The board of New Zealand kiwifruit marketer Zespri has approved plans for a new office building on the company's current headquarters in Mount Maunganui.

In a release, Zespri chief financial officer Dave Hazlehurst said the new building would provide a home for the group's brand and a future-proof building to support the industry's strong growth outlook.

"Zespri has well and truly outgrown our existing building as the organisation has grown to support our industry’s rapid progress," Hazlehurst said.

"With global sales expected to more than double to (NZ)$4.5 billion (US$3.2 billion) by 2025, the new building will provide the facilities we need to deliver this growth for the kiwifruit industry. We’re excited to show our community and growers something we can all be proud of."

He said the project would include redeveloping the public park so the community continue to enjoy the green space in the heart of the area.

"Zespri’s investment in the new building shows our long-term commitment to the Bay of Plenty which produces around 80 percent of our premium Zespri Kiwifruit," Hazelhurst said.

The company said the new building would be a hub for the kiwifruit industry with facilities to host growers and office space for other kiwifruit organizations, providing a "fitting venue" to host international trade, government and media delegations on behalf of the industry.

The company said it would be investing more than NZ$40 million (US$28.5 million) for design, build, fit out, furnishing and landscaping of the new 4,800m2 landmark office complex with basement car parking.

The three-story complex will stand in a park-like setting and includes onsite parking for around 190 cars, mostly underground, to reduce the traffic impact on the community.

"We’ve incorporated some features to make the building more efficient and sustainable, like a smart façade, efficient heating and air conditioning services, and water recycling," Hazlehurst said.

"We’ve also developed flexible working arrangements to allow staff to work in different workspaces when doing different work – this increases productivity and reduces the physical footprint of the building."

Work is set to start on the site in the first quarter of next year, with the building set for completion by the end of 2018.

The architects for the project are Warren & Mahoney and Beca has been appointed as the project manager. The construction contract will open for tender shortly.

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