Barker Group chairman James (Jim) Barker has become an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZOM) for services to the transport industry and philanthropy.
Barker established Otorohanga Transport Ltd in 1963 and has since expanded this business to become one of the biggest locally owned and operated freight transport company in New Zealand.
He currently holds the position of Chairman of the Barker Group.
Together with three initial partners, Barker introduced Strait Shipping Ltd as a new Cook Strait freight ferry service in 1992. In 2002 the Blue Bridge passenger ferry service was established by Strait Shipping and is now responsible for a third of all transportations across the Strait.
He introduced a driver training scheme to address a shortage of truck drivers, and supported the introduction of the iShift transmission in trucks imported into New Zealand, contributing to safer and more fuel efficient truck transport.
Barker oversees a community support programme which contributes more than $120,000 per annum to a number of Otorohanga charities and groups.
He has provided significant support to the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand, the Child Cancer Foundation, CCS Disability Action and the Kaipupu Sanctuary.
Barker has also led his company in providing support to those in need, such as through transporting supplementary feed for farming communities in times of drought, mining equipment following the Pike River mining disaster, and emergency supplies in response to the Christchurch earthquakes.
