the New Zealand kiwifruit industry.

'The centre of excellence model brings us closer to the knowledge and experience of our customers and suppliers, so we can continue to provide the very best in innovative products and solutions for our local market.”

Hamish told the 100 guests at the Papamoa opening that he credits the kiwifruit industry for the 'birth” of the company, as his interest began when his parents converted a dairy farm at Kerikeri to a kiwifruit orchard.

'However, I didn't want to be an orchardist, but was more interested in engineering,” adds Hamish, who completed his university degree, built the first Compac fruit sorting machine and trialled it in his parent's packhouse.

From those modest beginnings, and with a drive to provide the best technology and customer service possible, he built a company which today dominates fruit handling in the New Zealand kiwifruit industry.

They are also a major player internationally, with 90 per cent of its business off-shore, including in China and the USA.

Compac CEO Mike Riley says the kiwifruit industry has made a remarkable recovery from the vine disease Psa and the new facility is a reflection of Compac's on-going commitment to the industry.

Jonathon Mason, chairman of the Compac Board, says the outlook for the kiwifruit industry is exceptionally bright, with strong and growing demand for Zespri's green and gold fruit in Asia.

Todd Muller described Compac as the epitome of a New Zealand success story, with a strong culture of innovation, quality and customer service. He also applauded the company's investment in research and development.