About

Our History

Three experienced Bay of Plenty kiwifruit operators, Jan Benes, Craig Lemon and Andrew Darling, came together to form JACE Group Limited in 2003 (the initials stand for Jan, Andrew and Craig Enterprises). They were later joined by Steve Saunders.

After establishing Apac (Auckland Pack and Cool) in 2006, the directors were keen to develop a base closer to home. They purchased an existing packhouse on Aerodrome Rd, Mount Maunganui, in 2009, and put their foot down to expand Mount Pack and Cool as rapidly as possible. It wasn’t long before the facility was completely full, with growers queuing up to work with Mpac’s highly experienced team.

In 2016 work began in earnest to relocate, and the largest single site in the Tauriko Business Estate (65,000m²) was secured to build a new state-of-the art facility. Every detail was designed with efficiency, sustainability and performance in mind and it’s the most technologically-advanced greenfield packhouse the Bay of Plenty has ever seen.

Today Mpac spans 55,000m² and still has plenty of room to expand on to a neighbouring site. That’s just as well because the company’s growth since 2009 is staggering – volume has grown from 2.5 million trays at the Mount to over 16 million trays at the Tauriko site.

The directors are immensely proud of how the business has thrived, having developed a solid reputation among growers for trust, respect, integrity and all-round excellence.

Many Mpac staff have been with the company from JACE Group’s inception, contributing to a strong family culture and a desire to get the best out of one another. Relationships are at the heart of our business and ensure staff care about every individual grower and piece of fruit as if it’s their own.

In addition to Mpac, JACE Group own four other subsidiary companies which cover the entire supply chain of kiwifruit from the orchard to the consumer. They include Apac (Auckland Pack and Cool Limited), Gro Plus, Southern Orchards Limited, and Kiwi Green New Zealand Limited.

Directors

Jan Benes

Jan is one of the original founders of Apac, Mpac and their parent company, JACE Group. Originally from the Czech Republic, Jan arrived in New Zealand as a teenager and initially enrolled at university to study business and management. But a short break to pick kiwifruit one season and earn some money saw him ditch the books in favour of working fulltime at a small packhouse and cool store facility in Katikati. From there, his career in post-harvest took off as he secured increasingly senior roles with Bridgecool and later Seeka before striking out on his own.

The only constant in the kiwifruit industry is change – a challenge that Jan fully embraces. He describes the industry as like ‘putting the pieces of a puzzle together’ and is driven by the thrill of competition and value of working alongside people he knows and trusts.

While he doesn’t believe in treading on others to get ahead, he knows the kiwifruit industry is full of opportunities if you look, and work hard enough, to find them.

Craig Lemon

Craig Graduated from Auckland University with a Master’s Degree (Msc Hons) specialising in kiwifruit science. Craig has 35 years’ experience in the kiwifruit and avocado industry in Executive and Director roles.

Craig specialises in kiwifruit and avocado orchard management, research and development and administration. Craig is also a grower of kiwifruit and avocados in the Bay. Craig’s main areas of focus within the JACE Group of companies are Kiwi Green New Zealand, Southern Orchards Ltd and the China project.

Brendon Lee

Brendon is a dynamic, results-driven managing director with 15 years of successful experience in the kiwifruit industry. He joined Mpac group in 2012 and oversees the company’s business operations driving the strategic growth. His experience spans the entire sector – from growing to post-harvest, Zespri, grower relations and entities, and a variety of senior management and governance positions.

Brendon has been intimately involved in Mpac’s state-of-the art post-harvest facility from the concept stage through to detailed design, construction and implementation, ensuring it’s fit for purpose and geared for future growth.

His vast experience allows him to contribute to all areas of our business and he’s at his best when under the most pressure and striving to achieve the impossible.

He loves the fact that every season is challenging for different reasons and he’s always focussed on getting better results for our growers and the company each year. He values the people he works alongside as much as his individual role – being part of developing a team and seeing employees progress through the company brings him a great deal of personal satisfaction.

