16 | REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Backlanz T T Aimee Wilson Ethan’s on the hunt for newmarkets Ethan Todd has grown his Backlanz brand beyond New Zealand, and has a US company coming onboard to license and manufacture them. “Hopefully, I’m heading towards my dream of being able to combine my passion for engineering with hunting and bringing the two together and having fun with it.” A Southland hunter’s range of rifle bipods has been so successful thanks to 3D printing innovation, that the business is now fulfilling orders on a global scale. Recently winning an innovation title at the Southland Export Awards, Ethan Todd has grown his Backlanz brand beyond New Zealand, and has a US company coming onboard to license and manufacture them. “We still underrate ourselves and fully weren’t expecting to receive this,” he says about the recent award. Working with a reputable brand, Backlanz is expected to be officially released into the US in 2026, using the company’s huge presence to sell into all the large retail stores. Ethan has been working nights and weekends on top of his full-time job as an engineer to manufacture over 100 units a month, that are now being sent worldwide – and that’s set to increase significantly in 2025. “It’s just getting too hot to handle,” Ethan says. In November alone he had orders from Spain and Melbourne following trade shows overseas, and a recent batch of bipods – known for being extremely lightweight – made their way to the US military for a trial. “Out of the blue we got an order through the website and intrigued to see who it was, we couldn’t believe it was the US Navy.” The game changed dramatically back in 2020 when he teamed up with a North Island company using a commercial 3D printer for mass production and to really harness new technology. The original ‘Hunting’ range that was largely sold throughout New Zealand was then added to in 2023 with the launch of the new ‘Precision’ range, a second variant of bipod for long range shooters. “We did exceptionally well in the New Zealand market, but the hunting range product didn’t cater for the overseas markets, which led us to develop the new precision range, which is now gaining traction overseas.” Joined by his brother Jack and best friend Sam, Ethan went to the world’s largest hunting trade show in Nuremberg, Germany this year, (IWA Outdoor Classics), and in early 2025, the three will be attending two large trade shows in Atlanta and Salt Lake City. Ethan says people still didn’t quite grasp the full extent of what the product offered until they actually picked one up, because they use high-quality, lightweight material like titanium and carbon fibre. “They look way heavier. But these things are about half to a third the weight of others.” With the growth of the business, there hasn’t been much time for hunting recently, but one of his favourite places is the Wapiti blocks of Fiordland. “Hopefully, I’m heading towards my dream of being able to combine my passion for engineering with hunting and bringing the two together and having fun with it.” There’s also plenty of development and innovation of new products in the pipeline, which will keep him busy, and following a recent trip to the Sika Show, New Zealand’s largest hunting trade show at Mystery Creek, their orders were the biggest they have ever had. • Design • Fabrication • Waterjet Cutting • Press Work • Certified Welding • CNC 5-Axis Machining • Site Maintenance • Conveyors / Machinery Manufacturing • CNC Plate Rolling • Full Machine Shop
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