23 May 2011

The receivers of the SCF Group have announced that GE Capital’s New Zealand Equipment Finance business has acquired over NZ$100 million of commercial loan book assets from Face Finance Limited, a subsidiary of South Canterbury Finance Limited.

Face Finance primarily focuses on ‘big ticket’ financing in the transport and infrastructure sectors. It has operated on a largely standalone basis from the rest of the SCF Group since establishment with a separate distribution network and customer relationships.

Receivers Kerryn Downey and William Black of McGrathNicol said that “the sale to GE Capital is a very pleasing outcome and represents a key milestone in the realisation of South Canterbury Finance’s loan book assets. We believe the acquisition by GE Capital will provide increased certainty for Face Finance’s customers.”

GE Capital was successful in its acquisition following a competitive sale process, with Deutsche Bank AG New Zealand branch acting as sale advisor to the receivers.

Media Contact:

Kate Alexander
Alexander Communications
T +64 9 524 4957
M +64 27 244 6094
E: kate@alexandercomms.co.nz

About McGrathNicol
McGrathNicol is an independent advisory firm specialising in corporate advisory, forensic, transaction services and corporate recovery. It is a market leader in Australia and New Zealand, with more than 300 people across the region, including more than 30 partners.

About Face Finance
Face Finance Limited (In Receivership), a subsidiary of South Canterbury Finance Limited (In Receivership), is a Plant and Equipment Finance specialist offering financial solutions to a variety of New Zealand business sectors, including transport, aviation, civil and agricultural contracting, printing, forestry, and manufacturing.

At a time when the nation’s attention is focused on recreating the built environment of our second-largest city, a new enterprise is launching with two significant and potentially contributory new initiatives: New Zealand’s first nationwide accessibility programme, Be. Accessible, and the first nationwide disability leadership programme of its kind, Be. Leadership.

At its launch event at the Auckland War Memorial Museum on Friday 6 May, Be. Institute will formally present the two programmes and outline the vision for what the institute, through its initiatives and partnerships, can do to foster accessibility and enable a 100% accessible society for all New Zealanders.

The mission is social change: to improve the accessibility of the physical environment, enable better access to information, promote the inclusion and leadership of disabled people in employment and the community, and change social attitudes and behaviours.

In many respects, the timing of the launch is optimal. One Be. Institute project, the Be. Test Match, will be rolled out through the Be. Accreditation programme (part of Be. Accessible) to the 12 New Zealand cities hosting Rugby World Cup 2011.

In the first phase, the Be. Assessors will visit key locations in each of the 12 cities and assess stadia, fan zones, i-SITES and other relevant locations such as hotels.

However, the organization’s aims for its programmes reach beyond this sporting event. By the end of May, Be. Accessible will have trained 40 Be. Assessors, who will be equipped with the tools and know-how to perform holistic assessments of the aforementioned sites, and thousands of others over time.

They will be able to cover the whole accessibility journey, asking questions like: how accessible is the organisation’s website?; what is the level of customer service?; how accessible is the building entrance, interior and products?; and are the business / organization’s marketing materials accessible to all people?

Be. Institute is led by chief executive Minnie Baragwanath, who before founding Be. Institute worked for 10 years in the disability sector, advising to the former Auckland City Council. She has brought together the Auckland Council, the Auckland University of Technology and the Auckland District Health Board to be founding partners of the Be. Institute.

Since it was formed in early 2011, Be. Institute has developed a working partnership with the Ministry of Social Development, and MP Tariana Turia will be attending the launch event, along with 200 other VIPs and contributors.

Ms Baragwanath says, “In launching the Be. Institute we are mindful of the importance of recognizing what is already being done. We have made great progress as a nation – however, there is more we need to do to create a 100% accessible country. New Zealanders are by nature inclusive and socially aware, and we are seeking to build on this through specific practices in our two programmes. Our view is that if we get it right for disabled people, we get it right for all people.”

Be. Accessible involves an accreditation framework and a communications campaign to inspire and enable a 100% accessible society. Be. Leadership, the first leadership programme of its kind in New Zealand, invites 20 emerging leaders to participate in a 10-month journey to become the best leader they can be.

Any business can book an accessibility assessment from a Be. Assessor and learn how they can change their practices or structure to make their organization more accessible. They need not be affiliated with RWC 2011 to do this.

