It's now nine years since Paul and Margaret Holmes purchased Citipac – a family run business specialising in packing citrus and avocados for the local market.

With the packhouse located behind the Tauranga Racecourse ably serving the district's smaller avocado and citrus growers for a lot longer - well over 20 years in fact.

One constant through all this time has been packhouse manager and local industry legend Bronwyn Watkins.

Bronwyn has herself been a grower - kiwifruit as well as hothouse orchids - and has worked in other packhouses before her long association with Citipac. It's a family affair for her, working alongside son Jeff and grandson Layton, with other family members sometimes drafted in when it gets busy.

“Bronwyn knows the industry backwards and is the sort of manager who allows me to be out on the road talking to growers,” says Paul.

“In the office doing admin or even being on holiday, knowing everything is humming smoothly at the packhouse, and the growers are always happy with her grading which has a big bearing on their returns.”