Whakatōhea Mussels has been recognised as one of the country’s biggest and most significant industry training grounds.

The company marked the achievement – and with it the achievement of its workers in undertaking the training – with a special hand-out on Monday.

The factory’s 180 staff each received a food parcel valued at $100.

Chief executive Peter Vitasovich said the company had developed a very close relationship with the Primary Industry Training Organisation for Seafood over the past two years.

“The Primary ITO has been kind enough to acknowledge the hard work everyone has done in their training programmes,” he said.

“This is recognition on behalf of the Primary ITO and ourselves,” he said.

The workers received a box of food and other items from New World, and a box of frozen meat.