Business News

 Engineering industry players should be interested in attending the Metals New Zealand Industry Conference 2011, to be held on the 14th and 15th of April at the Duxton Hotel in Wellington. Formerly known as the Metals Industry Conference, this event comes as a result of the fantastic success of four previous Metals Industry Conferences with each event attended by well over 300 key people from the industry,Government and academia. However, for the first time this event is organised by the newly-formed Metals New Zealand society and the Conference is used to officially launch this pan industry body. If there is one common agreed theme in respect to securing New Zealand’s prosperity, then this must be that New Zealand needs to improve its productivity and innovation. The Conference organisers have picked up this theme with the intention to put our industry in the driving seat. No doubt this will be an immense challenge considering that the recession is constraining the industry in its ability to innovate due to financial and capability constraints. However, if the Industry and New Zealand in general wishes to seriously achieve the Government target of catching up with Australia’s GDP per capita growth by 2025 and, from a company’s perspective, to make profits, we need not just adjust the way we do things, we do need to transform dramatically. This Conference, with its theme  ‘Driving Productivity and Innovation’, is about informing on the big picture from a national perspective but most of all, it is about giving industry leaders perspectives and solutions to progress and achieve measurable productivity gains. It also is about offering the opportunity to network with sector groups or the entire metals engineering industry. Members of Metals New Zealand such as the Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA), Steel Construction NZ (SCNZ), NZ Stainless Steel […]

Camilla Welch, owner and General Manager of Petone-based label making and printing business “Label and Litho” has earned the Supreme Business Award at the Her Regional Wellington Businesswoman of the Year Awards, which were announced on Friday 3 December during a ceremony at the Intercontinental Hotel. Label and Litho is a 50 year old business with 41 staff. It specialises in manufacturing self-adhesive labels for a number of domestic and overseas firms. Label and Litho increased sales and revenue during the economic downturn, which Ms Welch is tremendously proud of in light of the negative environment surrounding most businesses in Wellington and New Zealand. The competition judges were Karen Fifield, CEO Wellington Zoo Trust, Adam Cunningham, Management Director, Village Group and Lynell Tuffery Huria, Senior Associate, AJ Park. They said that Ms Welch is worthy of the Supreme Award because of the commitment to service excellence she and her team deliver at Label and Litho. “Camilla was selected by the judges for her personal drive and overall business sense. I know a lot of Kiwi businesswomen and men could learn from Camilla’s professionalism and staff appreciation,” said Sally Connell, Franchise Owner/Director of HER Business Group Ltd, which includes the Wellington Her Businesswoman Network. Judge Lynell Tuffrey Huria added that Ms Welch’s focus on her people was a key component of her business’s success, which has enabled the organisation to stand above the rest in a highly competitive market. Proving that business excellence and environmental friendliness can be mutually rewarding, Ms Welch also received the Sustainability Award in recognition of Label and Litho achieving an EnviroMark Gold certification in 2008. She had previously been a finalist in the sustainability category at this year’s Westpac Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Awards. She also took home on the night the Her Businesswoman […]

NZTE and TechNZ (the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology’s business investment programme) have appointed the first organisations to our new joint network of 14 Regional Business Partners and are close to finalising the entire network of ‘NZTE-TechNZ Regional Business Partners’ who will become a natural first point of contact for businesses around New Zealand seeking government assistance. The development expands on TechNZ’s previous network of nine Regional Partners who worked with emerging technology businesses to support them to undertake research and development projects. The new Regional Business Partners, based on regional council boundaries, will be funded by NZTE and TechNZ to employ staff with business development skills and research and development (R&D) expertise. They will work with local businesses and provide a range of advice and access to funding and support focused on assisting them to grow their business. Support available includes: An assessment of business needs, which will help Regional Business Partners point businesses to appropriate information, advice, and support. NZTE Capability Development Vouchers, which the managers of eligible small businesses will be able to use as partial payment for the cost of management capability building services. R&D funding via the Foundation’s TechNZ programme of funds and services. Hamish Campbell, the Foundation’s Manager of Investment Services, said TechNZ had invested $7.1 million in hundreds of companies nationwide during the past two years and the success of its network had contributed to the idea to form a joint network of Regional Business Partners with NZTE. “The Regional Business Partner model is one that small and medium-sized businesses have responded to. Our partners have helped companies around New Zealand undertake innovative projects to develop new products, employ undergraduate and masters students, and engage experts to assess their R&D strategy and provide advice. “The new network builds on what we’ve learned, […]

The deterioration in the Government’s accounts because of low economic growth and some one-off problems is not surprising, says BusinessNZ. Chief Executive Phil O’Reilly says it increases the urgency for actions that will create a more dynamic economy. “Government spending should be aimed at getting the right funding in the right places and better using all potential sources of equity. “For example, the economy would benefit from greater use of the value held in Crown-held assets, by allowing mum and dad investors to play a part. “Viewing SOEs as ‘sources of equity’ could unlock much economic growth.” Mr O’Reilly said a fresh look at no-go areas in the economy would also help boost the economy. “BusinessNZ and other organisations have stressed the importance of taking action to constrain costs and get more dynamism in the economy, including increasing the entitlement age for superannuation, reducing the cost of KiwiSaver and making changes to interest-free student loans. “The Government also needs to move on introducing a Regulatory Responsibility Act to help improve the quality of regulation and constrain wasteful spending. “A fresh look at assets and spending could help achieve a more dynamic economy,””Mr O’Reilly said.

