Dan heads the Research, Development & Sales Departments. Daniel started making tofu in 1996, fresh out of school, spending years in the factory perfecting our products and processes. A good relationship builder, Daniel stepped into sales, further developing his understanding of what works well in the market. Daniel has more products to create and launch over the next few years, so watch this space!
Jesse is Director of Operations and since 2001 has fulfilled roles encompassing every aspect of the business. Through leadership, Jesse demonstrates “our biggest challenges are our greatest successes once overcome”. In 2010 Jesse was elected as one of the youngest members to Auckland Council. Jesse champions the Living Wage for business and has a drive for positive social change.
Lippy (Elizabeth) has been involved with organic wholefoods since 1980 having co-founded Harvest Wholefoods, Harvest Soyfoods (later Bean Supreme), East West Organics and The Organic Soy Company, now renamed Chalmers Organics! Lippy is passionate about organic wholefoods while taking care of our planet & people. Lippy brings living wage and finance expertise to the Board table.
Stephen has been into organic wholefoods since Adam was a cowboy, making organic tofu for personal use (then customer requests), having co-founded Harvest Wholefoods, Harvest Soyfoods (later Bean Supreme), East West Organics and The Organic Soy Company - now renamed Chalmers Organics! Stephen brings a love of relationships, people, service, esoteric quotes and thinking to the Board.
Tane came to Chalmers after a 20-year career in hospitality with a 10-year focus on managing various awesome cafes across Auckland. He was raised vegetarian and has a passion for plant-based eating (so he fits in well here!). When Tane is not working he loves to hang out with his darling daughter while cooking, socialising and caring for the environment.
Kate is the friendly welcome you are greeted with at reception and through the switchboard helping with all orders, queries, invoices and credit notes. Kate is multi-talented, speaking fluent English, Mandarin and Taiwanese. Kate loves plant-based whole foods and believes that we should appreciate everything that has been given by Mother Earth.
Siu is a Chalmers legend! After 18 years, our head supervisor, tofu maker and all-round master of everything is still going strong! Siu (known as ‘Mum’ by the team and actually IS Mum to Sam), loves getting to know the cultures, backgrounds and passions of her crew. In her spare time, she hangs out with her children and three grandchildren for dinners, movies or trips to the park.
Sam, son of Siu, has been doing almost everything with us now for 9 years, even making tofu “back when it was easier” but is now the undisputed ‘King of Dispatch’. Famous for “running the sounds” and giggling, in his spare time he throws a rugby ball around, shoots hoops, plays PS4 and sleeps.
Alofa has been at Chalmers for over 10 years, covering every role in the factory, from yoghurt fermentation to soybean squeezing(!), to making tofu and sausages, to packing, dispatch and sometimes even being supervisor! In her downtime she loves to cook, clean and hang out with her four kids, visiting her favourite Aunties and Uncles, and playing the piano.
Ephrem “I love everything at Chalmers”, started out cleaning, then moved to packing, and now has his hand in quality tofu and sausage making, engineering and maintenance! He is a superb home handyman to have around, who loves fixing cars, mechanical modification of all sorts, NZ beaches, gardening, and listening to traditional Ethiopian music.
We are proud to be a diversity-embracing United Nations at Chalmers. We have Maori, Fijian, Cook Island, NZ European, Ethiopian, Samoan, German, Indian, Tongan, Taiwanese, English and Hungarian staff (and we suspect Scottish, Irish, Welsh and French as well!). We love the traditions, meals, languages, humour, understanding and tolerance that our mixed cultures contribute.
