Business South August 2020

12 | Volume 29 | Issue 4 businesssouth 0800 426 663 • admin@parr.co.nz www.parr.co.nz • Hayes Street, Timaru Port Specialising in engineering solutions tailored specifically to your needs Q U A L I T Y - E F F I C I E N C Y - C O N T R O L PROJECT AND PRESENCE… PROFILE? Talk to us today, the feature pro le experts. Phone: 03 983 5500 Fax: 03 983 5552 waterfordpress.co.nz South Canty ticks boxes for McCain Caroline Bay - the jewel in the crown for Timaru. Richard Loader F rom the gentle waves of Caroline Bay through to the majestic peak of Aoraki/Mount Cook ,South Canterbury is a rich tapestry of all things good about New Zealand and South Island diversity in particular. With rolling foothills, high country farming, quaint towns and villages, and stunning alpine lakes the region’s districts of Timaru, Mackenzie and Waimate feature a diversity of industry that helps to secure a resilient economy. For the last 114 years the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce (SCCC) has been charged with supporting the business capability across the district. The Chamber has two key goals: to help local businesses achieve success and to ensure mem- bers operate in a business friendly environment. That means helping businesses identify where they have barriers or development needs and sup- porting them through expert advice, coaching, men- toring, training or accessing Government expertise and/or funding. The SCCC also holds government contracts including NZTE Regional Business Partner network. For the last 12 years Wendy Smith has been at the helm of the SCCC and she is a passionate advocate for South Canterbury. “In this region we have affordable housing, excellent education and health services, we have the breadth of every industry and it’s affordable, accessible and there’s space. It is a wonderful community to live in. “There are unrivalled opportunities for lifestyle and business development, delivering a complete diversity of options and opportunities within agricul- ture, manufacturing and processing.” The Timaru District has the highest population base of around 48,000, Mackenzie has 5000 and Waimate 8000. The overall region boasts the highest employ- ment rate and almost the lowest unemployment rate in New Zealand, sitting at 3%. “With the diversity of industry, I look at how solid and stable we are with on-going growth,” says Wendy. She says in the Timaru and Waimate districts, food production - from fishing, dairy, beef, lamb, and horticulture - is a key driver. “Oceania Dairy invested $30 million in new pro- duction lines in 2019, employing an extra 80 staff. Paired with Fonterra, that gives us a very strong dairy processing sector.” Horticulture and vegetable growing are also a major contributor, with giant multi-national food processor McCain Foods having a production facility in Timaru. New plant manager Barto Greeff, who recently arrived from working with the company in South Africa, says the networking opportunities provided by SCCC have given him valuable insight into how business operates in South Canterbury. • to page 14 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT » South Canterbury - McCain Foods