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Black & Co. Quality Leather NZ: High Grade Leather for all Conditions

Since purchasing Black & Co. Quality Leather NZ from its original owner, Mr. Black, seven years ago, married couple Leon and Melissa have continued to provide customers with a wide variety of leather goods. These goods range from a variety of belts for farmers, plumbers, and builders, to custom projects like knife sheaths, straps, and more.Black & Co. has been a long-standing business in Otaki, having been established in 1972, and when Leon and Melissa returned home after leaving for aro...

MELROSE WHEELCHAIRS: ROLLING out chairs for over 30 years

Christchurch wheelchair business Melrose Wheelchairs provides clients with a wide range of bespoke, manual options, from everyday wheelchairs for kids and adults to sports chairs for games like rugby, basketball, tennis, and badminton.Manager Annette Melrose says the business has developed from three people building wheelchairs in a garage to a company manufacturing 10 chairs a week in a factory 31 years later, now armed with around 45 staff members.She says the sports chair industry, which is q...

Ultimate Feeds Ltd: Quality Dry Dog Food

A desire to feed their own working dogs top-quality pet food brought about the formation of Ultimate Feeds Ltd, which today supplies premium New Zealand-made dog food under the Ultra brand to discerning pet owners throughout the country....

35 years of BA Pumps & Sprayers

In this story, we find out what's next for the iconic Kiwi business - including the launch of its new LM Series Linkage Sprayer and M Boom.What are you most proud of after all this time in business?We are proud to be a Kiwi-owned family business operating for 35 years. During that time we have been at the forefront of agricultural sprayers designing sprayers by Kiwis for Kiwis.What does the business make?We design and manufacture spraying equipment for a range of industries including agriculture...

HempDepo: Handcrafted garments perfect for a sunny day

In their search for clothes that offered both comfort and protection in the sun, Clay Matthews and Hayley Moyle sourced and tested fabrics from around the world to find materials for a natural, durable, and UV-protective clothing range.Since being founded by the couple in 2021, clothing business HempDepo now offers a wide variety of sustainable, 100% hemp clothes for both men and women, including pants, hoodies, shirts, and tops. All garments are designed and hand sewn at HempDepo’s shop in Ta...

MWF Manufacturing: The best in the joinery production business

With a wide range of commercial, education, hospitality, and residential services on offer, MWF Manufacturing has become a go-to for any project outside the norm. “We are brave and bold to venture into areas where a lot of other businesses don’t,” says Managing Director Gary Altenburg.MWF Manufacturing is mainly focused on the joinery aspect of construction, including sealing panels, acoustics, residential kitchens, and certain specialized product lines like My Little Pub, a range of ...

Chanui Biscuits: All-NZ snacks for any occasion

From their base in Christchurch, Chanui produce and supply a range of biscuits to supermarkets and New Zealanders, offering options like shortbread, gingernuts, and Anzac biscuits.Doug Hastie, the founder of Chanui, said that Chanui had had a lot of success selling tea, and when people were thinking of ideas for more products, his mind went back to the biscuits his mother or grandmother made when he was a kid, and he thought that some of the biscuits in supermarkets today weren't particularly go...

MONTREUX FURNITURE: DECORATING HOMES WITH TIMELESS FURNITURE

Running as a family business since the mid 1980s, Christchurch-based Montreux Furniture provides New Zealand made furniture with a massive focus on quality and long-lasting products. The business offers a large range of goods like sofas, chairs, dining furniture and outdoor furniture.Andrew Hopping, who works in Sales & Marketing, says that manufacturing high grade, timeless products is an essential standard for the business. He adds that having a local base gives him the flexibility he need...

Peter & Son: Personalizing your outdoor furniture

After experiencing a change of circumstances coming out of the 2021 COVID-19 lockdown, Tony Hubscher saw a market opportunity and decided to use his love of carpentry to launch Peter & Son, a business specialising in handmade wooden outdoor furniture delivered across the North Island.Hubscher’s range includes custom-made tables, chairs, sheds, benches, and playhouses, all of which are specifically customised to suit each client. Hubscher is passionate about providing high grade products to...

Romotow NZ: A Camping Experience Unlike Anything Else. . .

Stuart Winterbourn and Matt Wilke run an architecture and engineering business, designing buildings and homes on a day-to-day basis. One day, the idea to design a caravan came up. A sketch was quickly drawn, and the two men went on to co-found Romotow NZ, where that vision has been realised.Winterbourn and Wilke, who are both Founding Directors of the business, wanted to focus on the fundamental principles and experiences of camping in their design.The invention has many features, including a ra...

Phi Cosmeceutical: Simplifying Skincare

After working at KM Surgical and noting how confusing skincare ranges were becoming for consumers, Julia Heywood and Adele Harrison decided to create a simple and effective skincare range of their own, co-founding Phi Cosmeceutical.Heywood and Harrison want to help people with skin issues across New Zealand and stop it from negatively affecting their health and confidence. They’re careful about the ingredients in their products, ensuring that people of all skin types can get the best out of P...

Pure Oil New Zealand: Bringing locally grown oils to the market

From its establishment in 2012, Christchurch-based Pure Oil New Zealand has grown into a large oilseed business that keeps everything local and NZ made, from extra virgin oils to RBD oils and equestrian products.Marketing Manager Andy O’Malley-Mora says that Pure Oil New Zealand has created a good community with farmers by sharing benefits together, working alongside them, and creating a platform for people to speak and have their input valued.“Everyone has a chance to be heard. Everyone has...

On Cue: Getting the 8-ball rolling on NZ made pool tables

Christchurch-based pool, snooker, and darts business On Cue produce all their pool and snooker tables from scratch here in New Zealand, using mostly NZ made resources--unlike most tables in today's market. Alongside this, On Cue offers a lifetime guarantee on all workmanship, with custom made options readily available for everyone.Since leaving school early and following his passion for woodworking, founder and Managing Director Darryl Chambers has provided a range of NZ made pool and snooker ta...

