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Hawke’s Bay businesses, councils partner on climate action

By Adele Rose – 3R Group Chief Executive When it comes to action on human-accelerated climate change in New Zealand we often look to conversations held in the main centres like Auckland and Wellington, or action from central Government to lead the way. But Hawke’s Bay is showing regional Aotearoa is just as capable of taking the lead. Some of the region’s five councils have been working on a response plan to climate change since 2014, and now the business community, alongside the councils, is coming together to tackle the issue through the Climate Action HB initiative. Achieving real and meaningful action on accelerated climate change has, and always will, rely on partnerships. Partnerships between people, businesses, councils and governments. In Hawke’s Bay you need look little further than the coastal erosion to see the very real effects of human accelerated climate change on the region. The economy of the Bay is heavily reliant on tourism and the primary industries, and while sea level rise is most often cited when talking about climate change, factors like warmer winters, fewer frosts and unseasonable wet and dry periods will impact the primary sector particularly, and the region overall. These impacts have obvious consequences for everyone – from residents living next to the sea, to orchards in the plains and farms in the hill country. Other impacts, such as food security, go beyond the region itself. The critical need to address these impacts was seen in the attendance of nearly 120 representatives from Hawke’s Bay businesses and councils at the inaugural event for Climate Action HB, an initiative led by 3R Group with support from Hawke’s Bay Regional Council. Attendees at the Business CoLab event on November 25 in Napier included major regional stakeholders such as Napier Port, Hawke’s Bay Airport, and Pan […]

A year to bring about positive change

There are two crucial areas business needs to address this year. You know what these are: Climate Change and Productivity. Sceptics say that Climate Change doesn’t exist. They either don’t know any better or they may be right. But for the good of us all we still need to look at current business practices and determine what changes can be made to address the situation. What are we emitting into the atmosphere? What source of energy do we use that may be causing an environmental problem and what can be done to rectify the situation? What is our individual role in climate change? When we hear that ice are melting, water levels rising and temperatures increasing then we do indeed have a problem. Productivity is harder to measure because there are a lot of people in society who contribute a lot without the financial reward. Their efforts are not on payrolls or widely known about. There are reasons for this of course: homemakers don’t have the same esteem as a bank manager, nor the salary that goes with just as much (if not more) hard work. Productivity and a living wage or a fair wage, not just a scrapping by wage is a difficult subject. Companies don’t want to raise wages and salaries unless they really need to. They want to make a profit for shareholders and no more was this apparent than at the recent Davos gathering. Someone owns the oil and someone else owns the property and the workers gather around for a share of the crumbs. Productivity keeps the wheels turning, to making the goods for market and positioning our country as an export earner on the world stage. The highest percentage of what we manufacturer comes from the land. Not that what we make in a […]

Konecranes adopts Internet of Things technology

Konecranes, specialising in the manufacture and service of cranes and lifting equipment, has implemented Siemens’ digital innovation platform to accelerate its product development process and connect product and performance data together. The company is using MindSphere, the open, cloud-based Internet of Things (IoT) operating system, and the Teamcenter portfolio, the world’s most widely used digital lifecycle management software, to leverage the digital twin and reduce the number of physical prototypes, which helps to increase efficiency and decrease product validation time. The Konecranes proof of value is one of the first implementations of IoT to develop a framework that connects and synchronizes the virtual (engineering design, analysis and simulation) and physical (testing and operational reliability) worlds. The product design process is currently based more on an engineer’s experience and generally shared assumptions than measured facts from existing products. These assumptions often lead to non-optimised designs that are over engineered. With an integrated digital twin platform, there is major potential in speeding up the product development process, reducing prototypes, increasing traceability and thus improving quality and reduce development cost. Today design, simulation and prototype testing organisations operate in their own silos, often using out of date processes for their work. At Konecranes, a digital twin was utilised as the communication approach between all three organisations to review data and provide feedback around engineering, simulation and testing intent. Using the Siemens platform for digital innovation, Konecranes has been able to connect the data from all of these organisations to create one 360 degree view of how prototypes are running and performing, and correlating requirements to, real world performance data. A closed-loop digital twin framework using IoT and product lifecycle management (PLM) technologies can lead to faster design issue resolution and shorter prototyping phases by leveraging virtual sensor data in product simulations to provide […]

Putting you in control of difficult materials

Dormer Pramet has launched several high-performance grades for milling hard materials and for precision thread turning. The new milling grades – M4303 and M4310 – provide durability and reliability in semi-finishing and finishing applications. Each is designed for high speed milling for the die and mold segment, offering consistent wear and longer tool life. An ultra-thin PVD coating increases cutting edge toughness, while its substrate provides high hardness and strength of cutting edge, preventing fracture by chipping. Created within the company’s Pramet range, the M4303 replaces the previous 7205 grade and provides superior wear resistance. It has been developed for hardened steel above 55HRC and cast iron, but can also be used for machining steels and non-ferrous metals. The M4310 takes over from the existing 7215 grade and offers an optimum balance of toughness and wear resistance in hardened steel and cast iron. It can also be used for machining stainless steel, steels and non-ferrous metals. Dormer Pramet also has a high wear resistant grade for thread turning. The new T8010 is ideal for continuous high precision thread turning of steels, stainless steel, cast iron and super alloys. It further extends the company’s Pramet assortment in this application area and supports the universal grade T8030. Offering excellent wear resistance while ensuring operational reliability, the T8010 has enhanced plastic deformation resistance which provides a stable cutting edge and allows for increased speeds. A gold finish on the insert provides a simple wear indicator, while a hard substrate and PVD coating has been optimized to deal with interior residual stress, helping to improve tool life. To find out more about all the latest indexable products launched, contact your local Dormer Pramet sales office or visit www.dormerpramet.com to download the new Pramet product brochure.

