Inaugural Minister for Manufacturing Awards 2025 – enter now!
From March issue NZ Manufacturer magazine www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz NZ Manufacturer March 25 by Media Hawkes Bay Limited – Issuu The inaugural Minister for Manufacturing Awards 2025 have been launched to celebrate outstanding individuals and businesses driving productivity, workforce prosperity, and global competitiveness across […]
Why the Right to Repair will benefit New Zealand manufacturers
From NZ Manufacturer magazine March 2025 www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz NZ Manufacturer March 25 by Media Hawkes Bay Limited – Issuu *Jim Goddin, Head of Circular Economy at thinkstep-anz. The recent first reading of the Consumer Guarantees (Right to […]
Energy efficiency: a bright way to power up your savings!
From NZ Manufacturer magazine March 2025 www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz NZ Manufacturer March 25 by Media Hawkes Bay Limited – Issuu -Insa Errey, Advisor to NZ Manufacturer, Genesis, Senior Manager Future Fuels. Energy efficiency is increasingly becoming a key factor to drive cost reductions, especially in the manufacturing sector. As manufacturers […]
Smart Industry Readiness Index: Key Themes and Findings
From March issue NZ Manufacturer magazine. www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz NZ Manufacturer March 25 by Media Hawkes Bay Limited – Issuu Adam Sharman, CEO LMAC Group APAC The Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI) has emerged as a critical tool for manufacturing organisations seeking to navigate their digital transformation journeys. At LMAC […]
A tale of two sectors
From March issue NZ Manufacturer magazine www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz NZ Manufacturer March 25 by Media Hawkes Bay Limited – Issuu Ian Walsh, Partner, Argon & Co NZ I was reminded last week of the level of complexity and difficulty to solve our productivity crisis. It’s clear […]
Manufacturing a key player in our export story
From March issue NZ Manufacturer magazine www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz NZ Manufacturer March 25 by Media Hawkes Bay Limited – Issuu Chris Penk, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing Starting 2025 by taking on the role of Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing […]
NZ–Canada initiative to drive food export growth
From March issue NZ Manufacturer magazine www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz By Mark Devlin, Managing Director, Impact PR New Zealand’s food manufacturing sector has long been the pride of our nation—an industry built on innovation, quality and a […]
No More Excuses: Manufacturers Need to Lead NZ Productivity Shift
From March issue NZ Manufacturer magazine www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz By David Altena and Rob Bull Podcast: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-better-smb/ David Altena is Head of Growth & Partnerships | SmartSpace.ai Co-Founder | The Better SMB Podcast Rob Bull is Director & Principal Consultant at Plexus Consultant & Co-Founder & Host of The Better SMB […]
Q & A with Geoff Necklen of Roadside Supports
What does your company do? We are a steel product manufacturer. . How long have you been in business? 41 years this month. What products do you make? We manufacture our own Roadsign Supports brand range of highway sign pole systems for the NZ market primarily. This includes motorway signage, […]
Sustainability Outlook 2025: Six tips for manufacturers
www.thinkstep-anz.com From February issue NZ Manufacturer magazine Sustainability is no longer a “nice-to-have”—it’s a must-have. For New Zealand manufacturers, 2025 will bring new challenges and exciting opportunities. As the world grapples with climate change, resource scarcity, and shifting regulations, businesses that embrace sustainability will not only keep up but thrive. […]
Building a comprehensive business case for factory technology investment – Beyond the numbers
From NZ Manufacturer magazine, February 2025. Adam Sharman, CEO LMAC Group, APAC As the imperative for technology adoption in manufacturing increase, investment decisions are becoming increasingly complex. Gone are the days when a simple ROI calculation could justify major capital expenditure. Forward-thinking manufacturers are now developing comprehensive business cases that […]
From Survive to Thrive: FMCG Strategies for Growth and Profitability in 2025
From NZ Manufacturer magazine, February 2025. Chris Foord, Partner, Argon & Co New Zealand As we look forward to 2025 the outlook for business and NZ are improving. Many businesses in 2024 were focused on the “survive till 2025” mindset, controlling costs and avoiding discretionary spend. Very few though forgot […]
How do we turbocharge manufacturing?
From NZ Manufacturer magazine February 2025 By EMA Head of Advanced Manufacturing Jane Finlayson Economic growth appears to be the focus for 2025 following a tough year of recession and rising unemployment. One of the key drivers of national growth, our manufacturing sector, has been struggling due to high operational costs, increasing global competition, outdated technology, skills shortages and a lack of R&D to drive innovation. The BNZ-Business New Zealand Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI), a monthly survey providing insight into levels of activity in the sector, has been in contraction for 22 consecutive months. This signals declining production, low new orders, and falling profits across the manufacturing landscape. Recent government efforts to fast-track infrastructure development, stop wasteful spending, push through RMA reforms, sign new trade deals, and make foreign investment easier have laid the foundation for a more competitive future, but that’s peripheral to the direct challenge facing manufacturers. A key task facing incoming Manufacturing Minister Chris Penk is to assess how the government can help the sector stay competitive with our global peers and drive productivity. For many New Zealand manufacturers, the path forward is clear: investment in technology, particularly software and hardware, is essential. As we progress deeper into the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0), the convergence of artificial intelligence, cloud connectivity, and real-time data analytics will prove crucial in shifting New Zealand’s manufacturing sector from lagging to leading in the global market. Yet, many manufacturers are struggling to keep up with international standards and this particularly, but not exclusively, affects our smaller companies. New Zealand’s manufacturing sector includes some very advanced manufacturers, but many small and medium-sized businesses have fallen behind our Asian and European counterparts. As a result, despite the government’s aspiration to double the value of exports in the next decade, manufacturers are at […]