Here's some information from our Blationews Mailing list all
Humanware users need to know.
Stuffddcoddnz -- New Zealand
Monday, November 12, 2007
State-side shift for Humanware's Christchurch HQ
By MARTA STEEMAN -- The Press
Caption: TOUCH TYPE: a man operates a Braille keyboard
developed by Humanware, the Christchurch headquarters of which
will be shifted to Canada.
The headquarters of leading Christchurch exporter Humanware,
makers of hi-tech aids for the blind which was founded in
Christchurch about 20 years ago, is shifting to North America.
Humanware's new Australian owners have announced several key
decision-making positions including that of chief executive are
shifting to Montreal, Canada.
Humanware, with sales of nearly $70 million a year, has a
development centre in Christchurch and one in Montreal and sales
teams in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United States, the
United Kingdom, Sweden and the Netherlands.
The news comes six months after the takeover of Humanware by
small Australian private equity fund Jolimont Capital, based in
Melbourne, which said at the time that the Christchurch company,
founded by the late Dr Russell Smith, would remain headquartered
in Christchurch.
Humanware chairman Charles Gillies, who heads Jolimont, also
announced that Humanware chief executive Richard Mander had
resigned and had wanted to remain in New Zealand.
Gillies said in a statement the moving of the key
decision-making management roles to North America would ensure
Humanware, previously called Pulse Data, remained close to market
trends, distributors, key customers and partners. More than 95
per cent of the company's sales are overseas. Two months ago
Humanware laid off eight staff.
Mander is being replaced by Gillies Pepin, a French Canadian,
who founded VisuAidePulseData International, a competitor of
Humanware, which Humanware bought in 2005. Gillies said Pepin
had been in the industry for a long time and was known to several
Humanware employees.
Gillies thanked Mander for the energy and commitment he had
given to the position. After the death of Smith, Mander had
guided the company through a period of significant change and his
skills in technology and product development had kept Humanware
at the forefront of the industry and positioned the company for
the next step in its growth, Gillies said.
Humanware was now trying to raise capital for support of the
Christchurch product development centre, he said. Most people in
Christchurch worked in product development and manufacturing and
Gillies said: "We are not planning any changes to that". In
Christchurch, Humanware makes products for those with low vision
and blindness. Digital talking book and GPS products are made in
Montreal.
httpccwww./uffddcoddnz/stuffirstthepress/4269783a6430ddhtml
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