Foodstuffs South Island has announced the appointment of Nick Barnes as General Manager of Supply Chain.
Having previously worked as a Customer Supply Director at Lion, Barnes brings a wealth of knowledge to the role, with a passion for all things warehousing and logistics. His expertise lies in warehousing, distribution, new product development, supplier relationships and planning.
Steve Anderson, CEO of Foodstuffs South Island says, “Nick brings a fresh and modern approach to our Supply Chain operations and is focused on growing and modernising the business with his extensive industry knowledge, taking what we do today and enhancing it through automated technologies.”
With Foodstuffs South Island’s Supply Chain team 1200 strong, his first challenge was to lead his team through the logistical challenges bought on by widespread flooding in the South Island. Road-closures and flood waters rising throughout much of the region meant the team had to work quickly and efficiently to get product to stores.
“Our logistics and Supply Chain team managed operations incredibly well during the South Island floods in June. The team worked quickly to find alternative routes for our drivers, and if product wasn’t on shelf, we made sure it was on its way. The team knows how to operate quickly and efficiently in a crisis, and we’re proud to say that despite these challenges, we were able to keep all of our stores open,” says Barnes.
For Barnes, taking on this new role means he’s able to bring a new and different perspective to Foodstuffs South Island’s Supply Chain, adapting their more traditional processes with newer and more innovative Supply Chain technologies.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how we can innovate to create more efficient processes and ways of working throughout our supply chain. We have an incredible team, and by committing to faster and more efficient processes we’re able to get product to our customers faster than ever before,” says Barnes.
For Foodstuffs South Island, the future of Supply Chain is focused on embracing modern technologies such as automation and AI (Artificial Intelligence), becoming more data driven, and increasing productivity and efficiencies while reducing costs. They have a five to ten-year vision for Supply Chain and the role technology will play.
Nick has moved from Auckland to Christchurch and is looking forward to spending more time outdoors mountain biking and skiing with his wife and two kids. He’s also looking forward to working with Foodstuffs valued suppliers and building strong relationships with them, as there’s several opportunities to collaborate and grow both Foodstuffs South Island and their network.
