Tauranga Draws Domestic And International Manufacturers

Tauranga – a Magnet for Domestic And International Manufacturers

Since launching The Tauranga Business Case campaign, Priority One has attracted a significant number of exciting businesses to the region – including Australian based manufacturer FSP Holdings Pty Ltd.

Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty offer significant opportunities for business growth and continue to be one of New Zealand’s fastest growing economic regions.

“The Tauranga Business Case campaign (www.taurangabusinesscase.co.nz) has really put us on the map – domestically and internationally,” says Andrew Coker, Chief Executive of Priority One. “To date we are working with 25 businesses that are making significant investments into the Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty area. “This includes manufacturing operations establishing here and others expanding on existing domestic or international business. We are working with businesses across industries such as food processing, ICT, printing and specialised manufacturing.

“At last count these businesses are creating over 200 new jobs for local residents across a range of sectors and skill levels,” Andrew added.

One of the international businesses that Priority One has been working closely with to establish operations in Tauranga is Australian-based FSP Holdings Pty Ltd, (www.fspandco.com), manufacturer and major exporter of rotational moulded plastic lockers, cabinets and mining equipment.

Looking to expand their global footprint - which currently includes FSP offices in Australia, China and Chile (and in 2014 North America), and agents/distributors in Kalimantan Indonesia, PNG, Zambia, Mozambique, Belgium and Canada - Kevin Voss, Manager of Business Development at FSP, created comparative business cases for the establishment of a manufacturing plant in Indonesia, Thailand and New Zealand. Competitive manufacturing costs, accessibility and frequency of import and export services, and the availability of skilled labour made New Zealand the most attractive location of the three.

“Once we settled on New Zealand, we looked at Auckland, Wellington and Tauranga as potential manufacturing sites, as close proximity to a major port was the most important aspect in our decision making,” said Kevin. “Discussions with Priority One really confirmed our feeling that Tauranga had more advantages for our business than other locations we were considering and gave us the confidence to move forward quickly".

“The deciding factor for us really was The Port of Tauranga. They offered a frequency of service to and from Australian and international ports that we just couldn’t get from other New Zealand ports. With advice from Priority One and Colliers International, we were able to find a site in Tauranga that suited our purpose in close proximity to the port with all available services, providing savings on transportation and logistics,” added Kevin.

FSP plan to be operational within the next four months, and will employ 20 staff in the early stages.

The employment opportunities that come from business growth and attraction in the Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty are one of the most important aspects of the Tauranga Business Case campaign. Andrew Coker says, “It's about growing jobs now in Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty - a region in recovery from the impacts of Psa in the kiwifruit sector, the global financial crisis, and of course the Rena grounding”.

“It's not about robbing Peter to pay Paul and taking businesses out of other regions, including Australia. That's a zero-sum game. It's about informing those people that make decisions as to where they invest and locate their businesses based on the competitive advantages that make their business thrive,” says Andrew.

The Tauranga Business Case campaign showcases the advantages of doing business in Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty on the back of long-term investments that have been made by local authorities working together with the business community in areas such as roading, broadband, commercial developments and capital investments. The Tauranga Business Case campaign has also shown people the benefits of living and working in a strong, supportive business and community environment.

- ENDS -

© Scoop Media