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New Zealand Mānuka Group Banks on Opotiki for Growth
Sitting at the doorstep of the highest growth region for the Mānuka industry, the people of Opotiki are now finding themselves living in a town with exciting employment opportunities, international investment and a bright future ahead.
Mānuka has become the new buzz-word in the New Zealand economy. With the outlook for the dairy and forestry industries still in question, the spotlight is now shining brightly on Mānuka honey and oil.
“We have recently invested in a new honey extraction plant, described by foreign customers as the best in New Zealand,” explains Group General Manager Operations and Logistics, NZ Mānuka Group, Robin Jay. “Our Stage 1 building is capable of handling and processing up to 30,000 hives per year, while our Stage 2 building is expected to add a further 1300m2 to our operations base in Opotiki.”
Committed to employing and partnering with local people where possible, NZ Mānuka Group contracted Opotiki and Bay of Plenty companies for their main building work.
“We are dedicated to building a future based in the East Cape region,” confirms Jay. “Our extraction facilities are now being centralised so all honey produced from East Cape hives is processed in Opotiki, and our Whangaparaoa site is being developed into a dedicated beekeeping base.”
NZ Mānuka Group CEO, Karl Gradon, verifies the confidence for local people and the community. “In the past year alone our top line has almost doubled and we are now looking to employ 29 new staff by 2017 to support this growth.”
Given that New Zealand Mānuka honey and oil products command a premium price and exclusive position on the world market, people are now returning to their family homes and land to take advantage of the new opportunities and a bright future in the Eastern Bay of Plenty region.
