The Grow Wellington team has put together regular updates on a few interesting activities going on in the region.
Did You Know...
May 4 2012
Porirua and Kapiti
- Clean Technology Centre member Blended Fuel Solutions/Alternative Petroleum Technologies has completed a successful trial with the Kapiti Coast District Council. They are now looking towards trialling their emulsified fuel with NZ Bus.
- Almost $61,000 in NZTE capability vouchers has been issued to Kapiti companies in the financial year to 31 March 2012. Kapiti is third in the region after Wellington and Hutt City. Almost $7000 in capability vouchers have been issued to Porirua companies.
- Clean technology company Silaca Glass is leading the way for emerging clean technology exporters – Silaca Glass has already exported three glass crushing machines to Australia.
- Almost $450,000 in MSI TechNZ funds have been facilitated for Porirua companies in the financial year to 31 March 2012, $54,000 has been facilitated for Kapiti.
- Switched On Property Maintenance company is glowing about their move to Porirua. The company moved to Porirua in 2010 as a result of winning a government contract. The contract has been rolled over and the company has gone from strength to strength.
- Porirua and Kapiti have been strongly recognised in the Wellington Gold awards with seven finalists – Splice Group, Greenkeeper, Sealed Air, Radiola Aerospace, Adrenalin Forest, Mana Recovery and Aura Redeye Security.
Wairarapa
- For the first time, Wairarapa businesses have been selected as finalists in the Wellington Gold Awards. They are; Pukaha Mount Bruce, Toast Martinborough and Tora Coastal Walk.
- Karaka Whips, a Masterton company entered the Grow Wellington Bright Ideas Challenge in 2010. With Grow Wellington’s involvement, they have since doubled their turnover, gained funding for product development through TechNZ and are now a much stronger business.
- Over $11,000 NZTE capability vouchers have been issued to Wairarapa companies in the financial year to 31 March 2012. This number is expected to improve now that there are local registered training providers.
- Peter Wilson and Julie Kidd are the first Wairarapa services providers to be registered for NZTE capability vouchers. This is a significant milestone for the region. Going forward Grow Wellington will be going out to a broad range of Wairarapa businesses to offer their services to help strengthen businesses across the area.
- Almost $40,000 in MSI TechNZ funds has been facilitated for Wairarapa companies in the financial year to 31 March 2012.
Hutt Valley
- Winner of the 2010 Bright Ideas Challenge Im-Able has been named as a finalist in the Wellington Gold Awards along with other Hutt based companies TenderRest and Mesynthes.
- Assessment specialists and Grow Wellington clients ASPEQ are developing a range of assessments for professional mariners operating in Australian waters in conjunction with the Australia Maritime Safety Authority.
- ASPEQ has also entered into a strategic partnership with the Civil Aviation Authority International to jointly market and deliver computerised aviation exams globally.
- Stansborough, weavers of the rarest natural fibres in the world, and receivers of Tech NZ funding through Grow Wellington, have launched their products into China via the NZ Post/China Post internet sales site.
- Upper Hutt company Dews Construction have been named as finalists in the Gold Awards. Grow Wellington is working with Dews to open new opportunities and provide assistance under the NZTE Training Voucher Scheme.
- Farrah Wraps, another Upper Hutt company are moving closer to supplying a major Hong Kong supermarket chain. NZTE has been working with Farrah Wraps since being introduced by Grow Wellington and is helping them prepare for exporting.
- Rubber Solutions, a rubber tyre chipping facility in Upper Hutt, have been connected by Grow Wellington with an NZTA Project Manager who is researching greener alternatives for roads in New Zealand.
- Over $130,000 in NZTE capability vouchers have been issued to Hutt Valley companies in the financial year to 31 March 2012. Lower Hutt is number one in the region in terms of vouchers issued.
- Almost $900,000 in MSI TechNZ funds has been facilitated for Hutt Valley companies in the financial year to 31 March.
Wellington City
- Last November Educa won the education category of the Bright Ideas Challenge, now they are the exclusive preferred supplier for the New Zealand Early Childhood Council, giving them access to a membership of over 1,100 early childhood centres in New Zealand.
- There has been an 11% increase in the number of international students in the Wellington region in the last year; this is estimated to have an economic impact increase of $20 million for the region.
