WineWorks: adding value sustainably
WineWorks has an impressive sustainability story to tell. But unlike the first company covered in our sustainable companies series – Napier Port – WineWorks doesn’t have a high profile with the general public. In fact, WineWorks might be one of the biggest companies in Hawke’s Bay that no-one has ever heard of. Before we get […]
Fingermark announces investment from global sustainability leader, Ecolab
Award winning New Zealand tech innovator, Fingermark, has secured a cornerstone investment from global water, hygiene and infection prevention leader, Ecolab. This investment includes a multimillion dollar capital injection that will support Fingermark’s rapidly rising global growth trajectory. Luke Irving, Founder and Chief Executive of Fingermark, hailed the deal as transformative. “This is a true […]
Sun shines on solar uptake for businesses and households
More households and businesses are capturing the rays from the sun as a way to reduce electricity costs and ensure continuity of power during a short or extended outage. Freeenergy Solar Solutions owner Aaron Duncan says todays customers are more educated on the benefits of solar than when he became one of the first dedicated […]
Hopes for food hub tenants soon
Hawke’s Bay will be served up a food innovation hub in early 2024, with a tenant prospectus now released and hopes for a first tenant to be in by June. Foodeast-Haumako, was the brainchild of Hastings District Council before setting out to find funding partners in 2019 for the $18 million project. The Government’s Provincial […]
Mission Estate Winery Goes Solar!
Mission Estate Winery boasts a rich history spanning over 170 years, and is the oldest winery in New Zealand. Originally established by the Marist Fathers who planted vines in 1851 and began selling surplus wine in the 1870s, Mission Estate Winery has evolved over time, with significant developments occurring in the mid-1970s when wine production […]
Focus on Business with David Downs, CEO of New Zealand Story
“The future is already here; didn’t you get the memo?” Tech innovation and what it means for you, your job and your health. Join us for breakfast at Focus on Business to hear from guest speaker David Downs for a light-hearted but scary discussion about tech disruption, Artificial Intelligence, and hair loss. David is the […]
Frost Fans: Winds of change
It’s an appropriately chilly morning when I visit Frost Fans, so I assume Andrew will be in a good mood, given that it’s mornings like this the fans earn their keep. And then some. ‘The fans’ that Andrew Priest and the crew make, branded FrostBoss, protect delicate crops on the mornings when the mercury falls […]
Mara: Biowaste to protein
There’s no signage on the nondescript building that is home to Mara Bio in the middle of Hastings. Steve Boggs and Mark Balchin have got no frills down to a fine art at their exciting start-up, as we sit on mis-matched chairs, comforting I’m sure, to any investor or bank – unless they didn’t get […]
Croptide: Today NZ, tomorrow the world!
Agritech start-up Croptide is on a mission to bring greater know-how globally to the simple act of watering crops. Born out of a Massey University master’s project, and founded by Hawke’s Bay engineers Finn Brown and Hamish Penny, Croptide’s pioneering water sensing technology has captured the attention of major players in New Zealand’s horticulture sector. […]
CR Automation: Post harvest automation specialists
We deliver productivity. That’s the mantra of CR Automation, a robotics and automation engineering company based in the heart of Hastings. Perry Field, CEO says the company specialises in post-harvest automation, delivering a mix of bespoke applications and off the shelf solutions depending on customer need. Solutions include material handling, empty and full carton handling, […]
3R: 20 years of solving difficult problems
Adele Rose loves a gnarly problem. The 3R CEO and the company she leads love nothing better than putting their collective brainpower to solving the issue of what to do with difficult-to-manage waste streams, how to keep end of life products out of landfills, while reimagining new uses for them. The Hastings business is playing […]