Pollett Furniture: The Family Business for All Your Furniture Needs

Pollett Furniture is a family-run company that has been producing a wide selection of furniture solutions for over 40 years, beginning with coffin manufacturing before branching out into seating, office furniture, domestic furniture, and more.Rebecca Pollett, daughter of Mike and Wendy Pollett (the owner operators), likes that the business is kept local and family-based, with everyone in her family getting enjoyment out of working alongside each other as they attempt to provide the best goods an...

NZ Natural Bedding: The Natural Choice

When Kathryn and Tom Ryan took over NZ Natural Bedding five years ago, they took on the role of co-ownership with the goal of promoting NZ made products and the usage of natural products and fibres.Although they have a couple of brands with different uses, the main mission of the business is to provide products to customers that match what consumers are looking for, helping to manage the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders while promoting the choice to use natural, environmentally-friendly be...

MARKHAM: “Adding life to concrete”

From its founding in 1996, concrete solutions business MARKHAM, founded by father-and-son duo Mark and Graham Smith, has enjoyed a lot of growth while providing a variety of sustainable concrete treatments.MARKHAM now has a staff of seventy and owns offices in places like Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, and Western Australia. Despite their sizable overseas presence, CEO Mark Smith is committed to building quality concrete within New Zealand.“Our main base is here down in Napier. We’re...

Skeinz: High quality, high value natural yarn

Natural yarn shop Skeinz has been making and selling a variety of yarns to people right across New Zealand while remaining dedicated to good quality and incredible value. Skeinz's range includes merino, possum, silk, and wool yarns.Since the start of her involvement 17 years ago, Maree Buscke (a current manager) has seen Skeinz develop greatly, going from selling out of a tiny store at a mill to moving into a much larger space. Buscke estimates that Skeinz has grown close to 100x in size over he...

Ironclad: Auckland business fighting hard to maintain success

While brainstorming product ideas with her husband and a colleague, Kate Slavin was working with some pans that she had been given and wondered if they could make some of their own.Four years since being established, kitchenware business Ironclad now has over 10,000 pans in kitchens and restaurants all over New Zealand. As well as offering a wide selection of pans, Ironclad also provides customers with other cooking equipment like knives and aprons, all while making quality a top priority.Slavin...

Starex: Premium childcare furniture made here in NZ

Starex has been manufacturing furniture for childcare centres since 1983. Since buying the business in 2006, Managing Director Matt Cooke, alongside his wife Melissa, have grown the company and want to continue to supply and offer premium furniture.Cooke has increased the number of staff at Starex from 7 to 25, and Starex also now provides furniture to childcare centres in Australia. Cooke wants to stay true to the childcare industry, and his aim for the future is for Starex to keep pushing them...

Park Supplies and Playgrounds: NZ Playgrounds that Stand the Test of Time

Since being established around 35 years ago, Park Supplies and Playgrounds has been manufacturing and supplying full playgrounds and playground parts to school, councils, property developers and more across New Zealand. Well over 100 full playgrounds are made per year, as well as thousands of spare parts and part playgrounds.Managing Director and co-owner Brian Dewar wants to continue providing safe playgrounds that challenge children and remain unbroken over a long period of time. He says that ...

Waitemata Honey: Family business at the forefront of honey production

For more than 50 years, Waitemata Honey, a family-owned business in Auckland, has been supplying the market with honey products ranging from lozenges to clover, multiflora and manuka honey. In a good year, they might sell upwards of 120 tonnes of honey.Operations Manager Christopher Stuckey views the honey industry as a sustainable project, with bees aiding with our food and livability in environmentally-friendly ways. Stuckey places a lot of value in helping people get the food and nutrition th...

Stim Craftsmanship: Rejuvenating old timbers into new items

Based out of the Hawke’s Bay, husband-and-wife duo Paul and Sharron Freeman jointly run Stim Craftsmanship, a woodworking business that uses old wine barrels and recycled native timbers to supply customers with repurposed goods like chairs, tables, and bottle openers.Repurposing and recycling is of primary concern to the Freemans, who ensure that nothing is thrown away. Co-owner Paul Freeman estimates that roughly 95-98% of each barrel is used for making products, with scraps and sawdust findi...

Savvy Touch: Natural Products for all your Health Needs

Savvy Touch is an Auckland-based health business, offering a variety of natural products and covering a range of wellbeing needs, providing skincare, sunscreen, balm, and a respiratory health product called Rocket Fuel.For Savvy Steve, the owner and developer of Savvy Touch, the positive messages he got from customers on the benefits of his products was the piece of motivation that kept the business going.Savvy Touch is now a seven figure company with distributors in areas like Australia, the UK...

Corbin Rd: The future of skincare

Wendy Nowell-Usticke was once spending $15,000 annually on skincare, only for her skin to break down. When she came to the realisation that it wasn’t an allergy, and that the skincare was to blame, she founded Corbin Rd., a slow beauty business based in Napier.Nowell-Usticke started 35 years ago as a makeup artist, and has many years of experience dealing with skin. Her products are natural and organic, with Nowell-Usticke making use of NZ made ingredients.Armed with her knowledge of skin and ...

Storetech Industries: A family business set on outdoor living

For nearly 50 years, family-run Storetech Industries has offered outdoor space options for customers, striving to give New Zealanders confidence in the security of their outdoor equipment and personal environments.Starting out as garden shed providers, Storetech Industries has since expanded its product range to include options like fencing, from glass to soluble and aluminium slat fences.Ben Carney, one of the current Managing Directors, examines the development of Storetech Industries, detaili...