Fact Sheet

• The Be. Institute launch event:
  • Date: Friday 6 May 2011
  • Time: 7pm – 10pm
  • Venue: Auckland War Memorial Museum
  • Dress: Glamorous and authentic
• The Be. Institute was founded in 2011 through a partnership between the Auckland Council, the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and the Auckland District Health Board;
• It is a social enterprise with the purpose of inspiring and enabling accessibility through innovation and leadership;
• The problem New Zealand faces is that 20% of the population doesn’t get full access to society, and even if employment is possible, people with disabilities earn less on average that those without;
• Founding trustees of the Be. Institute include John Allen (CEO of MFAT and Chair of the Employers Disability Network) and Mark Bagshaw, and the current chief executive is Minnie Baragwanath;
• The Institute’s two initiatives are Be. Accessible and Be. Leadership, which are designed to collectively achieve 100% accessibility for all New Zealanders;
• There are three interdependent pillars – social, physical and personal – necessary for a truly accessible society;
• The Be. Institute’s philosophy is around inclusion – everyone is welcome to participate – and the principle that in order to create a world in which we can all Be., we need to think about our expectations of disabled people, and consider the value of disabled people as leaders and not just recipients of charity;
• The vision and mission of Be. – can we talk about the importance of the Be. Accessble programme.
• One of the first social change programmes to inspire business, community, govt to recognise that we all play a part in creating an accessible world;
• The Be. Institute has coined a new term – the ‘Access Customer’ – which may include any of the following:
  • An older person (the baby- boomer)
  • A parent pushing a stroller
  • Someone with a hearing or vision impairment
  • A person with a mental health impairment
  • A person who uses a wheelchair
• Launch attendee Tariana Turia is co-leader of the Maori Party and the member for Te tai Hauauru, Minister for Disability Issues and the Community and Voluntary Sectors, and Associate Minister of Social Development and Health;
• Launch attendee Rodney Hide is leader of the Act Party and the member for Epsom, Minister of Local Government and Regulatory Reform, and Associate Minister of Education;
• Between 660,000 and 730,000 people in New Zealand have a disability, and a total of 20% of Kiwis report a disability;
• Half of people 65+ have a disability, and by 2030 25% of Kiwis will be aged 65+;
• 186,340 people with a disability could be working;
• The limited accessibility for people with a disability means that 20% of Kiwis are excluded from fully participating in everyday activities;
• With improved accessibility, businesses could increase by 20% more customers;
• Sign Language is the third official language of New Zealand;
• The welfare cost is $2.1 billion per annum and the opportunity cost an estimated $11.7 billion per annum;
• El Du Pont de Nemours & Co conducted a study of 1,000 workers with disabilities, with results showing:
  • 81% of workers with disabilities rated better than average in job performance;
  • 86% of workers with disabilities rated above average in attendance;
  • 98% of workers with disabilities rated average or better than average in safety with;
  • No increase in compensation costs.

Sources:

Statistics New Zealand, 2006
Office for Disability, 2008

Be.ready – The toolkit for business
Innov8 Consulting Group Disability Statistics Chart

For further information:

Dwayne Alexander

Alexander Communications

+64 (0)21 324463

dwayne@alexandercomms.co.nz

Campaign Overview

Challenge Trust is one of many New Zealand charitable trusts invested in paving the way for a brighter future and supporting those in need. A unique not-for-profit organization, Challenge Trust is a recovery-services specialist group which has grown from its initial sole facility to over 20 residential homes providing care to people with a variety of needs relating to addiction, mental illness, physical disability and rehabilitation, intellectual disability, and eating disorders.

Challenge Trust appointed Alexander Communications to assist with raising its profile as a leading recovery services provider and presenting to the public its new initiatives, service centres and programmes.

The AC team has been fortunate to work with CEO Clive Plucknett and his dedicated team at Challenge Trust. The team’s passion and commitment to their work and the people they help was evident from the outset, and this message is reflected in our work.

In September 2010, Challenge Trust and the Auckland DHBs launched Thrive, a much-needed service for the treatment of eating disorders in the upper North Island. The first of its kind in the region, Thrive’s opening in two buildings in Parnell, Auckland was attended by guests including health professionals, DHB board members and select media.

Results
For the official opening and launch of Thrive, our brief was to raise awareness about the centre and bring the service into the public eye.

