Times Newspapers publishes Auckland’s Howick and Pakuranga Times, Howick and Botany Times, Bays & Remuera Times, Midweek and Tamaki & Districts Times, and is jointly owned by Neben family interests and Fairfax.
Mr Neben will continue in a consultancy role, however, and retains the position of managing director at Business Media Press, the company he founded at the time he got involved with Times Newspapers.
Mr Neben started in the industry as an apprentice printer at the Morrinsville Star and shortly afterwards established what was one of the first free community newspapers in New Zealand, the Morrinsville & Districts News Views.
He eventually sold the paper to the Waikato Times and stayed on for 12 years in several different divisions of the printing and publishing industry, including running the newspaper company’s commercial printing division.
He left New Zealand to work as manager of the Fiji Sun before returning to work for a short time the New Zealand Herald. From here, he got involved with Times Newspapers which had set up an office in Howick’s Rice’s Mall to produce the Howick and Pakuranga Times.
After the move to Union Road in Howick, Mr Neben bought a press and established Business Media Press. In 2005 both companies moved to purpose-built premises in East Tamaki.
Mr Neben has seen huge changes in an industry that was labour intensive to today’s almost fully computerised process.
He has also been involved in many leadership roles within the industry, including one as the longest serving president of the New Zealand Community Newspapers Association, of which he is now a life member. He has sat on the Advertising Standards Authority and spent seven years as president of the Howick Business Association.
Mr Neben says he now wants to pursue other interests such as horse breeding and working on his property in Drury.
“It’s time to step back and enjoy a bit more time at home.”
