Bidvest New Zealand

Sustainable development at Bidvest New Zealand

Employees

Our employees are central to the success of Bidvest New Zealand. Bidvest maintains a fair wage and salary structure in accordance with New Zealand legislation at a level that is generally above the industry sector standard.  To ensure staff is provided for during and after their working lives, we have established an enhanced staff retirement fund which includes benefits for the children of employees. With the implementation of the NZQA training programme, warehouse staff can work towards a recognised qualification up to supervisor level, thus ensuring Bidvest employees remain at the forefront of their sector.

Product responsibility

Bidvest has introduced Prime Vendoring which allows our customers to reduce costs through improved supply chain processes. Unnecessary costs in ordering, purchasing, receiving, paying and food cost management are eliminated. All products sold by Bidvest have to meet the legislated labelling requirements detailed under the food standards code. As part of Bidvest’s ecommerce suite of services product information is available on the ecommerce site FindFoodFast. This information is maintained by suppliers and lists ingredients and allergens amongst other information. 

Community

• staff becoming mentors
• fundraising within each local branch
• cause-related marketing
• employing project K graduates

 As a result, many local charities and community organisations receive support from their local Bidvest business units.

Environment

Bidvest recognises that it has a responsibility to consider the effect of our business activities on the environment and we are committed to ensuring that we minimise the impact of our “carbon footprint” by adopting a policy aimed at achieving this outcome and encouraging others to similarly do so. Bidvest has an environmental policy outlining this. Major tenders are now placing greater priority on environment and ethical compliance to be successful. We do not yet measure our carbon footprint.

All Bidvest business units are equipped with recycle bins which encourages the recycling of paper, plastic, glass, aluminium, tin cans and cardboard. Bidvest reuses cardboard packaging and purchases second hand boxes from supermarkets to use as delivery boxes, thereby extending the proportion recycled and reducing the amount sent to landfill.

The Bidvest IT Department has undertaken a number of projects to lower the impact of Bidvest’s computing systems on the environment and reduce the amount of paper used in the business.

Combined statements allow customers to order from more than one business unit but only receive one statement.  Employees can now access important payroll information, thereby reducing the need to send out printed payslips. The Prime Vendoring Initiative helps decrease the carbon footprint by reducing the quantity of forms and statements that require printing.

All Bidvest new buildings are being built to preserve the cold chain, thereby using less energy to maintain a constant temperature.

Food Safety and Health Safety

The health and safety of our employees, contractors, suppliers and customers is of the utmost importance to the sustainability of our brand and its reputation. We monitor all incidents and complaints, and respond to these at the highest level in the company. The company has national health safety guidelines that it follows and is currently in the process of getting these externally audited. In addition, all buildings regularly undergo a risk assessment to ensure they are safe. This incorporates fire risk and a general building warrant of fitness.

Bidvest has an HACCP based Food Safety plan throughout the business that is audited twice a year, once internally and once externally. Food safety is part of the culture of the business and ensures customers receive product that is safe for consumption.

SINGAPORE

As the newest members of Bidvest Asia Pacific, Angliss Singapore and Angliss Hong Kong use their membership of Bidvest as an opportunity to enhance their sustainability.  To increase efficiencies these divisions have begun a programme of building inspections and renovations and look forward to further initiatives that draw on the experiences of Bidvest Australia and Bidvest New Zealand. Singapore holds both HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) and Halal certification. We expanded our delivery fleet and now specify Euro 4 engine standards.