By Catherine Beard, executive director, Export New ZealandÊ Kiwi exporters are upbeat and determined to increase their exports in the year ahead, according to Export New Zealand’s National Export Outlook Survey. The findings from the inaugural Export Outlook survey undertaken mid November are being released today. (Link here for the report) “Kiwi exporters are looking forward to 2011 with confidence borne of experience and self belief,” said Catherine Beard, Executive Director of Export New Zealand. “80 per cent of them expect to increase their orders across all their markets,” she said. “44 per cent of the sample, 251 mainly manufacturing exporters, plan to enter new market regions over the next 12 months. “Over half expect their profits to improve next year, with a further 32 per cent expecting their profit levels to hold steady. “Furthermore, about half of the firms plan to keep their staff at the same level, with 38 per cent of them saying they will employ more people in the next 12 months. 13 per cent expect to reduce their staff. “These results are extremely encouraging since we need our exporters to earn far more if the country is to recover income levels, and retain our standard of living. “New Zealand needs trade, since we can’t grow our economy on the back of our small domestic market, and this is why the TPP negotiations this week in Auckland are so important. “Both CER with Australia and the China FTA have delivered huge benefits to our economy and the TPP has even bigger potential due to the countries involved. “In fact for New Zealand to succeed, exporting must be made the focus of the whole economy. “The main barriers to export growth from the survey were reported to be exchange rate volatility, rather than the level of the […]

New Zealand’s economic prospects are improving despite some risks, according to the BusinessNZ Planning Forecast for the December quarter 2010. While international markets are still volatile, underpinned by concern about sovereign debt levels, New Zealand’s major trading partners continue to show solid growth prospects – good news for New Zealand commodity producers. Recent adverse events such as a significant loss of lambs over spring will have some impact on growth prospects, while the Government’s accounts have come under some pressure as a result of one-off bailouts. Standard and Poor’s decision to put New Zealand foreign currency rating on negative outlook stresses the need for the government to get expenditure under control, even if this means making some unpalatable decisions. The Forecast incorporates BusinessNZ’s Economic Conditions Index (ECI) which tracks 33 indicators, including GDP, export volumes, commodity prices and inflation, debt and confidence figures. The BusinessNZ Planning Forecast for the December quarter 2010 is available at www.businessnz.org.nz

Crystal Lagoons Corp.’s concept and technology enable to build crystal clear water bodies in almost unlimited dimensions thanks to its uniquely new and patented concept. In a region where the sea is too rough and thus unattractive to tourists, it is now possible to construct giant artificial lagoon landscapes. There are already several of these pools in Chile. One of them is situated in Las Brisas de Santo Domingo. But the world’s largest one can be found in San Alfonso de Mar. It covers an area of 8 ha. In fact, Crystal Lagoonsa Corp. managed an entry in the Guinness Book of Records with it in 2007. The longest distance stretches for more than 1 km. You can actually see it on “Google Earth”. An even bigger basin with an impressive 11.5 ha area of crystalline water is currently taking shape in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh. To ensure the quality of these huge bodies of water at the lowest expense, Crystal Lagoons Corporation. has developed an innovative technology. It is based on an energy-saving filter system combined with a pulsed flushing method for disinfecting the water. That means up to 100 times less chemicals and 50 times less energy are used during the cleaning than with conventional methods. Construction of this 2.2 ha complex with a maximum length of 320 meters and 70 meters width was a challenge in itself. The substrate had to be sloping so that the lagoon landscape offers different depths for the various types of water sports. The ground was sandy, which made welding work considerably difficult. And what is more, a tight construction time of only four months had to be met. The entire structure consists of five layers: A geotextile overlapping on the sandy substrate was first welded onto the excavation […]

Implementing the 2025 Taskforce report would require rebalancing the economy says BusinessNZ. Chief Executive Phil O’Reilly says a key recommendation is for slimmer but higher quality public spending. “The Taskforce points out that for decades New Zealand governments have spent a larger share of GDP than their Australian counterparts, and much of that spending has been of poor quality. “Our current Government is turning the ship around with its programme to gradually decrease the spend, but to close the gap requires more. “Changing the balance between the public and private sectors would be needed. ” It could be done in a way that reduced the burden on taxpayers – ie increasing real wages – while still providing social services for those in genuine need. “Involving the private sector more in the provision of infrastructure and services and improving legislation that currently holds business back – these recommendations by the Taskforce deserve serious consideration,” Mr O’Reilly said.

When Hamilton-based Waikato Milking Systems saw an opportunity to use new technology to enhance the quality of its products and cut costs at the same time, it didn’t think twice. The company – 100 per cent Kiwi owned and operated – designs and manufactures a wide range of cutting-edge milking systems and components for both local and international markets. Unsurprisingly, dairy farms present a harsh operating environment; any associated equipment and technology need to be robust enough to endure it. “We’re constantly looking for ways to enhance and toughen our offering,” says Gustavo Garza, Waikato Milking System’s Technology Development Manager. “That’s why we welcomed Fero’s offer to visit our Hamilton manufacturing plant and help identify potential process improvements.” TradeTech and Wire Solutions recently joined forces to create the new brand, Fero. Together they can now offer manufacturing customers an integrated approach to electronics and wire technology. The company also provides tailored solutions, including collaborative design and manufacturing, and production line troubleshooting. The electrical wiring looms forming the power supply to the milking units were quickly identified as an area for improvement. “We were hand-making the wiring looms in-house using quite a conventional process,” says Gustavo. The set up consisted of a branch-out loom spliced into the backbone, which was encased in heat shrink material to waterproof it as best as possible. Greg Fulton, managing director of Fero, proposed a bespoke solution using Macromelt molding technology. Macromelt molding is an injection molding process, but at very low pressures and temperatures using hotmelt adhesives. “The beauty of Macromelt molding is that it allows small, tailored production runs – ideally suited to New Zealand applications,” says Greg. “It can help to satisfy our innate appetite for innovation by making the prototyping stage more accessible.” The low temperatures and pressures inherent in the Macromelt […]