Has your business registered for the Food Act 2014?

It’s the final countdown for businesses that make, sell or transport food to meet the 28 February 2019 Food Act registration deadline. This includes food manufacturing, such as manufacturers of dried/dehydrated fruit or vegetables, confectionery, meat, poultry, fish products, dairy products and fresh ready-to-eat salads. New Zealand Food Safety (a business unit of the Ministry for Primary Industries/MPI), is urging owners/managers of all New Zealand businesses that make, sell or transport food, which have not registered yet, to find out immediately if they need to register a plan or programme under the Food Act 2014. The Food Act came into force on 1 March 2016 and introduced a common-sense, risk-based approach to food safety. New Zealand Food Safety’s Manager Food & Beverage, Sally Johnston said that under the Food Act all people growing, making, transporting and selling food had a responsibility to keep it safe and suitable. “Most New Zealand food businesses have now registered, which is excellent,” Ms Johnston said. “New Zealand Food Safety, local councils and industry organisations are working hard to help all remaining businesses to meet the 28 February 2019 deadline for registration. “If existing food businesses are not registered by the 28 February deadline, they will be operating unregistered businesses, their retail customers may refuse to accept their goods or use their services, and MPI and local councils may need to take enforcement action. So, immediate action needs to be taken to get registered. “We want make it easier for businesses to make safe and suitable food and comply with food safety requirements.” Under the Food Act, new food businesses have to register as soon as they start trading and existing food businesses (operating under the Food Hygiene Regulations 1974 or Food Act 1981) had from 1 March 2016 until 28 February 2019 to register […]

Historian berates billionaires at Davos over tax avoidance

Rutger Bregman tells panel that the real issue is the rich not paying their fair share Martin Farrer This is not rocket science’: Rutger Bregman tells Davos to talk about tax – video A discussion panel at the Davos World Economic Forum has become a sensation after a Dutch historian took billionaires to task for not paying taxes. In a video shared tens of thousands of times, Rutger Bregman, author of the book Utopia for Realists, bemoans the failure of attendees at the recent gathering in Switzerland to address the key issue in the battle for greater equality: the failure of rich people to pay their fair share of taxes. Noting that 1,500 people had travelled to Davos by private jet to hear David Attenborough talk about climate change, he said he was bewildered that no one was talking about raising taxes on the rich. “I hear people talking the language of participation, justice, equality and transparency but almost no one raises the real issue of tax avoidance, right? And of the rich just not paying their fair share,” Bregman tells the Time magazine panel on inequality. “It feels like I’m at a firefighters conference and no one’s allowed to speak about water.” Industry had to “stop talking about philanthropy and start talking about taxes”, he said, and cited the high tax regime of 1950s America as an example to disprove arguments by businesspeople at Davos such as Michael Dell that economies with high personal taxation could not succeed. “That’s it,” he says. “Taxes, taxes, taxes. All the rest is bullshit in my opinion.” A member of the audience, former Yahoo chief financial officer Ken Goldman, challenged his comments and said it was a “one-sided panel”. He argued the fiscal settings across the global economy had been successful and had created record employment. But […]

X-Frame for waste free buildings gets commercialisation boost

Clip-together modular building design can be rapidly assembled, disassembled and reused, eliminating waste during a building’s lifecycle Victoria University of Wellington PhD candidate Ged Finch is fast tracking the commercialisation of his X-Frame structural frame solution for waste free buildings with support from the KiwiNet Emerging Innovator Programme. The game-changing framing system can be disassembled and re-used at the end of a building’s useful life. Finch’s design, a self-braced interlocking wood design which clips together eliminating the need for single-use fixings, has the potential to eliminate waste and reduce the amount of raw materials being used by the building industry. Approximately half of all New Zealand’s waste—about 1.6 million tonnes every year—is generated by the construction sector. “The current widespread use of adhesive-based fixings and single-life materials means that building a single new home will create about four tonnes of waste during construction, and even more when it’s eventually demolished and taken to the landfill,” says Finch. Finch, who has been working with Viclink, Victoria University of Wellington’s commercialisation office, also secured a place on KiwiNet’s Emerging Innovator programme to help commercialise the green architectural solution. Every single component of Finch’s X-Frame design, cut by a computer-controlled router, can be disassembled and reused, so no waste is produced at any stage of a building’s lifecycle. The clip-together design allows any type of structure—floors, walls, ceilings—to be rapidly assembled and disassembled many times over, using unskilled labour and a bare minimum of tools, akin to flat-pack furniture. Adding doors or windows at a later stage is simple, and when kids leave home: “they could literally take their rooms with them, as our modular design also clips onto standard framing.” Dr James Hutchinson, CEO of KiwiNet, says: “Ged’s vision is to transition the building sector from a linear (take, make, dispose) economy to […]

Key business groups merge to boost manufacturing sector

Three of New Zealand’s most influential business networks are merging to help boost the manufacturing sector for the years ahead. The Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce (The Chamber), The Manufacturers’ Network (TMN), and the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) are merging their operations supporting manufacturers to further enhance their respective services to the New Zealand business community. The Chamber Chief Executive Leeann Watson says the merger is a vital step towards future-proofing the manufacturing sector in New Zealand and will have a significant positive impact on the business community as a whole. “We are really excited about the additional benefits and opportunities the merging of our services will bring to business and, in particular, manufacturing across New Zealand,” says Ms Watson. “This initiative will provide TMN members access to a much greater range of services and expertise available through The Chamber and EMA, and additional manufacturing expertise for our manufacturing members.” EMA Chief Executive Kim Campbell (right) says the merger comes at a key time for employers. “TMN is working in exciting and challenging areas of manufacturing expertise such as rapidly evolving technological change, robotics and applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the workplace,” says Mr Campbell. “The specialist expertise TMN will bring to our existing membership will position our manufacturing members well for the future.” The Manufacturers’ Network Chief Executive Dr Dieter Adam (above) says the merger will bring benefits for all involved. “We look forward to working together to further enhance manufacturing in New Zealand, given the exponential changes the industry is facing.” TMN will continue to support manufacturing across New Zealand through The Chamber and EMA. It will operate in a similar fashion to the successful ExportNZ model which has specialist exporters serviced under that umbrella, but within the BusinessNZ family.

Iconic Buy NZ Made celebrates 30th birthday

The Buy New Zealand Made Campaign is turning 30 and celebrating with events around the country to showcase member companies along with the iconic kiwi trademark, which has evolved to become a significant marketing tool for businesses in an increasingly competitive world. Launched in 1988 by the then Manufacturing Federation, the campaign is now owned by BusinessNZ and is completely private sector-funded. It provides the licence for businesses to use the kiwi trademark to promote their New Zealand-made goods and services that meet the requirements of the Fair Trading Act for country of origin labelling. “The kiwi trademark is a trusted brand that is globally recognised as a label depicting NZ-made products,” says Executive Director Ryan Jennings. “When products carry the registered trademark, buyers can be confident it’s made in New Zealand. “Our main purpose is to provide an accountable and trusted brand to promote New Zealand-made products both at home and abroad.” The campaign was first introduced as a 12-month promotion for consumers to support businesses who manufactured in NZ and ‘keep your country working’. Three decades on, the kiwi trademark has helped thousands of businesses to gain market origin advantage. Mr Jennings says there is great value now and in the future for companies that qualify to use the trademark. “Internationally, consumers recognise the value of knowing where a product comes from and New Zealanders are increasingly looking for the reassurance that country of origin labelling brings. To create the Celebrating 30 Years of the Buy New Zealand Made Campaign video https://youtu.be/UDWgS9eUUno the team visited companies from Invercargill to an hour’s drive beyond Auckland, many of whom have been in business for 30 years or more. Mr Jennings says what stood out at each was the passion for their product, how well they knew their customers, and the dedication […]

New managing director appointed at Hamilton engineering firm

Long-time engineering manager Gerard O’Connor has been named as the new managing director (MD) of leading Hamilton-based global process and chemical engineering firm PDV Consultants. Mr O’Connor has been with the firm for the best part of 22 years and is well-regarded by colleagues, industry peers and clients. “I’m very excited and honoured,” says Mr O’Connor. “PDV has been my life for more than two decades and I feel very privileged to be now leading the company.” As PDV’s former engineering manager for the Asia-Pacific region, Mr O’Connor has successfully designed and managed many large scale client projects in New Zealand, Indonesia, the USA, the UK, Australia and China over the past two decades. PDV Consultants is a global expert in food processing technologies and systems design, headquartered in Hamilton, New Zealand, with an office in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Many of their projects for global food manufacturers involve spray dryer and evaporation technology. The company was founded 28 years by David and Anne Platts. The couple have announced their retirement from the firm at the end of November. Mr Platts is stepping down as MD, a role Mr O’Connor will take over on 30th November. “I’m really pleased that Gerard will be taking on the role,” says Mr Platts. “Gerard is very experienced and knows our business well. Under his leadership it’ll be business-as-usual.” Since opening in 1990, PDV has grown from two to 25 staff – including 21 in the firm’s Alexandra Street headquarters and four international staff based in Ireland. PDV’s team of highly qualified chemical, process and mechanical engineers have delivered projects for clients including Fonterra, Tatua, the Dairy Goat Cooperative, Danone, Glanbia (Ireland and USA), Dairconcepts (USA), First Milk (UK), South West Cheese and more. Mr O’Connor says that PDV Consulting is a New Zealand success […]

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