Tact and sensitivity was crucial in our approach to a widely misunderstood issue. AC worked closely with the Ministry of Health and Challenge Trust to introduce key print and broadcast media to Thrive by arranging private tours of the facility and one-on-one interviews with Clive Plucknett.

AC secured feature stories on TV One News, TV3 News, and Radio New Zealand.

Coverage was also seen in national and community newspapers and in online media, including the Sunday Star Times, New Zealand Herald, Gisborne Herald and Eastern Courier.

The launch of Thrive was a great success, with child advocate Christine Rankin accepting the invitation to officially open the centre. The achievement by Challenge Trust of a substantial brief in a short timeframe was a proud moment for the Challenge Trust team and the many families involved.

The much-needed facility was well received by the community, and several local schools demonstrated support by responding generously to AC’s request for inspirational artwork for permanent display at Thrive. Coverage regarding this school support was seen in Education Today, www.times.co.nz, www.scoop.co.nz and www.infonews.co.nz

Additionally, AC recently secured the cover-page story ‘What business owners can learn from NFPs’ in NZ Business Magazine. Clive Plucknett was the subject of the cover story by Ruth Le Pla.

An inspirational leader with considerable experience across many industries (including a previous career with the NZ Police), Clive says, “The most valuable asset you have is self knowledge,” and advises leaders to figure out when they need to pull in someone else. “A lot of people are so busy being busy that they don’t step back and look around.”

Challenge Trust was profiled for a second time on the evening news, TV3 6PM, when Clive Plucknett was featured as an expert in the area of mental health and recovery. Appearing on two consecutive nights over a weekend, the two stories reinforced Challenge Trust as a leading recovery services and mental health organisation, with direct quotes from Clive.

Clive Plucknett has appeared extensively in the media on other occasions, and was quoted in the National Business Review, in ‘Depression the Silent Epidemic for Executives’. This article has been a valuable profile piece and has generated significant response from other executives direct to Clive.

Earlier in 2010, Clive appeared on TVNZ’s NZI Business with Corin Dann to discuss the topic of mental health treatment for high-level executives. His appearance reinforced the message of Challenge Trust’s leadership in this area of health, and highlighted the programmes available to assist those with depression.

To find out more about Challenge Trust and the services they offer, visit www.challenge.co.nz

UK e-newsletter “Trendwatching” have featured Botany Town Centre in their March 2011 edition.

The e-newsletter dedicated their March copy to the rising phenomenon of “Random Acts of Kindness” – selfless acts performed by an individual or company wishing to either assist or cheer up another individual.

Botany Town Centre’s “Snapped” campaign – where shoppers could win what they were photographed holding – was acknowledged in the e-newsletter as a successful and effective example of a Random Act of Kindness.

Click here to read the full article.

11 March 2011

The receivers for Allied Nationwide Finance (ANF) have started the sales process for specific loans within ANF’s performing loan book. The receivers are also seeking expressions of interest for performing receivables in Spiers Securities Limited, which the receivers administer on behalf of its board.

Andrew Grenfell and Kerryn Downey of McGrathNicol were appointed receivers and managers of Allied Nationwide Finance Limited on 20 August 2010 by, ANF’s trustee, the New Zealand Guardian Trust Company Limited.
Andrew Grenfell said that the ANF and SSL portfolios can be purchased jointly or separately but all loans within each portfolio must be bought as a whole.

The ANF portfolio comprises business and consumer finance leases, hire purchase agreements revolving credit facilities and other loans predominantly secured by motor vehicles and other chattels.  The portfolio also includes loans subject to a motor vehicle dealer agreement.

ANF is the administrator of a securitisation vehicle – Spiers Securities Limited (SSL) – into which it has sold receivables.  The SSL portfolio consists of receivables for business-related finance leases, consumer finance and conditional purchase agreements and other loan receivables, principally secured by motor vehicles and other chattels.

ANF has no equity interest in SSL and SSL has its own independent board.  ANF does have a financial exposure to SSL by way of subordinated debt of $8.5m as at 31 December 2010.

Media Enquiries:

This release issued on behalf of McGrathNicol by:
Kate Alexander
Alexander Communications
Tel:    +64 9 524 4957
Mob:  +64 27 244 6094
kate@alexandercomms.co.nz

About McGrathNicol
McGrathNicol is an independent advisory firm specialising in corporate advisory, forensic, transaction services and corporate recovery. It is a market leader in Australia and New Zealand, with more than 300 people across the region, including over 30 partners.

