Manufacturing’s automation moment is here – now comes the workforce challenge
Jo Verry, Senior Key Account Manager at industry training organisation, Competenz You lock up your warehouse at night, switch off the lights and press play on an autonomous drone. By morning, it has flown the aisles, scanned barcodes, completed stocktakes and delivered real-time inventory data before the first staff member […]
Why the most valuable asset in your plant isn’t on the balance sheet
-Mike Warmington, Director, Platform 1 As the owner you can be the most valuable asset in the business. Manufacturing companies focus on equipment, inventory, capacity, and productivity. All are very important to success, however what is often overlooked is that a key asset is the systemisation and transferability of the […]
New Zealand talks about productivity, but does not build the capability to deliver it
From July 2026 issue, NZ Manufacturer magazine.We invite readers to feedback to us on this excellent article. How do you see things? How is Productivity in your workplace? Ian Walsh, Partner, Argon & Co New Zealand does not have a shortage of productivity commentary. We have reports, benchmarks, speeches, and […]
Pressure equipment in practice – Pressure Equipment Workshop 2026
4th September 2026 – Novotel Lakeside, Rotorua New Zealand’s manufacturing and engineering sectors are operating in a period of rapid change, where productivity, compliance, skills, and technology are all moving at once. For many businesses, the challenge is not simply keeping pace, but making sound decisions in an environment where […]
Connecting the dots
David Altena has 30 years of tech industry experience and is a founding director of The Better SMB Limited. david@altena.solutions Rob Bull, Director of the New Zealand Lean Academy rob@nzla.nz Connecting The Dots Everyone’s busy, capable and pulling in different directions Most manufacturers […]
Keeping Southland Opportunity in Southland Hands
As Southland attracts increasing investment and larger projects begin to emerge across the region, Southland-based agency Naked Creative is encouraging businesses to consider whether they are positioned to capitalise on the opportunities ahead. Here comes Tender Ready! The agency, which has long championed regional development and the success of Southland […]
Science reform: The missing link in NZ’s manufacturing productivity puzzle ?
The Problem We Have Been Ignoring By Sean Doherty, Manufacturing Commentator | NZ Industry Trends Ask any manufacturer about their biggest constraints and the answers are familiar: energy costs, skilled labour, margin pressure, and global competition from economies with far greater scale. What rarely comes up is New Zealand’s persistent […]
Strong quarter as manufacturing leads growth
New Zealand’s manufacturing sector was the single biggest driver of economic growth in the March 2026 quarter, growing 1.9 percent and powering the country’s start to 2026, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Cameron Brewer says. “Manufacturing was the largest contributor to economic growth in the March quarter. That tells you […]
Sustainability: Digital product passports and the MCI – a practical guide for manufacturers
From June issue, NZ Manufacturer magazine Manufacturers are being asked to answer harder questions about their products: What are they made from? Where did the materials come from? Can they be repaired, reused or recycled? And can those claims be verified? Digital product passports (DPPs) are emerging as a practical […]
Moving a food manufacturing business: Lessons from Old Country Food
From June issue NZ Manufacturer magazine Family-owned Auckland manufacturer Old Country Food is one of New Zealand’s largest Asian food producers, making more than two million steamed buns and about 15 million dumplings annually for supermarkets, hospitality businesses and specialty retailers across the country. Founded more than 35 years ago […]
Last month massive for the Manufacturing sector
-Hon. Cameron Brewer, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing I had the opportunity to attend and speak at the Hutt Valley Manufacturing and Innovation Expo, where I saw first-hand the breadth of activity and innovation underway in the region. Following this, visiting EMEX 2026 (Pictured)and speaking directly with exhibitors reinforced […]
Do you have a plan for after your exit ?
From June 2026 issue NZ Manufacturer magazine -Mike Warmington, Director, Platform 1 Having a plan for after you exit your business is just as important as the exit plan. You may have been in your business many years and it defines you. There has been structure to your life and […]
Alan Bollard on the changing rules of global trade
By EMA Head of Export and Manufacturing Simon Devoy From supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions to tariff disputes and shifting trade alliances, business disruption seems to arrive from all angles, often with little warning. For exporters and manufacturers, the challenge is constant. How should they respond? How should they prepare? These are some of the issues Dr Alan Bollard has dealt with throughout his career and continues to examine today. Ahead of his keynote appearance at the EMA’s Global X Summit on 15 September, EMA Head of Export and Manufacturing Simon Devoy, spoke with Dr Bollard about the forces reshaping global trade and what New Zealand exporters should be paying attention to. After decades at the forefront of economic policy and international trade, Bollard is currently reflecting on a more confronting reality. He is writing a book titled Darkside Economics, which examines how economic tools can be used not just to grow economies, but to damage them. “It’s about how to use economics to damage economies and how to defend yourself,” he says. “It’s something that, 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have thought about. And it’s a bit of a sad reflection on what’s happening today.” That observation goes to the heart of what is shaping the global economy right now. Trade is no longer only about efficiency and growth. It’s increasingly entangled with power politics, strategic competition and national security. For Dr Bollard, any credible discussion about the outlook has to begin with geopolitics. “When we talk about what’s happening in terms of trade policies, trade tensions and geopolitical tensions, that takes you straight into the US and China,” he says. Europe still matters, but in his view it’s “a little bit less pressing” compared with the forces emanating from the world’s two largest economies. Those forces […]