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MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Calling all exporting manufacturers: GO GLOBAL is just around the corner on 2 May!

This year, GO GLOBAL is combining with EPIC NZ to help maximise and boost your export growth opportunities. You can hear from fellow Kiwis who have sustained business success, with cultural knowledge, roots and connections in overseas markets.

View programme

View speakers

Book today!

Catherine Beard
027 463 3212 or cbeard@businessnz.org.nz

PMI - Marching onwards

Activity in New Zealand’s manufacturing sector continued to march onwards with a seasonally adjusted March result of 58.4.

After five consecutive months of solid activity, it was pleasing to see activity experience a further boost.  Both production and new orders remained strong, while employment also lifted to its highest level for over six years.

The proportion of positive comments from manufacturers for March broke the 60 percent value for the first time this year, as new orders/customers and an improving economy is providing a stronger platform for business growth. More...

Why "Made in" matters

Futurebrand has released some intersting reports on looking at the importance of a country of origin when people buy a product. They present a view on the trust people place in the origin of a product, by surveying people's views on trust, authenticity and quality standards in relation to a country. New Zealand is rated 17th in the world.

There are currently two reports available - one on the overall findings and a country specific one on China.

Download the Made In report

Download the new meaning of "Made in China" report 

How Vocational Pathways can improve business – new guides out now

For young people, vocational pathways are about understanding and identifying the journey from learning to earning.

They also help you identify the best staff for your business. They make it easier to quickly assess a young person’s interests, skills and achievements as they relate to your industry. There are six pathways: Manufacturing & Technology, Primary Industries, Services Industries, Social & Community Services, Construction & Infrastructure and Creative Industries.

It’s about finding the best fit – for young people and for your business – to create the best results.

A guide for employers and a guide for young people & parents are out now. Download them here:

Guide for employers
Guide for young people & parents

Manufacturing qualifications review - building skills, careers and businesses

As your Industry Training Organisation, Competenz is working with manufacturing industries to review all your qualifications.
The aim is to develop a simpler, more relevant suite of qualifications that makes it easier to grow skills, careers and businesses across the manufacturing sector. These reviews are known as a ‘Targeted Review of Qualifications’ or TRoQs.

Competenz is leading these reviews - in general manufacturing, competitive manufacturing, glass, apparel, textiles, pharmaceuticals and plastics processing - and welcomes feedback on the proposed qualifications. More...

Kiwi construction wins despite Chinese competition

Good news story from the Waikato about a Kiwi company being awarded a $1.3 million supply contract for the Karapiro Viaduct.

Contractor HEB Construction awarded the contract to Napier steel bridge specialist Eastbridge despite receiving competitive Chinese tenders. The firm will supply 1300 tonnes of prefabricated steel for the 200-metre-long, 40m-high Karapiro Viaduct, the largest of eight bridges on the Cambridge section of the NZ Transport Agency's Waikato Expressway.

Eastbridge managing director Bruce Mellsop said there was local and international competition for the contract. More...

Building Businesses of International Quality: Identify Your Growth Opportunities

This year The Icehouse are hitting the road with business experts to deliver practical, real-world advice to SMEs around the country - for free.  First up: Building Businesses of International Quality.

Join them at one of 11 events across NZ to learn about the Business of International Quality™ (BIQ™) Barometer - The tool helping kiwi businesses grow. Come along to get practical advice from experts and find out what the BIQ™ Barometer could mean for you. It's free but registrations are essential. Find out more and book your place.

Find out more about the BIQ™ Barometer

Working Safer

During April, employers and the self-employed will begin receiving their annual ACC levies invoice, including an insert explaining the Working Safer levy. This levy funds health and safety in the workplace, and is designed to fund WorkSafe NZ's health and safety regulatory responsibilities.  

The Working Safer levy and WorkSafe NZ are central to the government's wider health and safety reforms, which aim to reduce New Zealand's workplace serious injury and death toll by 25% by 2020. More...

Dunedin draws in international interns

This is a great example of how you can tap into engineering graduate talent in Europe. 

When four Danish engineering students were looking for somewhere to complete a six-month internship, they chose Dunedin. More...

Multinational Companies: UK subsidiaries and R&D opportunities

In a bid to explain how the UK Government is encouraging R&D, Jim Purdie at LinkStep addresses the question: "How do Inbound/Outbound multinational businesses qualify for UK R&D tax relief or UK R&D tax credit claims?"

There are a number of potential combinations where multinational businesses can qualify for R&D tax relief or R&D tax credit claims. However, the level of benefit and qualification is directly determined by two key factors:

    1. The company size, and
    2. The direction of flow relating to the development projects that are being undertaken. More...

Jim can be contacted at jim.purdie@linkstep.co.uk

Contract manufacturing

Did you know we have a directory of contract manufacturers listed on our website? Its aim is to allow businesses to find contract manufacturers who may be able to assist them with a particular project.

If you are interested in being listed in our directory, or would like to browse it, click here.

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