Retirement for Judy Meharry

Retirement for Judy Meharry

by transport industry writer Iain MacIntyre

Cubic Transport Services process improvement manager Judy Meharry has announced the pending end to a long and successful career in the logistics industry.

Cubic general manager Dave Anderson describes Ms Meharry, who joined the firm 13 years ago initially in a key account business development role when the firm absorbed ILS, as having been an “awesome” member of the team.

“She has been a fantastic colleague and a great mentor for other members of our team,” he says.

“I have especially valued the attention to detail that Judy has and her gift for design, documentation and implementation of processes.

“Every organisation needs someone like Judy and in our case we were lucky to get the real thing!

Recounting her career, Ms Meharry recalls her first job with the-then Whangarei Harbour Board (now Northland Port).

“I became very involved in the port improvements that were being undertaken for the New Zealand Oil Refinery that had been built at Marsden Point,” she says.

“Sometime later in Auckland, after raising two children past the messy stage, I took up a position with New Zealand Forest Products (now Carter Holt Harvey). I had a number of wonderful and interesting positions in management and sales with the company over 20 years, predominantly relating to logistics.

“In 2002 I joined Cubic Transport Services to manage a new 3PL the company had set up to transport all inter-island freight for Goodman Fielder and Bluebird. When the ownership of Goodman Fielder and Bluebird changed, my role moved into assisting with finding the best and most cost effective logistic options for all Cubic Transport customers, including Bluebird.

“During some of this time I was also a logistics consultant working as part of a team on comprehensive reviews of logistics for large manufacturers.”

Ms Meharry says she has always been attracted to the sea, enjoying a lot of boating in harbours for example, and believes this passion has served her career well.

“This interest and the big changes to coastal shipping that resulted from transport deregulation attracted me to the new opportunities that were opening up for moving goods around New Zealand.

“At Carter Holt Harvey I was working for manufacturing facilities, but the big challenge was moving the product to the customer in the best and most cost effective way.

“I was lucky to be involved at a great time of change in New Zealand transport and being in positions where I could implement exciting changes to the way products were either brought into the manufacturing site or delivered as finished goods to the customer.

“I built up a passion for the logistics involved and then kept my career in this field. A bonus was that this involved travel to many places in New Zealand and Australia.”

Asked what has provided the most satisfaction during her career, Ms Meharry replies: “When I could present the customer with a summary of the savings made after convincing them to make changes.”

In regards to an amusing moment, Ms Meharry recalls someone once asked “what is logistics?”

“When I explained, they put it much more succinctly as ‘moving stuff around’ and I have used the phase ever since!”

In terms of plans in retirement, Ms Meharry says she is particularly looking forward to experiencing more travel.

“I have been lucky to have a number of overseas trips traveling around Europe in a camper van with my husband and we are planning more.

“Some of these trips will be to the South Island in our newly-acquired camper van. We are looking forward to having time out for some logistics of our own -- hitting the road and lazing around the beaches or doing some short tramps in the parks.

“Hopefully my New Zealand geography and experience of moving stuff around all over New Zealand will help us plan some interesting trips!”

ends

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