The planting of a kōwhai tree has marked a new chapter in electricity distribution in Tairāwhiti and Wairoa districts, as Firstlight Network and Powerco come together as one company.
More than 80 people from Firstlight Network, Powerco and Horizon Services (formerly ElectriNET) met for breakfast at Firstlight Network's Gisborne office on Monday (3 August).
"Today marks the start of a new chapter as Powerco and Firstlight Network come together as one company," Powerco Chief Executive Jason Franklin said at the breakfast event.
"Both organisations have proud histories of serving their communities, building and maintaining critical infrastructure, and keeping the lights on for our customers. This isn't one company absorbing another. It's two organisations coming together to create something better than either could achieve alone.
"As we come together, we want to build on the strengths of both companies. We respect Firstlight Network's history and what has been achieved here, and we're excited about what we can achieve together as one team," Jason Franklin said.
Powerco General Manager Electricity Karen Frew acknowledged the Horizon Services team's work on the Tairāwhiti-Wairoa network.
"As Jason said, today marks Powerco and Firstlight coming together. It also marks the beginning of a new partnership for us with Horizon in this region. We already work with Horizon in our Manawatū-Wairarapa and Coromandel Peninsula to South Waikato network areas, so we're excited to build on this partnership further in this region," Karen Frew said.
Powerco General Manager Corporate Services Jemma Gerring said the integration of Powerco and Firstlight Network would be staged, with safety and network reliability a priority.
"We have a clear plan and a dedicated team to ensure successful integration. We are committed to preserving the culture and strengths that make both companies great – we already have various cultures in our different regional offices that thrive now," Jemma Gerring said.
As well as the tree planting, each person who attended the breakfast was given a potted seedling to mark the fact that the three companies were "growing together".
The intention is that Firstlight Network will eventually become Powerco – including the name – however this process is likely to take some months. This is because Firstlight Network and Powerco have very different outage control technology and data systems to operate their respective electricity networks.
“These are complex systems that are going to take time to integrate. It’s important that we don’t rush this technological integration and cause any disruption to East Coast customers,” Jason Franklin said.
Find out more about the transition and what it means for Firstlight Network customers here.
From left: Powerco Chief Executive Jason Franklin, Horizon Services GM Utilities Kieron Robinson and Manager, Firstlight Network Operations, George Drysdale.
The commemorative plaque to mark the occasion.
