Pindar launches new business in Australasia

by Annabel Merrison on 14 Nov 2006 New Zealand office solutions company Egan Reid today launched an innovative new partnership with successful British based print and electronic media company, Pindar.

The news comes soon after Pindar, a major sponsor of international sailing, announced the build of a new cutting-edge Open 60 in Auckland led by Kiwi sailing sensation Mike Sanderson. It marks the start of a long term investment for Pindar in Australasia.

Pindar, a family company founded 170 years ago, started out as a regional printer in Yorkshire. It was during the 1960s, that Pindar began to look further a field and saw opportunities for growth by expediting the inevitable. The company identified and rode the waves of print and electronic publishing technology, creating true innovations and exporting and expanding its business overseas to the US and continental Europe.

'We have now sought and found a partner on the other side of the world, making us a truly global technology company,' said Andrew Pindar. 'What first attracted us to New Zealand was boat building. This taught us about New Zealand’s technological competence and the Kiwi can-do attitude. When looking for a Southern Hemisphere business partner, we came straight to New Zealand and after interviewing many companies we chose Egan Reid as the best fit - culturally, technologically and in the way they think about what they do.'

The partnership with Egan Reid will involve the launch of the world’s most successful multi-channel publishing software ‘AgilityCMS’ (Content Management System). AgilityCMS is used by catalogue businesses for managing their product information and publishing it in print, on-line and in-store, because this is what customers are demanding. The new business will go by the name of Egan Reid.

Gerard Reid commented: 'We are thrilled to be entering into this alliance with Pindar. It is exciting to know that we can sell the software and services and play a part in Pindar becoming even more global. Both Pindar and Egan Reid have business cultures of progress, innovation and risk-taking, of thinking about what customers do and finding new ways to do it, of pushing boundaries and building solutions and of always observing sound business ethics. This venture enables Egan Reid to participate in technology development with a bigger team and to extend its range of activities, whilst allowing Pindar to offer its range of services and software throughout Australasia.'

Pindar already has a strong affiliation with New Zealand, with members of its sailing team coming to the country for many years. Emma Sanderson (née Emma Richards), sailed into Tauranga, New Zealand, in Pindar’s colours during ‘Around Alone 2002/03’, when she became the first woman and youngest person ever to complete the solo round-the-world yacht race. Pindar went on to sponsor a team in the amateur round-the-world yacht race, the Global Challenge, which came to Wellington in 2005.

Pindar is now set to stay in New Zealand, not only launching a new business, but building a new state-of-the-art Open 60 at Cookson’s boat yard, Auckland. The yacht will be built under the expertise of Volvo Ocean Race winner Mike Sanderson, with the ambition to be the fastest on the international sailing circuit.

For more information, please visit: www.pindar.com


Pindar’s Ocean Racing History

Sept 1995 Global Challenge 1995-1996, Pindar supported Challenge 67 ‘Concert’

Nov 1999 Transat Jacques Vabre 1999, Emma Richards & Miranda Merron win Class 2 aboard (on Pete Goss’s ‘Aqua Quorum’)

June 2000 Europe 1 New Man Star (Plymouth to Rhode Island, USA), Emma Richards wins single handed Class 2 (on Pete Goss’ ‘Aqua Quorum’)

August 2000 Round Britain and Ireland Race, Emma Richards & Miranda Merron win 50 foot class (on Pete Goss’ ‘Aqua Quorum’)

Sept 2000 Global Challenge 2000–2001, Pindar supported both Challenge 72s ‘Spirit of Hong Kong’ and winners ‘LG Flatron’

July 2001 EDS Atlantic Challenge 2001, Helena Darvelid skippers an all female crew aboard Open 60 ‘AlphaGraphics’

Nov 2001 Transat Jacques Vabre 2001, Emma Richards & Miki Von Koskull finish 9th, aboard 60 ft multihull ‘Pindar Systems’

Sept 2002 Around Alone 2002-2003, Emma Richards becomes first British woman and youngest competitor aboard Open 60 ‘Pindar’ (formerly Josh Hall’s ‘Gartmore’)

October 2002 Emma Richards becomes first woman ever to complete a singlehanded west to east crossing in a monohull aboard Open 60 ‘Pindar’ (formerly Josh Hall’s ‘Gartmore’)

June 2003 Pindar purchase 18 month old Owen-Clarke design Open 60, formerly ‘Hexagon’ renamed ‘Pindar AlphaGraphics’. The yacht is campaigned over the following three years:

Nov 2003 Transat Jacques Vabre 2003, Emma Richards & Mike Sanderson

May 2004 'The Transat' 2004, Mike Sanderson finishes 4th overall

Sept 2004 Global Challenge 2004-2005, ‘Pindar’ Challenge 72

August 2005 Fastnet Race, 5th Open 60

August 2005 Celebrity Pro-Am Round the Island Race, Cowes Week, 1st place

April 2006 Guadeloupe – Antigua Race, 1st place

April 2006 Rolex Antigua Sailing Week

June 2006 Newport – Bermuda Race