Where there’s smoke...
Vaping to help quit smoking catapulted one Kiwi into making the product himself. By Matthew Rosenberg. Photos by Abigail Dougherty.
QJ Satchell puts on a laboratory coat, enters the ‘‘cool room’’ and strolls towards a large machine that looks like something out of a space film. It’s a white, sterile environment that feels like a hospital. But QJ isn’t a scientist or a doctor, he’s the co-owner of a vape company with older brother Kayne.
Six years ago he was selling tyres while Kayne fixed superyachts in the United States – until a parcel arrived in the mail that changed his career trajectory altogether.
‘‘Vaping was taking off over there in the USA, so Kayne sent one to me with a little note saying ‘just give it a try’,’’ Satchell says.
‘‘It took me a couple of weeks, but I gave it a go and pretty much immediately stopped smoking.’’
What followed was the sale of the family home to set up NZVapor, a company which now employs 10 staff in Silverdale, half an hour north of Auckland. The company creates e-liquid for vapes and e-cigarettes, and produces more than 40 flavours made up of four ingredients – propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, nicotine, and flavouring.
The business caters to a Kiwi vaping population now estimated to have reached 200,000 – and he’s happy to say the industry is ‘‘booming’’.
‘‘We can make a bottle every three to five seconds, depending on the size,’’ Satchell says. ‘‘All going well, the machine should be able to produce up to 18,000 canisters a day.’’
Although demand hasn’t reached that point yet, Satchell says having to supply more than 200 wholesale clients, means he doesn’t get much sleep these days.
‘‘Our passion lies with the conversion of smokers, and we’re contacted daily by people who have made the switch. They’re proud of themselves because it’s the hardest thing to do for a lot of people.’’