NOTE TO SELF The joint initiative between responsible drinking campaign Cheers! and ridesharing app Uber aims to help people better plan for safe socialising by sending personal remind message before they start to drink. The Facebook Messenger-run Bot offers discounted Uber rides if they go home at the time they originally set for themselves. “Many of us have had a situation where our best intentions to go home early were forgotten once we were out having a few drinks with friends,” Cheers! spokesman Matt Claridge says. “The Sober Self Bot brings to life that original idea you had, so that you can remind yourself of those plans. We’re hoping to engage with people, particularly young New Zealanders, through a channel they use every day.” A broader multi-media campaign – the first in the new partnership between Cheers! and Uber – has officially launched. To sign up to the Bot, go to Facebook Messenger and search for Sober Self Bot. www.foodtechnology.co.nz 43 Conma Industries has made components for the car industry for 35 years, but as the Australian industry winds down, it has had to diversify and began making parts used to repair metal vineyard trellis posts for another Adelaide company about six years ago. The products have enjoyed success in California following a ban on toxic wooden vineyard posts there in 2000. However, the introduction in 2015 of Ocloc trellis posts and entire vineyard systems designed for Australian vineyards has seen business boom. Conma Industries general manager Richard Rebbeck says he expects vineyard products to soon become the largest part of the business. The company recently received a $328,700 grant from the South Australian Government’s Automotive Supplier Diversification Program to progress its diversification into the wine sector, and will use the funding to help manufacture specialised tooling and to modernise and expand machinery to develop additional products that will enhance the Ocloc steel trellis system range and support further growth in the horticultural market.The company manufactured about 100,000 posts in the past year and will have the capacity to produce up to 250,000 posts next year. The metal posts can be used to replace broken treated pine posts, of which there are millions in Australia every year, or be used as a cheaper, more durable alternative to the traditional toxic wooden posts when establishing new vineyards. Design features include soft wire holes to stop wire from wearing, high-tensile steel, and a zinc-aluminium alloy coating called Galfan that gives the posts twice the lifespan as galvanised steel. Ocvitti has more than 200 Australian vineyards on its books, and also has a company in California manufacturing its products under licence for the American market. CARS TO WINE A collaboration with a vineyard supplies company is helping a South Australian car component manufacturer stay in business, as Holden and Toyota prepare to close. The young Waiheke Islander, who works at Obsidian, will keep the car for a year – one of his prizes for winning the national finals last month. Competition national co-ordinator Nicky Grandorge says the prize is fantastic, and “certainly adds another level of competition between the contestants as they all push themselves further in the hope of winning it. We are extremely grateful for Hyundai’s generosity and support.” Hyundai also supports the competition by lending the national co-ordinator vehicles around the regions. Adams says he is extremely proud to be the first ‘Young Hort’ to bring the trophy to the region. “It is a great honour, and also recognises the huge support and effort given by my family, work colleagues and the Waiheke wine community who helped me study and prepare for the competition,” he says. The aim of the Bayer Young Viticulturist of the Year competition is to help grow the future leaders of the New Zealand wine industry and everyone who enters benefits from building their confidence and skill base as well as starting to make a name for themselves. As well as driving off in the new Hyundai, Adams won an AGMARDT $5000 travel grant, cash, Bahco golden secateurs, wine glasses and a leadership week. A chatbot that sends messages to users from their ‘sober self’ reminding them to go home at the time they originally planned, hydrate and eat food presents a new approach to tackling Kiwis’ irresponsible drinking habits.
FT-oct17-eMag
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