The man who died following a crash near Alexandra yesterday was former co-owner of Mainland Products Alan McConnon.
Mr McConnon, of Dunedin, was also a director of Dunedin Venues Ltd, which runs Forsyth Barr Stadium.
He and his brother Baird got their start turning a small Otago dairy-processing business started in 1954 by their father Peter, into an exporter with reported annual turnover of $700 million.
Mainland was bought by Fonterra in 2006 and the Dunedin factory closed with the loss of 130 jobs, but Fonterra kept the brand, and Mainland dairy products are still sold throughout New Zealand and Australia.
The 62-year-old was the sole occupant of a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado which left State Highway 8 about 10.30am and slid down a steep bank before hitting a tree.
He was taken to Dunstan Hospital with serious injuries and died yesterday afternoon, Senior Sergeant Darryl Lennane said.
Police had launched a serious crash investigation, Snr Sgt Lennane said.
Earlier, Constable Patrick Greaney, of Alexandra, said Mr McConnon managed to get out of the vehicle following the crash and phoned emergency services on his cellphone.
There was a delay in finding the site as the crash was believed to be near Roxburgh and the vehicle was not visible from the road, he said.