- Grow Wellington clients GreenButton, CricHQ, Silica Glass and Carrello del Gelato have all been named as finalists for the 2012 Wellington Gold Awards.
- GreenButton have also been nominated as a finalist for the 2012 NZ Hi Tech Awards being held on 11 May.
- Boost New Media, a Grow Wellington client has been officially recognised as a democratic workplace by WorldBlu.
- Over $100,000 in NZTE capability vouchers have been issued to Wellington companies in the financial year to 31 March 2012.
- Over $1.3 million in MSI TechNZ funds have been facilitated for Wellington companies in the financial year to 31 March 2012.
Did You Know...
March 23 2012
- Wellington Gelato Manufacturer and Grow Wellington client, Carrello del Gelato, are the newest addition to Hell Pizza menus. A range of their fantastic flavours will be available in Hell’s 65 nationwide stores over the next couple of months.
Carrello del Gelato have doubled their factory space and have a new machine which will increase their production capability by at least five times and support their expansion into Auckland and Melbourne.
- One of Wellington’s greatest coffee success stories, Mojo, is poised to take on the Japanese market with its first store opening in Tokyo in May.
Steve Gianoutsos and the Mojo team, who Grow Wellington has provided support and advice for, have spent the last 18 months preparing for the first Japanese store opening. They now have a Japanese business partner to run things on the ground for them and increase market share.
- Four months ago Hil Cook and Ange Duncan won the iPhone App Category in Grow Wellington’s Bright Ideas Challenge; today their Continuity App is available to buy from iTunes.
Hil and Ange’s Continuity App is revolutionising the arduous, time consuming, manual task of documenting continuity in Film and TV, ensuring increased productivity, decreased waste and saving time and money.
- ezybook, the world’s easiest online booking system and winner of the ICT category in the Bright Ideas Challenge has just passed 500,000 bookings across New Zealand and Australia.
- Submissions close in just over a week for Grow Wellington’s Innovating for Health Challenge. The Challenge has already attracted over 20 quality submissions from researchers and clinicians across universities, research institutes and District Health Boards. Stage two of the Innovating for Health Challenge will commence April 2.
Did You Know....
7 March 2012
- Caffe L’affare is currently showcasing the winners of the 2012 Cuisine Artisan awards on their menu. Two of the winners are Wellington producers who have worked with Grow Wellington- Bohemein Chocolates and Te Horo Foods.
The Cuisine Artisan Awards have been running for four years, acknowledging 46 winners in that time. The awards aim to recognise New Zealand's small artisan producers and to help them bring their products to a wider audience. Bohemein’s Sea Salt Caramels and Te Horo Food’s Raspberry Jam were recognised as winning products. Wellington's Caffe L'affare has supported the awards for the past three years and Martin Bosley is profiling all the winners in a lunch on March 22.
- Grow Wellington, in partnership with Richard Taylor, recently hosted 11 Chinese business and government officials to examine opportunities to partner in film, education, sport, animation, tourism, agriculture and environmental protection areas.
- An impressive 11 Wellington businesses join the who’s who of New Zealand’s successful, innovative businesses in the Deloitte Fast 50 2011. Businesses include Aura Software, Tuatara Brewing and Web Genius to name a few with Powershop taking out the number one spot.
The Deloitte Fast 50 index has been celebrating business growth in New Zealand since 2001. The Fast 50 is a Deloitte initiative which operates in 32 countries or regions worldwide. The Deloitte Fast 50 index has become a barometer of successful, innovative businesses across the country.
- BTBoats Ltd have brought together the world’s best yacht designers and builders to create the KIWI 40FC- the fastest Class40 ocean racing yacht in the world. BTBoats Ltd was created in 2009 with the purpose of developing the KIWI 40FC production Class40 yacht. They collaborate with Farr Yacht Design, and Cookson Boats to coordinatethe design and planning for the KIWI 40FC. The KIWI 40FC features on the cover of two of the world’s most prestigious yachting magazines- Yachting World and Seahorse this month.
- Go Vocab, a software based language learning tool founded by two 21 year olds, is teaching language without the boring bits to over 2000 customers in their first year of operation.