The latest New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association (NZMEA) Survey of Business Conditions completed during November 2016, shows total sales in October 2016 decreased 6.81% (year on year export sales decreased by 20.72% with domestic sales increasing by 20.14%) on October 2015. In the three months to October, export sales decreased an average of 7.0%, and domestic sales increased 13.9% on average. The NZMEA survey sample this month covered NZ$288m in annualised sales, with an export content of 56%. Net confidence rose to 42, up from -23 in September. The current performance index (a combination of profitability and cash flow)…

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, which is battling rival ResMed over intellectual property for face and nasal masks, has succeeded in overturning the second of two preliminary injunctions against it in Germany, allowing the company to resume sales of the affected products in that country. The District Court in Munich in August granted two preliminary injunctions preventing the sale of F&P Simplus, Eson and Eson 2 masks in Germany by F&P Healthcare's German subsidiary. The first injunction was overturned on Nov. 17, and the second on Dec. 1, allowing the company to resume sale of the products, Auckland-based F&P Healthcare said…

Private equity-owned Patties Foods, the maker of brands such as Nanna’s, Herbert Adams and Four’N Twenty pies, has bought New Zealand company Leader Products, a manufacturer of frozen convenience food products. Patties Foods, bought by Pacific Equity Partners for $232 million in September, says the two companies are natural partners, both focused on manufacturing high quality frozen foods. Leader, started by Tony Peterson and Richard Crabb in 1998, exports to Australia and Asia and has doubled revenue in the past five years. The product range includes meatballs, burger patties, toppas, finger foods and meal solutions under the brands Leader, Tony’s…

Diverseco, Australia's leading integrated measurement, packaging and product inspection solutions provider, is delighted to announce the acquisition of Robot Technologies/Systems Australia (RTA). RTA is Australia’s foremost integrator of robotic automation, with over thirty years of experience and expertise in industrial robotics, manufacturing automation, process automation and factory automation. The company supplies and services robotics equipment for businesses within a broad range of industries across Australia and New Zealand. These include manufacturing, mining, commodity handling, defence and pharmaceutical. The company’s suppliers include leading brands Kawasaki, Staubli, Kyokutoh, Servo-Robot, Nitta and Pro-face, with RTA currently providing applications for material handling, sorting, machine…

Kennards Hire finds itself quite at home in New Zealand. So much so that they continue to build the family-owned business with the acquisition of Tauranga Hire - its 17th branch in New Zealand. Kennards Hire is an equipment and tool hire company with almost 170 branches across New Zealand and Australia. Following their recent branch opening in Hamilton in August this year, the Tauranga branch opened as Kennards Hire on Monday, 31 October and characterises Kennards Hire’s aim to offer New Zealanders the best of the hire and rental industry. Tom Kimber, General Manager of Kennards Hire New Zealand…

Vp plc, the equipment rental specialist, today announces the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of TechRentals NZ Ltd ("TRNZ") for a cash consideration of NZ$2.592 million (New Zealand dollars). TRNZ is engaged in the specialist rental of test & measurement equipment and calibration services in New Zealand.� The business, which has been established for over 30 years, currently operates from a single location in Auckland, New Zealand. In April 2016, Vp plc announced the acquisition of TR Pty Ltd ("TR"), also engaged in the specialist rental of test & measurement equipment and provider of calibration services in Australia…

The government is updating copyright regulations to ensure the Copyright Act 1994 full takes account of New Zealand international copyright obligations, says Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Paul Goldsmith. “When a foreign work is protected by copyright in New Zealand, it is protected because of international agreements to which New Zealand is a party to. Our Copyright Act needs updating from time to time to ensure continuity with our international obligations,” says Mr Goldsmith. Amendments to the Copyright (Application to Other Countries) Order 1995 (the Order) will provide nationals of countries who have recently joined the World Trade Organization, the…