The chief executive of one of the country’s biggest infant formula makers, Dave Stanley, of the Dairy Goat Co-operative, is stepping aside.
Stanley, who started 20 years ago as the co-operative’s sole staffer, oversaw the Waikato company’s growth from a cottage industry to a $130 million a year export business.
At first he had only «a desk, a chair, and an adding machine». Today he has 170 staff.
He will be succeeded in March next year by his deputy, Tony Giles.
Stanley said he no longer wanted to work fulltime as a chief executive and would pursue directorship and consulting opportunities.
The Hamilton-based co-operative started with 22 farmer shareholders and renting a tiny office at dairy genetics company Livestock Improvement.
Today it has 60 supplying farmers, many with substantial goat milking operations, and next week will start building its second milk-powder drier, a $67m investment, and its own can-making factory.
Source: Stuff