Kiwi garage start up one of largest dual market export operations
Set for $115m expansion in China A Kiwi company that began as a West Auckland garage start-up nearly three decades ago has grown into one of NZ’s largest dual-market export operations, and is set for further expansion with the construction of a new $115m biotech manufacturing facility in China underway. Manukau-based Alpha Group is a vertically integrated nutraceutical exporter at the international forefront of fermentation technologies. The company produces patented fungal and plant-based bioactives, with integrated research and manufacturing operations across New Zealand and China. The new 60,000m² facility in Ningde will support New Zealand’s fermentation export capabilities by integrating advanced R&D, testing, treatment and production. Once complete, it is expected to generate more than NZ$225 million in annual revenue and expand Alpha’s transnational footprint to over 119 hectares. To date, the company has invested over NZ$830 million in developing this global infrastructure. Alpha Group was founded in New Lynn in 1998 by Professor Yihuai Gao, a globally recognised researcher in medicinal fungi and honorary fellow at Massey University’s Riddet Institute. Mike Arand, Alpha Group senior business advisor, says the new facility is the physical realisation of Alpha’s long-term dual-market strategy, which combines New Zealand’s scientific and natural resource strengths with China’s demand, scale and infrastructure. He says the development bridges lab-to-market pathways, turning New Zealand-led research into commercial outcomes that drive export growth and reinvestment into local R&D. “This facility unlocks exponential growth potential for New Zealand’s fermentation sector. “By integrating R&D and processing in one hub close to our largest export market, we can boost output, reduce lead times and increase demand for Kiwi-derived ingredients. “It’s about creating a transnational innovation ecosystem where New Zealand science drives offshore commercial outcomes, which then feed back into local jobs, R&D and raw material demand,” he says. Alpha Group has already […]