Anne Gibson interviewed Kerryn Downey for the Weekend Herald about some of the milestones achieved so far in the South Canterbury Finance Receivership.

You can find the link to the online version of the print story here

Brook Sabin filed a story for TV3 6 PM news  revealing what some experts say is an alarming increase in the number of people using antipsychotics.

The drugs are commonly used for severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia, and now 80, 000 New Zealanders are using them.

Clive Plucknett, CEO of Challenge Trust was approached for comment and featured on Saturday and Sunday 6PM news with different quotes and examples that were used in the story.

Here is the the link the Saturday evening 6PM 3 News video  and story

Here is the link to the Sunday evening 6PM 3 News video and story

About Challenge Trust

 Challenge Trust is a charitable trust which commenced operation in 1993 and now has 280 staff providing services to more than 1,500 people out of 24 sites in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Gisborne and the Bay of Plenty regions.

 Challenge Trust’s clients include people affected by mental illness, physical disability, intellectual disability, addictions, dual disability and dual diagnosis. The organization has contracts with District Health Boards, the Accident Compensation Corporation, MOH, MSD and other government departments, and an increasing number of private clients.

Services provided include 24-hour residential accommodation, community support to people living in their own homes, educational services, employment and life skills training, advocacy, information, employment opportunities, family/whanau support and various housing options.

The Trust is governed by a Board which employs a CEO to lead the organization and head the Executive Management Team.

Challenge Trust has modelled itself as having the rigour and professionalism of a corporate, blended with the innovation and heart of a non-government organization (NGO)

Head Judge Gray Bartlett assisted Desiree Clark, Linh Luong and Jeff Harns from 4DG to discover the talent in the Botany Town Centre & LynnMall Shopping Centre 2010 Best Buskers Competition. Make-A-Wish buckets were handed around on both days in support of this worthy cause. 

While Michael Murray won the spot on Grays new CD out early 2011, every busker was a winner as you can see in the segment interviewed by Tom McRae of ONE NEWS. The shoppers were extremely generous to the buskers who made the effort.

Check out this link to see the report on TVNZ’s 6PM One news and also the visuals that appeared on the news

If you like that, you will also like the full buskers competition official video which was filmed by Borderless Productions and can be found on YouTube and also on Facebook and Twitter.

The Botany Town Centre & LynnMall Shopping Centre 2010 Best Buskers Competition was well covered by the relevant local comunity newspapers, online media and also TV.

Mark Lowndes Appeared on NZI Business TV on the morning of the debate with Corin Dann to headline why this debate is necessary now. The issues were also discussed in an article in the Sunday Star-Times headlined “Economic Union Aust-NZ unification slammed by Oram.” written by Lois Cairns

The debate was held between 7.30am – 9.30am, Wednesday 3 November 2010, Stamford Plaza, Auckland

Lowndes Associates and Unlimited magazine were pleased to host the fourth and final 2010 Business Intelligence breakfast workshop series. Now in their eighth year, these superior content-rich workshops are for busy executives, owners, directors, managers, advisers and corporate counsel.

Is it time to join forces with Australia? Many think so, many oppose the idea vehemently. What is the best answer for NZ business? The debate actually ended up persuading many in the room that it’s probably best to gradually do more effective business with our neighbours, but remain sovereign as New Zealand has more potential being in control of their own future. Time will tell.

As the Australian and New Zealand governments work to decrease the barriers between the two nations, Kiwi support for a Trans-Tasman merger is rising:

• Will a Trans-Tasman economic union boost the NZ economy?
• Will being part of a bigger market create more jobs and give better access to opportunities for careers and education?
• Will there be a level playing field for Kiwi businesses in Australia?

…read more about the workshops

Four outstanding speakers debated this important topic, two arguing for a union, and two arguing against:

Rod McGeochCo-Chair, Australia & New Zealand Leadership Council
Andrew Main Business Editor,The Australian
Rod Oram International Business Writer, former editor of Business Herald
Mark Weldon Chief Executive, NZX

In the TVNZ SME Spotlight, NZI Business’ Corin Dann chats with an Auckland-based design and procurement firm, MD, Vee Smit about how they have continued to grow throughout the last 24 months through a focus on the refurbishment markets and overseas – specifically in the Hotel , Aged care and Retail Sectors.