Waikato Chamber Of Commerce Launches In South Waikato With Help Of Local Legends

Who knew South Waikato was a cradle for business success? Waikato Chamber of Commerce does and has called on business leaders to tell their stories as it launches into the district on Wednesday 6 March.

Speaking at a local business networking event hosted by Waikato Chamber of Commerce and supported by the South Waikato Investment Fund Trust (SWIFT) and Wintec/Toi Ohomai, will be:

• David Hallett, co-founder of software innovator Company-X,
• Tjay Asiata, Group Chief Executive of Pasifika-owned business strategy, training and recruitment business LM4 Group, and
• Gareth van der Heyden, CEO of Better Eggs, one of New Zealand’s largest egg producers

Co-founded by David Hallett and Jeremy Hughes in 2013, Company-X is a leader in the defence, infrastructure, software-as-a-service (SaaS) and technology sectors, innovating systems through software to tackle key challenges for businesses and government agencies.

With offices in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga and Christchurch, LM4 Group’s three subsidiaries – Alignz Recruitment, training company Puatala and strategy, accounting and HR company Oyonnx – deliver people-focused solutions to commercial and government customers across New Zealand.

With a focus on hen welfare and sustainable practices, Better Eggs’ 140-hectare forestry farm on a former forestry block in Tokoroa is part of the Better Eggs Group which supplies nearly a quarter of New Zealand’s retail egg market.

Waikato Chamber of Commerce CEO Don Good says with many more innovative businesses, especially in the forestry, engineering, home construction, social services and the education sectors, establishing themselves in Tokoroa and Putaruru, this has created a demand for better connections with regional, national and global companies.

“In collaboration with SWIFT, our intention is to initiate activities through a proposed Waikato Chamber membership that will add value to businesses in South Waikato through advocacy and lobbying, networking events, social media activity to raise brand awareness, and connections with businesses in the wider Waikato region.

“We have received a great deal of interest from South Waikato businesses who are looking to grow and want better connections with regional, national and global companies. Connecting and inspiring businesspeople is a major part of what the Waikato Chamber does. With over 14,000 Chambers throughout the globe representing over 45 million businesses there is a world of opportunity to connect. We have partnered with Te Pukenga/Toi Ohomai and SWIFT to hold this event focusing on how we can help facilitate those connections.”

SWIFT CEO Amanda Hema says SWIFT and the Waikato Chamber of Commerce are complementary with SWIFT focusing more on local capability development and the Chamber being able to provide regional, national and international connections.

About South Waikato

The South Waikato District lies at the heart of New Zealand’s North Island with State Highway 1 running through three of our main towns - Tokoroa, Putāruru and Tīrau. The other main town is Arapuni village, home to Arapuni hydro power station. The district’s close proximity to Hamilton, Tauranga and Auckland, all less than a two-hour drive away, makes it an attractive place to live and do business.

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