Council sets out to lure US, NZ firms
The South Waikato District Council has launched a three-month campaign to lure American and Kiwi businesses to relocate to the region – though results might not be apparent for some years.
A ready workforce, plenty of space and central location were among the district’s advantages for local companies, while the country being largely free of Covid-19 concerns were attractive to those from the US, said council economic development and marketing manager Anton Sudano.
The marketing was part of the council’s long-term investment in the future of the region, he said.
‘‘This is a great opportunity for South Waikato to expose its ample opportunities to new audiences, building awareness of its capacity to host big business for low land and overhead costs.’’
The idea came off the back of indicators like Sleepyhead moving to Huntly, an upsurge of wealthy Americans looking to leave the US as well as New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) reporting that the number of investor applications had soared since the Covid-19 outbreak.
Sudano said he thought now was the time to act, considering the number of investor visa applications NZTE – the government’s business development agency – had received since the coronavirus outbreak.
‘‘NZTE have said some people want to invest in a New Zealand company that is operating or selling in their home market, while others want to relocate their own business here. They’ve also said that New Zealand’s strong coronavirus strategy is behind a tenfold surge in interest, and that wealthy Americans are leading this.’’
He offered Japanese company Oji as an example of an overseas business operating in the South Waikato at Kinleith Mill, formerly owned by Irving Pulp and Paper, and Nothing Naughty as a case of a Kiwi business successfully relocating.
South Waikato had the right environmental resources, a willing labour force, and a central location with strong road and rail links for Oji, Sudano said, and Tokoroa’s airfield meant company executives could fly in directly from Auckland.
Nothing Naughty, a retail business selling health food products, relocated from Tauranga to Tirau in 2019 to reduce their overheads ‘‘... and their completed factory in Tirau cost less than the section in Tauranga.
The objective was to introduce the district to an audience currently receptive to the idea of relocation, Sudano said, despite it potentially not being possible for those from overseas for several years.
With borders closed, the campaign was addressing this with a ‘‘sales funnel’’, because the conversion that involved a customer moving their business and life to the other side of the globe needed to be broad.