Better thinking, better results: The two-day world class productivity simulation that builds capability
By Neil Robinson, a Senior Business Consultant with Argon & Co (Auckland) specialising in productivity improvement, Lean systems and capability building. Welcome back! If you joined us for Article 1, you’ll remember how the World Class Productivity Simulation gives teams a powerful, hands-on experience of what helps — and what […]
Making scope 3 manageable: how to use spend-based emission factors
Manufacturers need a clear view of emissions across their value chain to identify hotspots, manage risk and meet reporting requirements. The challenge is that supply chains are complex, with limited visibility beyond direct suppliers. This makes scope 3 emissions difficult to quantify. Unlike scope 1 and scope 2, they […]
The most expensive decision you signed off
Why not investing still shows up on your P&L Not many of us would say it out loud at the next networking event or Friday drinks. The biggest barrier to growth in New Zealand manufacturing isn’t the banks, isn’t the government, and it isn’t Donald Trump. It’s us. […]
New Zealand manufacturers leaving value on the table in functional foods
As global markets shift toward science-led, high-margin nutrition, New Zealand risks missing a significant opportunity in functional foods, reflecting a sector that has been slow to move beyond its traditional commodity mindset, writes Mark Devlin, director of Impact PR and NZ Manufacturer business advisor. New Zealand is sitting on a […]
Focus on: Quanton
Garry Green, Managing Director and Founder Tell readers what your company does Quanton is an AI, automation and operational excellence business founded in 2016 with a clear purpose: empowering humanity for tomorrow’s technology, today. We help ANZ organisations navigate digital transformation by making AI and automation work for people, not […]
From pillars to performance: How Vitaco is building capability at scale
Adam Harvey, Business Performance Partner – Manufacturing ,The Learning Wave Walk into most manufacturers, and you’ll see the same thing. Clear strategy. Strong systems. Well-defined KPIs. And then…a gap. Not everyone on the floor can see how they contribute. The gap is where performance is won or lost. Vitaco recognised […]
The emotional reality of a business exit
Mike Warmington, Director, Platform 1 Letting go of your business is often like letting go a piece of yourself. It’s been your life and you have been the business. Your identity is wrapped up in, and your confidence and self-worth are linked to its success. Staff feel like family and […]
Has the manufacturing sector fallen off the regulatory radar – or is relief quietly on its way?
Hannah Tevita, Senior Associate, Buddle Findlay In July 2025, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden signalled a welcome commitment to the manufacturing sector – consultation aimed at “simplifying machine guarding rules and reviewing exposure standards to reduce complexity and improve consistency.” Since that consultation, the sector has seen […]
The cost of Deindustrialisation: How New Zealand’s manufacturing decline threatens our economic future
NZ Manufacturer magazine includes expert comment and analysis from Sean Doherty, Ian Walsh, Geerten Lengkeek, Dr. Megan Woods, and soon, the new Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing, Cameron Brewer. In this election year, we welcome feedback from you, the reader, on the issues you would like the incoming government […]
New Zealand still makes things, but for how much longer?
By Hon Dr Megan Woods, Labour spokesperson for Manufacturing and Industry The workers losing their jobs at the McCain’s Hastings vegetable processing factory don’t need economists to tell them that the economy isn’t working for them. They already know it. So do the workers at Heinz Wattie’s, at Kinleith Mill, […]
Kauricone enhances InterfaceOS
NZ-developed operating system to reduce costs and boost productivity Kauricone has announced significant enhancements to InterfaceOS, its lightweight, productivity-focused operating system designed to help organisations and individuals reduce IT costs while improving performance on both new and older desktop and laptop computers. InterfaceOS simplifies computing environments by reducing system complexity, […]
Marshall Industries celebrates ninety years of roofing in Southland
Manufacturing from 1938 and still going strong. A Southland business that has spent generations working on the region’s homes, farms, and businesses is marking a major milestone, with a legacy that has quietly helped shape the way New Zealand builds. Marshall Industries is celebrating ninety years in business, a journey […]
How one local council helped 1,200 low‑income residents finance solar and home energy upgrades
Could this work in New Zealand? Feedback please. Paris Hadfield, Research Fellow, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University Most of Australia’s existing homes are old, uncomfortable and expensive to run. Too many are energy inefficient, and rising electricity and gas prices are making things worse. Mainstream programs are supporting home energy upgrades. But the transition isn’t happening quickly enough and risks leaving behind the households that could benefit most. Innovative finance models could help. Local initiatives can make solar and electrification more accessible. Darebin City Council’s Solar Saver program Running from 2014-2025, Darebin City Council’s Solar Saver program helped almost 1,200 low-income and vulnerable homeowners in the area get A$4.8 million worth of home energy upgrades. Council paid the upfront cost of installing solar and, in later iterations of the program, reverse cycle air conditioners and hot water heat pumps. Factoring in state government rebates, these costs were added to the homeowner’s property taxes as a “special rates charge”. The homeowner could then repay this money over ten years – interest-free. Suppliers were selected through council tender to make the process easier for homeowners, while ensuring quality products and services including component and performance warranties. This provided certainty for residents, one of whom said: the council’s not going to get involved with some shonky person who’s going to come in and tell you: “Terribly sorry, we’ve got to double the price because you’ve got a nail in the wrong place on your roof” or something. The scheme reduced financial risks and burdens for low-income homeowners. By using council rates to repay the money, the loan is attached to the property itself rather than the homeowner. This means any remaining debt is recouped if and when the house is sold, avoiding a situation where someone is paying a debt for solar […]