Business North October 2021

50 | Talk to us today, the feature profile experts Phone: 03 983 5500 waterfordpress.co.nz PROFILE YOUR PROJECT... REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Kawerau: Asaleo Care to page 0 Producing sustainably in Kawerau from page 48 An operator takes a break by the river that runs around the Asaleo Care site, with a “Rolly” dog (the brand mascot for Purex). In the consumer market Asaleo manufactures Purex and Sorbent toilet paper, both of which are sustainably manufactured toilet papers. “That goes for all of our products due to our incredibly low carbon footprint that is world leading,” says Ian. “ We also make Handee kitchen towels. Our other big sector is business–to-business for which we market hand towels and toilet paper under the name Tork. Those products are used in restaurants, schools, airports, sports stadiums, theatres, hospitals, hotels, etcetera. And we’re doing all of this in Kawerau. We export approximately half of what we manu- facture, so access to a major shipping port is also key for us.” Ian suggests that the company’s most critical resource is its people, employing 200 hundred people on site as well as offering graduate programmes to ensure there is a steady stream of home grown Kiwi engineers and technical specialists. Over the last ten years it has also trained fifteen apprentices. In addition to paying the wages and salaries of its 200 employees — money that all filters through the local community — the company also keeps a pool of local contractors busy with servicing, maintenance and upgrades. There is a lot to love about Asaleo’s prod- ucts. Made from sustainable and renewable resources, they are also made right here in heartland New Zealand and at a time when ‘buy New Zealand’ is the mantra, what better opportunity is there.