Dick Hubbard

"Our aim is to create more social awareness in the area of hidden disorders, that are not being reviewed and funded, for these very gifted children with Specific Learning Difficulties such as ADHD/Dyslexic, Autism, Aspersers, and many others, that have small indicators, and are underestimated. We need to find the tools to resource these children, so that they are able to take their place as honorable New Zealander's by right of an Education that is free of discrimination."

Dick and his wife Diana set up Hubbard Foods in 1988. The company was originally called Winner Foods Ltd. which began life in a small factory in Onehunga (it had previously been a furniture factory, and before that, a potato chip factory). In the first three months, staff numbers rocketed to five, dropped back to two and since then have steadily climbed. In 1990, they decided to launch the first Hubbard's branded cereals.

Dick is a Food Technologist by training, and is one of the earlier graduates from the degree course in Food Technology started at Massey University in the 1960's. He's been in the food industry his entire career. Some highlights of his time have included establishing a lime processing factory on Nuie, and working as general manager of Tasti Foods for a number of years.

In October 1997, Dick attended the Annual Conference of the American Businesses for Social Responsibility, and returned to NZ determined to set up an organisation that "spread the good word" and made it easier for businesses to question conventional thinking about "businesses for profit only". The result was the New Zealand Businesses for Social Responsibility, which is an organisation established for the purpose of pro-actively encouraging and fostering the concept of social responsibility in business - to help businesses look at the "bigger picture" as to the reason for their existence.

He is now a board member of NZBSR, along with five others. For more information on NZBSR you can email NZBSR on enquiry@bsr.org.nz, or write to New Zealand BSR, P.O. Box 109 579, Newmarket, Auckland.

For a larger scale view, you can contact the American BSR website on www.bsr.org .

The following sign, which you can find out the front of the Hubbard offices, really says it all: