Regional Manufacturing

FWF after lucrative Japanese market

In the picture: David Musgrave managing director Functional Wholesale Products. From Regional Manufacturing a section of NZ Manufacturer www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz Eve Johnson sits on the board of Functional Wholesale Products and has come back into the company as Development Manager. Eve has worked with FWF for 11 years now and was formally CEO. She shares with NZ Manufacturer plans for the future. Functional Whole Foods Limited, based in Geraldine, South Canterbury, New Zealand specialises in the production of high quality, cold pressed flax seed oil and seed meal. The Company formulates these products with other natural extracts to produce and market a range of products with particular health benefits. The products are sold widely throughout New Zealand and a number of countries overseas. All products are made from New Zealand raw materials that are certified organic and are from sustainable production. The Company has established and built the flax seed oil market over the past 20 years and remains the market leader in New Zealand. Functional Wholesale Products is in partnership with The Herb Farm developing and producing a range of healing cosmetics that are building momentum. What area(s) of the business are currently being developed? Our partnership with Japan – we are exploring new avenues and revenue streams in this lucrative market for Flax Seed Oil. New routes to market in New Zealand with opportunities to expand the concept overseas. Does the company place much emphasis on R & D? Yes we do and have worked extensively in the past with Massey University and Crop and Food, Canterbury. More recently with Lincoln University through Charles Brennon. We have found the use of students an excellent R&D find! Where do you export to and where are future opportunities? Japan, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Czech Republic. Future opportunities in the […]

RBNZ make the right call

Manufacturers and exporters welcome the decision by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) this morning to cut the OCR to 2.25%, say the New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association (NZMEA). NZMEA Chief Executive Dieter Adam says, “We are pleased to see the RBNZ reduce the OCR today – the effect on the currency will help maintain the relative competitiveness of our manufacturers and exporters in offshore markets and those competing with imports domestically. “The surprise of the decision helped to move the currency down further than we have seen in other recent OCR cuts – the currency has dropped by over a cent already on a trade weighted basis. We are hopeful this drop will be sustained, however, even if it does our dollar will still be well above what the RBNZ itself would consider appropriate. “We also support the RBNZ’s comments that further easing may be necessary, and we would encourage them to follow through on this in the next OCR decision if conditions allow, while keeping their careful eye on any building imbalances or financial stability risks. “The currency has remained stubbornly high, despite continued downward pressure on commodity prices. The RBNZ noted in their release that the exchange rate is over 4% higher than their December projections – 4% may sound small, but it is significant in terms of its effect on manufacturers margins and ability to be globally competitive – this drives manufacturers ability to re-invest in their businesses for future growth and innovation “Manufacturers welcome any changes that will help move the currency on its downward re-balancing trend towards a level playing field for them in export markets. On that note, we are concerned about reports that there is penned-up demand from off-shore investors to get back into the Auckland property market. The last […]

Public appeal for revolutionary new wheelchair

The inventor and manufacturer of a revolutionary new wheelchair has launched a public appeal to develop it further and build 10 prototypes. Kevin Halsall’s Ogo wheelchair was a finalist at the New Zealand Innovators’ Awards in Auckland last year and also won the BCC (Building Clever Companies) Innovate 2015 grand prize of $10,000. The invention blends cutting edge electronics with innovative body driven control which frees the user’s hands to do anything they want. As a result of publicity in 2015, Kevin received thousands of inquiries from around the world from people interested in either purchasing, investing in or distributing his machine. However by launching his appeal for $240,000 on Indiegogo, the largest global site for crowdfunding and fundraising, Kevin wants to give as many people as possible the opportunity to fund what they can afford, enabling him to take the development to the next level. He explains that, by keeping costs down, he can make his machine available to millions around the world at the lowest possible cost. “Our goal is to change as many lives as we can,” Kevin says. The crowd funding campaign, launched on March 8, will run for 30 days and Kevin is confident he’ll attract the money required. “It’s an achievable amount and with it we’ll build 10 prototypes, five for sale as part of the crowd funding campaign and the other five to be located in major centres around New Zealand for people to try out,” he says. Kevin, from his Otaki base, wants to start production before the end of the year because he’s aware there are 11,000 disabled people in New Zealand alone who rely on a wheelchair for mobility and 69 million wheelchair users worldwide. His interest in building the machine began nearly five years ago when he observed how […]

Fitzroy Engineering to deliver underwater restaurant to Maldives

Over the evening of Tuesday 9th February, the latest big fabrication project to come out of Fitzroy Engineering will make its way slowly to Port Taranaki. Following the usual route via Devon Road, Northgate, Hobson Street, Molesworth Street and St Aubyn Street, the 450 tonne Underwater Restaurant will go to the port for shipping to its destination in the Maldives, Indian Ocean. Designed by leading aquarium and underwater restaurant design engineers, MJ Murphy Ltd from Auckland, this underwater restaurant (UWR) will be the second only of its type to be deployed anywhere in the world. MJ Murphy Ltd were also the designers of the first UWR (now world famous, called Ithaa… also in the Maldives for a different resort), and have been involved in the design of many major public aquariums around the world, similar to Kelly Tarltons Underwater World in Auckland. This new UWR will be delivered to site by heavy lift ship and lowered onto specially prepared piled foundations on the edge of a beautiful coral reef at Huravalhi Island in the Maldives, where the clients, Champalars Holdings Pvt Ltd are building a complete new luxury resort. As many scuba divers will attest, the water in the Maldives is especially clear and the corals and fish life astounding. The UWR will sit alongside the steeply descending coral reef, so that all diners can view the corals and the fish they attract. For the deep open ocean side, special concrete platforms have been developed by MJ Murphy upon which the corals from under the UWR have been replanted, and are now waiting in the sea for the arrival of the UWR. These ‘coral garden’ platforms will be lifted off the seabed and bolted to the ocean-side of the UWR once in place, so that diners on the ocean side […]

High value manufacturing

New Zealand is an ideal location for investors looking for a competitive, developed country in which to drive niche production and sales in the Asia Pacific region. Its manufacturing industry has earned a reputation for being flexible, resilient, adaptable and entrepreneurial. New Zealand’s global advantage is in manufacturing high-value, short-run production cycles. Key areas of strength and opportunity include the aviation, energy, healthcare, marine, security, industrial equipment, and food, beverage and bio-processing technology sectors. A skilled workforce and innovations in metal, plastics and composites creates an attractive opportunity for investors. New Zealand offers businesses a simple tax structure that supports investment in research and development. From high-tech manufacturing to healthcare, New Zealand is responsible for some of the world’s most significant breakthroughs. It was New Zealand innovation that led to the splitting of the atom, the joint discovery of the structure of DNA, the invention of the disposable syringe and modern water jet propulsion. A well-educated, skilled workforce New Zealand’s knowledge-intensive, high-value manufacturing sector uses the county’s skilled and experienced workforce to transform products and processes. This gives manufacturers a competitive edge. New Zealand has a small and well-educated population, with one of the highest tertiary qualification rates in the world. Its manufacturing operations are well staffed, and have established a solid history of high-quality production and innovation. Currently, 40 percent of the adult workforce holds tertiary qualifications, compared with the OECD average of 32 percent. Intelligent design founded on the discipline of customer focus With a culture of creative self-sufficiency and resilience, the New Zealand workforce is known for original thinking with a fresh perspective that animates research and development processes and leads to the design of clever, pragmatic innovations. Cost-competitive labour New Zealand’s skilled labour force is cost competitive by developed country standards. Engineering employee costs are also […]