Last week we opened up our Dunedin workshop for an evening with Advancing Manufacturing Aotearoa and Business South.

We took guests through the facility and talked about how we’ve grown from a small local jobbing shop into a precision manufacturer with parts going into advanced prosthetics, space applications and industries around the world.

We also heard from Catherine Lye of Advancing Manufacturing Aotearoa on the work underway to support advanced manufacturing here in New Zealand and help it grow into international markets.

To close the night, we ran a panel discussion on funding growth in manufacturing, a timely topic given the further growth we’ve got planned here at United. Representatives from Invest New Zealand, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Private Capital Group and Bank of New Zealand shared their insights into building a solid business case, working through policy settings like Investment Boost, and weighing up debt against equity funding.

It was a great chance for us to share our story with the local business community and be part of a wider conversation about where manufacturing in New Zealand is headed next.