Leadership Team

Jan Benes

Executive Director

Sitting at the helm of Mpac/Apac, Jan believes his role is to teach others; making sure the next generation are learning everything they can about kiwifruit and post-harvest operations. His approach is that a good manager should always be a great teacher and try to make themselves redundant so they’re ready to take on the next challenge.

Jan’s ambition, drive and passion for kiwifruit has taken him from orchard picking in between his university studies, to eventually managing a packhouse and being appointed General Manager Operations for Seeka. In 2007 he moved to Auckland to take charge of Apac and today he oversees our entire post-harvest operation.

Among Jan’s key strengths is his ability to listen, watch and observe others, and the fact he never takes no for an answer. His financial skills and in-depth analysis helps him to make the right decisions on behalf of the business.

Jan enjoys motorsport, jet skiing, fishing, boating and hitting the slopes in winter. Jan’s two children, Sarah and Anthony, have both followed him into the industry making Mpac/Apac a true family affair.

Brendon Lee

Managing Director

Brendon is a dynamic, results-driven managing director with 15 years of successful experience in the kiwifruit industry. He joined Mpac group in 2012 and oversees the company’s business operations driving the strategic growth. His experience spans the entire sector – from growing to post-harvest, Zespri, grower relations and entities, and a variety of senior management and governance positions.

Brendon has been intimately involved in Mpac’s state-of-the art post-harvest facility from the concept stage through to detailed design, construction and implementation, ensuring it’s fit for purpose and geared for future growth.

His vast experience allows him to contribute to all areas of our business and he’s at his best when under the most pressure and striving to achieve the impossible.

He loves the fact that every season is challenging for different reasons and he’s always focussed on getting better results for our growers and the company each year. He values the people he works alongside as much as his individual role – being part of developing a team and seeing employees progress through the company brings him a great deal of personal satisfaction.

E: iand@mpac.co.nz
P: 021 881 953

Ian Denny

General Manager – Finance

Ian oversees the financial operations of Mpac and the broader JACE Group, while also providing strategic planning guidance for long-term growth.

He joined the organisation in 2020 as Finance Manager and has since been appointed to the role of General Manager – Finance. As a Chartered Accountant with a Bachelor of Management Studies (Accounting) from Waikato University, Ian brings extensive experience from senior finance positions in both the UK and New Zealand. He is passionate about leveraging systems, optimising processes, and driving growth. Ian thrives on the unique challenges of the kiwifruit industry and its fast-paced environment. His adaptive and flexible leadership style fosters excellence within his team, ensuring robust financial support for the Group.

Nik Dyer

General Manager – Operations

As General Manager Operations for both Mpac and Apac. Nik is responsible for all operations, partnering with our growers and our team to achieve a high performing grower pool with consistently higher than industry average returns year after year.

Nik joined the company in 2018 and brings to the role experience in a number of roles within the post-harvest sector. Previously he was based in Auckland running the Apac operation. He thoroughly enjoys making decisions and performing under pressure during the kiwifruit season to get the best results for our growers and our company. Strong communication skills and the ability to work well in a team enables Nik to get the best out of those around him to collectively deliver great results.

Nik comes from a family of kiwifruit growers and got involved in the industry after previously working in the freight industry both here and in the UK. During quieter months, Nik enjoys water skiing and fishing whenever he gets the chance.

Tim Crossman

Grower Services Manager

Tim grew up in Te Puke among kiwifruit pioneers and loves the frenetic “pressure cooker” pace of today’s industry.

After leaving school he initially worked on kiwifruit orchards before moving into post-harvest packhouse and cool store roles. Tim then managed his family’s renowned kiwifruit tourism business, Kiwifruit Country, before joining the police force. After 14 years on the beat he moved to Papua New Guinea as a safety and security advisor.

He eventually returned home and began working for Mpac in January 2017 – firstly as a Packing Operations Manager before moving across to our Grower Services team which he now manages. He oversees crop procurement and is the interface between our packhouse and growers.

Tim’s excellent communication skills and ability to act under pressure help him to achieve outstanding results for our clients. He enjoys problem solving, meeting people from all walks of life and the ‘can do’ attitude found in the kiwifruit industry.