Owned by Tony Herrick and Ineke Schoneveld, Herrick Apiaries Limited is located in sunny Opotiki, in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, It is here Tony and Ineke have established a first-class apiary business running between 900 to 1000 hives year round. Beekeeping was in Ineke's blood with her both her grandparents and parents being apiarists. Ineke's grandfather was an apiarist in Holland. It was from here that Ineke's dad learned the skills of beekeeping inheriting the business from his father in law once her grandad retired. Deciding to move across the world to New Zeland they set up their apiarist business in Opotiki during1989. Tony and Ineke began working for her parents in 2005 with Tony now learning the skills of successful beekeeping from his father in law. Tony and Ineke were able to purchase the business off her parents in 2015 making them 3rd generation beekeepers. With a lot of hard work, dedication and determination they have expanded their business it into what it has become today. Along with buying the business, in 2015 Tony and Ineke also set up an extraction shed, with Ineke now extracting other apiarists honey alongside their own from mid November through to April each year. In 2018 they set up the Honey Shop Opotiki in a corner of their premises with the goal of providing locals with a range of top quality honey and honey related products from their own hives at an affordable price. This has become a huge success and a favourite for both locals and tourists alike. They employ two beekeepers along with themselves and another couple of seasonal workers. They have also recently hired someone to run the shop for them along with managing the website sales. Being a smaller family orientated business allows them to keep their values at the forefront. All their children work in the business in various areas on and off and may just become the 4th generation apiarists in this specialised industry. Family is important and they work with their employees to ensure that everyone enjoys a good work life balance, this includes during busy periods. In return, they have loyal long term employees who appreciate them and all that they do.