The Australian Packaging and Processing Machinery Association (APPMA) will exhibit for the first time at FoodTech PackTech 2016, this October in Auckland along with 24 APPMA Member companies will also be exhibiting at FoodTech PackTech 2016. The APPMA represents Australia’s leading packaging and processing machinery and allied components companies and members include manufacturers, distributors and importers of packaging and processing machinery who are suppliers to industries such as food, beverage, dairy, meat, poultry, seafood, confectionery, bakery & snacks and fresh produce.    

Amazon has showcased its first-ever branded cargo aircraft. The Boeing 767-300, operated by Amazon’s air cargo provider Atlas Air, is branded Prime Air as Amazon’s air cargo operation is primarily aimed at serving its Prime members. “Creating an air transport network is expanding our capacity to ensure great delivery speeds for our Prime members for years to come,” said Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations. The aircraft, named Amazon One, is one of 40 that Amazon has agreed to lease through its .  .  .  Continue to full article

The Industry 4.0 concept has slowly been gaining traction over the last four years, and despite aspects of it in use, it still hasn’t properly been realised. In part one of the two-part feature, Michael Freyny, Executive General Manager, Digital Factory, Siemens Australia, tells Brent Balinski about what will be needed to be competitive, and the trend towards batches of one. Continue to Manufacturers' Monthly

The 2017 edition of the Ultimate Aviation Calendar, GHOSTS, A TIME REMEMBERED, is now available from Warbirds & Wheels, Wanaka Airport in-store or for delivery nationwide. The calendar features magnificent air-to-air colour photographs of combat aircraft in World War II and is the work of US-based master aviation photographer Philip Makanna. Each month’s image is set in stunning locations around the world and is suitable for framing once each month is finished. This is the thirty-seventh edition of the world-famous calendar which also includes specifications on each of the aircraft featured and a chronological history of the aviation events of…

Enough is enough, review of overseas banks overdueFriday 12 August 2016 - The Big Four Aussie banks are on track for another year of bumper profits at New Zealand’s expense, says New Zealand First Leader and Northland MP Rt Hon Winston Peters. Chinese control of our meat industryFriday 12 August 2016 - New Zealand First says Silver Fern Farms’ shareholders will regret selling majority control of their co-op to the Chinese but expects the Overseas Investment Office will greenlight it at breakneck speed. NZ first bringing light on true extent of foreign ownershipThursday 11 august 2016 - New Zealand will…

Last week’s debate around skill shortages, particularly in Auckland, showed there are some measures we could implement immediately and other things we could do to ease the tension between the skill requirements of business and the gaps immigrants can fill says Michael Barnett, head of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. The review of Immigration NZ’s approach to recruitment should start by looking at how they target shortages in each region. “It is not enough to just rely on a nationwide skills shortage list.” Immigration NZ’s immediate and long term skills shortages lists must be able to respond rapidly to changes…

Four years ago inventor Brett Cottle followed his girlfriend from Auckland to Westport.  Since then, working out of the Epic technology hub  set up by the well known Dellaca​ family in a former Postie Plus warehouse in Westport, he has  designed an affordable home handyman's desktop-sized computer numerical control machine, a device that cuts wood, plastics and aluminium. He and business partner Brook Matheson,  co-founded Vertigo Technologies, under which they are marketing their GEM_XYZ a desktop sized CNC machine.  

According to the latest BNZ - BusinessNZ Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI). The seasonally adjusted PMI for July was 55.8 (a PMI reading above 50.0 indicates that manufacturing is generally expanding; below 50.0 that it is declining). Although this was 1.8 points lower than June, it still represented healthy growth. The sector remains solidly in expansion in almost all months since October 2012. BusinessNZ's executive director for manufacturing Catherine Beard said that while both production and new orders came back slightly from strong activity levels, employment has been a slow and steady burner in terms of activity. Continue to full…

Steel & Tube Holdings, whose shares have recovered from a 15-year low in the past two months, posted a 9.3 percent decline in full-year underlying profit as it faced increased costs including for substandard products and "intense" rivalry in the local steel market. Underlying profit was $19.4 million in the year ended June 30, from $21.4 million a year earlier, the Wellington-based company said in a statement. Sales rose 3 percent to a record $516 million but the gain was swallowed up by selling and administration expenses and a one-off cost impact in the second half related to product quality…

A new Sydney-based travel platform that aims to connect travellers with “been-there” travel agents has been set up by “a long term marketer and entrepreneur with successes in various industries over his time including bicycle manufacturing and wholesaling”, according to company publicity.  The new platform, called Going.Expert, is currently inviting travel agents to register so they can be matched with clients wanting to travel. Continue to full article

The University of Otago has appointed construction firm Leighs Cockram JV to build its new Dental School. Leighs Cockram JV, is a joint venture company made up of Christchurch-based Leigh’s Construction, and Australian-based Cockram’s Construction. The appointment comes after a two-stage open tender process run via the Government tendering website over 12 weeks. At the conclusion of the process, which evaluated price and non-price attributes of tenders such as construction methodology, quality management, experience with similar projects and managing the links between the existing operations, services, and the new build, Leighs Cockram JV scored the highest and were recommended as…