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Our History Plant health has been a priority at Riversun ever since Geoff Thorpe founded the nursery in 1982. Based in Gisborne, on the North Island, Riversun is recognised as a market leader in plant importation, quarantine and certified production methods for plant propagation. 1982    Creation of Riversun. 1985 Geoff Thorpe wins New Zealand's Wrightson Young Orchardist award and heads to Europe for six weeks to study horticulture. 1989 Riversun cracks into the New Zealand grapevine market with contracts in Marlborough. 1998 More than one million vines are grafted. 1999 Linnaeus laboratory is launched, and a new nursery site is established at Te Kaha in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. 2000 Certification for the screening of viruses and trueness to type is launched, with total traceability of every vine - another world first. 2003 Key international licences give Riversun the right to import and distribute the very best grapevine material from overseas. Riversun also launches the only Level Three quarantine service for grapevines in New Zealand. 2004 Amor-Bendall Sauvignon blanc, made from Riversun grapes, garners trophies at the Romeo Bragato Wine Awards, the Air New Zealand Wine Awards and the Sydney Wine Show. 2005 Riversun Nursery and the Avocado Industry Council announce a joint venture to import 15 new avocado varieties and rootstocks into New Zealand. 2006 Ross and Paula Kane sign on as shareholders in the company. 2007 The company celebrates 25 years of growing excellence and plans for the 25 years ahead. top