Latest News

Ngā Ara Tipuna gets PGF funding in Central Hawke’s Bay

The government’s Provincial Growth Fund continues to support economic development projects across Hawke’s Bay with nearly $9 million announced in January. Wairoa has been given up to $6.1m to rebuild the heart of its CBD with three initiatives while Central Hawke’s Bay has been given $2.8m for a proposed project to turn Waipukurau pā sites into a cultural tourism attraction....

The Profit – Celebrating 10 years

The launch editorial team for The Profit totalled four – Anna Lorck, Lawrence Gullery, Kate de Lautour and me. We wanted to unite the region. We made a bold statement that we would be representing a “fresh generation of local business people” and that we were over petty infighting between Hastings and Napier. Our first editorial headline announced: “Hawke’s Bay...

Charlie Wallace – rocking to success

The hard work has paid off for musician and online entrepreneur Charlie Wallace, who now has the financial freedom to realise his dream of becoming an international rock star. It’s a ‘high school dropout becomes a success’ story for the former Taradale High School student, who has created a multimillion-dollar online business before the age of 30. His teachers may...

Hawke’s Bay Airport achieves first step towards carbon neutral status

Hawke’s Bay Airport has succeeded in its first step towards carbon neutrality, gaining Level 1 of the internationally recognised Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. Hawke’s Bay Airport chief executive Stuart Ainslie said the airport has completed the mapping stage of the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation programme and is well underway to becoming New Zealand’s first carbon neutral airport....

Encore for build team

Gemco Construction manager Eddie Holmes will know how good a job the team of over 100 tradespeople has done when he sits down to enjoy one of the 30-plus shows scheduled for the Hawke’s Bay Opera House stage in 2020. Eddie has been on-site in a porta-office since 2017 and when the project is fully completed with the handover of...

Iconic Hastings hotel takes on new offering

Hastings’ iconic Angus Inn, once the top business hotel in the city, is now part of a win-win solution to fixing Hawke’s Bay’s housing crisis and the seasonal labour shortage. In its hey day, the Angus Inn was the place to stay — from hosting All Blacks players to politicians, as well as it being booked out on Saturday nights...

The war for talent – Hawke’s Bay’s Talent Attraction Strategy

Hawke’s Bay is buzzing. Our local economy is one of the best performing in regional New Zealand. Consumer confidence is high, unemployment is at a 10 year low. The labour market is tight and that means that competition for workers (not only in Hawke’s Bay, but around New Zealand) is expected to remain strong. Our businesses are doing well, but...

Powering up Arataki

Thanks to an abundance of Hawke’s Bay sunlight, Arataki will halve its annual power bill through a new solar power installation at its production plant in Havelock North. Managers Pam and Rhys Flack say the move to solar energy is another important step in Arataki’s commitment towards improving its environmental footprint. “We’re also making processing changes to favour daytime power...

Arataki Honey – 75 years young

From a single swarm to over 24,000 hives, the story of Arataki Honey started when 17-year-old Percy Berry was asked by a neighbour to remove a swarm of bees. Percy then began to split and build hives in Nireaha. In 1942 he gave up farming sheep and cattle and moved with his wife and five children to Hawke’s Bay with...

ANZ Insight – Change Brings Challenges & Opportunities

Without doubt, a rapid period of change is coming – creating both opportunities and challenges. Where a business goes in the future, will depend on…