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 […]
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?
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 […]
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, […]
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 that has seen the company become a familiar and trusted name across Southland and Otago, while also playing a pioneering role in the country’s roofing industry. Originally established in 1938 as Owen Marshall Plumbing Ltd, the business was responsible for a major innovation in New Zealand construction. The company was the first in the country to develop and produce continuous long-run corrugated roofing iron, designing and building its own machinery in Invercargill using local tradespeople. It was a breakthrough that changed how roofing was manufactured and installed across New Zealand, setting a new standard that is still widely used today. The company also led another national first, developing continuous spouting systems and manufacturing twenty machines locally, in the 1940s, which were then distributed across New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands. Managing Director Tom Marshall says these milestones reflect a long history of practical innovation driven by the needs of the industry. “There has always been a strong focus on finding better ways to do the job,” Marshall says. “That early innovation came from local knowledge and skilled tradespeople right here in Southland, and it is something we are incredibly proud of.” Alongside this legacy of innovation, the business has continued to deliver roofing solutions across the region, protecting homes, farm buildings and commercial properties through decades of growth, change and Southland weather. Marshall says reaching ninety years is something the whole team is proud of, but it is also a reflection of the community that has supported the business […]