World class is not optional
From May issue, NZ Manufacturer magazine Ian Walsh, Partner, Argon & Co While there are industries — car assembly, for example — where the economic case for local production can be debated, food is different. Producing food is something we should be doing. More than that, it is something we […]
Free 60-minute webinar
$144K recovered. 18% more output. When literacy improves, performance follows. As an operational or HR leader, you see the issues every day. Downtime that shouldn’t have happened. Instructions that were acknowledged but not followed. People waiting around for instructions, not sure of what’s next. And a strange silence during […]
(I wonder) What is in the Budget for manufacturers?
Another Budget, another election year. Lots of hand wringing? I hope not. The business community needs government to invest more and assist to make life better for all of us. Through these challenging times, we are not hearing from Ministers, expressing concerns, or sharing ideas to address the difficulties businesses […]
NZ‑India free trade deal: were early fears about immigration and investment justified?
by Rahul Sen, Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics and Finance, Auckland University of Technology Depending on which side of the argument you listen to, the recently signed New Zealand-India free trade agreement represents either a huge economic opportunity for New Zealand or a risk to its economic sovereignty. In an election year, […]
Talking point from Mayor Wendy Schollum: McCain and Wattie’s closures
When a major employer closes and another downsizes, the impact doesn’t stop at the factory gate. In Hastings it affects workers, growers, contractors, suppliers, transport operators, local businesses, and families across our region – because when steady jobs disappear, it is felt around kitchen tables, in local shops, and across […]
Three Ministers for Small Business and Manufacturing in Three Years
Andrew Bayly, Chris Penk and Cameron Brewer have been the ministers for Small Business and Manufacturing in the past three years. How has this happened? Manufacturing in New Zealand requires a strong focus and a minister in the position for the long haul (or three years as the political term […]
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 […]
Has the manufacturing sector fallen off the regulatory radar – or is relief quietly on its way?
Hanna 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 no changes to machine guarding rules or exposure standards. It’s no secret that Minister van Velden has had her hands full with a number of changes across the employment and health and safety sectors – but manufacturers could be forgiven for wondering whether their concerns have slipped down the priority list. On 9 February 2026, Minister van Velden introduced the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill (Bill). The Bill aims to give both large and small PCBUs (persons conducting a business or undertaking) greater clarity, particularly around the management of critical risks. Some of these changes may be the first steps in creating clarity for the manufacturing sector. Critical risks Machinery capable of causing serious injury – or death – is, without question, a critical risk for PCBUs to manage. Under the Bill, ‘critical risks’ will be formally defined, with hazards listed in a new Schedule A. Notably, machine-related risks are explicitly included. Under this new critical risk framework, PCBUs will be expected to place greater emphasis on identifying and managing risks that could cause serious harm, rather than attempting to address every conceivable risk across the workplace. For manufacturers, this represents a meaningful – if partial – step forward. The framework formally validates what most manufacturers are already doing: focusing resources on the risks that matter most. That said, it does not yet address the underlying complexity of machine guarding rules or the inconsistencies in exposure standards that prompted the 2025 consultation in the first place. Industry-led codes […]