Another month of expansion for the manufacturing sector, and the inevitable question of 'how much longer?' is on many people's minds.

The short answer is that signs continue to be positive - they're simply slowing down to a more realistic, sustainable rate. Read through my article below for a breakdown of what to keep your eye on moving forward.

There are also some great inititiatives and events coming up that can help you make the most of the continued growth.

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

My latest column in NZ Manufacturing looked at both the latest PMI results and the BusinessNZ Planning forecast to see how long we might expect current confidence to last, and what headwinds you're likely to experience along the way. More...

Indonesia is on track to become the world’s sixth largest economy, with their middle class growing from 150 million to 244 million in 2030. The upcoming Indonesia 2014 trade mission will put you in front of potential clients in four major cities, each carefully chosen to meet your mission objectives. More...

Find out which parties will do most to improve the economy and environment for business at the most informative election event of 2014.

MPs and party spokespeople will outline their policies around the economy, tax, employment law, RM and more at the Deloitte-BusinessNZ Election Conference. Put your questions or views to them, and find out how their views compare against the findings of our most recent survey of more than 1000 businesses.

Take a look at the programme and make sure your register here.

Meet the Buyer is an event that allows you to engage directly with large purchasing organisations, access relevant products and services, and network with other businesses. The next Meet the Buyer event will focus on the construction industry, and be attended by companies such as Ganellen, Hawkins Construction, and Arrow International, as well as key government agencies. More...

Grow Wellington has extended its highly successful 'Summer of Tech' student internship programme to manufacturers. The programme connects innovative companies with emerging talent through a ten-week project aimed at incorporating more technology into your business. Visit Summer of Tech 2014 to find out more.

A recent article on German 'manufactories' offered some interesting and highly relevant thoughts for New Zealand manufacturers. You can read the article here.

Now in its 19th year, NZ;'s Technology Showcase is your chance to check out new products and the latest innovations in technology from more than 50 of the world’s leading brands. More...

Securing the best people can be a tricky business, but NZ Herald has published some great tips from ANZ's Fred Ohlson on how to get it right. More...

Need help to tackle projects and research ideas but don't have the resources to do it yourself? Victoria Business School is also running a Summer Research Scholarship Scheme, which puts top students to work in your organisation on projects and research ideas you may not have the resources to do by yourself. More...

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.

Missed an issue of Manufacturing News? Click here to access all previous issues in our Newsletter Archive.