Simon Tapper
Encyclopedia
Simon Tapper (1955-2010) was a New Zealand
transport leader and innovator.
and Kumeu, and educated at St Peter's College, Auckland
. As a young man, he worked in Australia
and Papua New Guinea
before returning to New Zealand in 1984 to join his brother Chris Tapper in setting up Tapper Transport
. He was "gregarious and hospitable" and "a Catholic boy at heart he died, fittingly, on St Patrick's day". He was survived by wife Linda, children Shaun, Bridget and Rachael, former wife Claire, and four brothers and four sisters.
, together with Carr & Haslam and Bridge Freight and the stevedores
, Leonard & Dingley, opened the New Zealand's first less-than container load (LCL)
container freight station in Otahuhu
. They were also joined by a new partner, Andrew Scott, and moved to Onehunga
. The next year Tappers bought out the others and rationalised the operation as the Tapper freight station, a division of Tapper Transport
. By then they were unpacking LCL containers the day they were discharged from the ship, and that year made their first profit. The company also gained a competitive advantage by working overnight to take advantage of unclogged night roads. For five years, Tapper Transport was the only wharf carrier in New Zealand that worked overnight. In 2010, just prior to Tapper's death, Tapper Transport was sold to Port of Tauranga
with the aim of expanding the Southdown
inland freight terminal into an inland port
, at a location central to 80 per cent of Auckland's importers and exporters. Simon Tapper helped transform Auckland's container freight industry and Tapper Transport became Australasia's
biggest freight of all kinds (FAK) container freight station
.
regional transport committee and contributed to MAF
, Customs and sustainable freight projects.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
transport leader and innovator.
Personal
Tapper was the youngest son and fourth youngest of thirteen children. He was raised in AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
and Kumeu, and educated at St Peter's College, Auckland
St Peter's College, Auckland
St Peter's College is a Catholic college for year 7 to 13 boys . The school, located in Auckland, is one of the largest Catholic schools in New Zealand and is an integrated school under an integration agreement entered into by the Catholic Bishop of Auckland and the Government of New Zealand in...
. As a young man, he worked in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
before returning to New Zealand in 1984 to join his brother Chris Tapper in setting up Tapper Transport
Tapper Transport
Tapper Transport is a freight transport and import/export business in Southdown, Auckland City, New Zealand. In 2010 it was sold for $15 million to Port of Tauranga, after its longtime director Simon Tapper died. Simon Tapper had also been active as a chairman of the Road Transport Forum, a main...
. He was "gregarious and hospitable" and "a Catholic boy at heart he died, fittingly, on St Patrick's day". He was survived by wife Linda, children Shaun, Bridget and Rachael, former wife Claire, and four brothers and four sisters.
Tapper transport
In 1990 Tapper TransportTapper Transport
Tapper Transport is a freight transport and import/export business in Southdown, Auckland City, New Zealand. In 2010 it was sold for $15 million to Port of Tauranga, after its longtime director Simon Tapper died. Simon Tapper had also been active as a chairman of the Road Transport Forum, a main...
, together with Carr & Haslam and Bridge Freight and the stevedores
Stevedore
Stevedore, dockworker, docker, dock labourer, wharfie and longshoreman can have various waterfront-related meanings concerning loading and unloading ships, according to place and country....
, Leonard & Dingley, opened the New Zealand's first less-than container load (LCL)
Less than container load
Less than container load is a shipment that is not large enough to fill a standard cargo container. The abbreviation LCL formerly applied to "Less than Car Load" for quantities of material from different shippers or for delivery to different destinations which might be carried in a single...
container freight station in Otahuhu
Otahuhu
Otahuhu is a suburb of Auckland. It is located to the southeast of the city centre, on a narrow isthmus between an arm of the Manukau Harbour to the west and the Tamaki River estuary to the east...
. They were also joined by a new partner, Andrew Scott, and moved to Onehunga
Onehunga
Onehunga is a suburb of Auckland City, New Zealand and the location of the Port of Onehunga, the city's small port on the Manukau Harbour. It is eight kilometres south of the city centre, close to the volcanic cone of One Tree Hill, Maungakiekie....
. The next year Tappers bought out the others and rationalised the operation as the Tapper freight station, a division of Tapper Transport
Tapper Transport
Tapper Transport is a freight transport and import/export business in Southdown, Auckland City, New Zealand. In 2010 it was sold for $15 million to Port of Tauranga, after its longtime director Simon Tapper died. Simon Tapper had also been active as a chairman of the Road Transport Forum, a main...
. By then they were unpacking LCL containers the day they were discharged from the ship, and that year made their first profit. The company also gained a competitive advantage by working overnight to take advantage of unclogged night roads. For five years, Tapper Transport was the only wharf carrier in New Zealand that worked overnight. In 2010, just prior to Tapper's death, Tapper Transport was sold to Port of Tauranga
Port of Tauranga
Port of Tauranga is the port of Tauranga, New Zealand, the largest port in the country in terms of total cargo volume, and the second largest in terms of container throughput. with Port of Tauranga Ltd being the company operating it...
with the aim of expanding the Southdown
Southdown, New Zealand
Southdown is an industrial suburb of Auckland City, New Zealand. The former main company in the suburb was the Southdown Freezing Works, part of a large industrial zone located near the main trunk railway at this point...
inland freight terminal into an inland port
Inland port
The term inland port is used in two different but related ways to mean either a port on an inland waterway or an inland site carrying out some functions of a seaport.- As a port on an inland waterway :...
, at a location central to 80 per cent of Auckland's importers and exporters. Simon Tapper helped transform Auckland's container freight industry and Tapper Transport became Australasia's
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
biggest freight of all kinds (FAK) container freight station
Container terminal
A container terminal is a facility where cargo containers are transshipped between different transport vehicles, for onward transportation. The transshipment may be between container ships and land vehicles, for example trains or trucks, in which case the terminal is described as a maritime...
.
Industry contribution
Tapper was an executive member of the Auckland Road Transport Association in 1987, a national member in 2003, director of the Road Transport Forum in 2005, and chairman of the board in 2008. For more than twenty years he was prominent among the road transport groups liaising with ports. He also played a part on the Auckland Regional Council'sAuckland Regional Council
The Auckland Regional Council was the regional council of the Auckland Region. Its predecessor the Auckland Regional Authority was formed in 1963 and became the ARC in 1989...
regional transport committee and contributed to MAF
MAF
MAF, an acronym or abbreviation, may refer to:* Malaysian Armed Forces* Marine Amphibious Force, term for a Vietnam era unit of the United States Marine Corps* Married Asian Female, an abbreviation in personal ads* Mass airflow sensor* MAFless Tuning...
, Customs and sustainable freight projects.