Tru-Test Group success shows NZ as manufacturing alternative
Media Release – for immediate release, 27 September 2013
Tru-Test Group success shows NZ as manufacturing alternative to China
Tru-Test Group’s winning the Judges’ Supreme Award for International Business in the New Zealand International Business Awards shows New Zealand can be a better place for manufacturing than China, managing director Greg Muir says.
Tru-Test Group tonight won both the ANZ Best Business Operating Internationally over $50 million award, and the Judges’ Supreme Award for International Business.
Tru-Test Group is the world leader in livestock production systems, including electric fence technology, milk cooling and storage, animal weighing and recording and milk metering. Tru-Test Group has also been a New Zealand pioneer in adopting Lean manufacturing philosophies.
Doing most of the manufacture in New Zealand reflects a number of competitive advantages locally:
• Simpler distribution logistics given the company’s multiple product lines and 100 plus export destinations
• The ability to do short product runs
• The ability to produce exact amounts of product required by the market at any time, minimising inventory over-runs (or shortages)
• Enhanced quality control through having centralised operations
• The opportunities for contract manufacturing for other organisations in New Zealand
“When we decided to continue to manufacture in New Zealand we knew it meant competing on the international manufacturing stage,” Mr Muir said.
“The only way to do this was with an absolute commitment to adopting new ideas, maximising efficiency and minimising waste.”
This has been key to Tru-Test Group releasing 20 new products in to 100 countries worldwide in the past three years.
ENDS