If you’ve signed up your business on Made From New Zealand already, this message is for you. If you haven’t: go do it now, and come straight on back….

The Made From New Zealand community is growing by more than 100 companies a week, and we’re really making an impact on Google. Today we want to tell you about that, and let you know how we can help you get even more profile and traffic.

Across all of the business profiles on the Made From New Zealand community, the average Google ranking is 9.5 (as at Feb 12), which means, on average, your profile page is appearing on the first page of Google. In many cases, your Made From New Zealand profile ranks number one: so when anyone in the world searches for your business name, your profile page is the first result that comes up. We love it when that happens. And it’s happening more and more…

Try it yourself: Google Epic Brewing Company. See? Number 6 on the page. Or Planhq. That’s number 4. How about Voom Studio. It’s number 1! See how it works?

The team here are 100% focused on getting the average ranking across all member profiles as high up that Google page as possible. Our mission is to dramatically increase New Zealand’s profile online, and we’re doing it one business at a time.

So how are we going to do it? Well, it’s all about you. Your stories, your product launches. Your successes. Your export plans. Whatever your business is up to, we want to know about it so we can add the story to your profile page, your industry page, and the home page. Think of us as your personal free PR and promotions machine: send us a hundred words or so, attach a pic if you have a good one (if not no problem, we’ll use your profile pic) and we’ll post your story on the site.

The more stories you tell, the more links we can create between your content and your profile. And that means more Google love for you and everyone else in the community. Pretty soon, New Zealand’s business community will be the best-promoted in the world: as individual business profiles get promoted, entire industry categories follow: so when someone in Brazil searches for furniture, New Zealand will come up first; when someone in Australia is searching for web designers, New Zealand will come up first, when someone in the UK is searching for baby clothes, New Zealand will… you get the picture.

As you send us more news, your profile’s ranking will increase, you’ll get more traffic, and then it’s up to you to turn that into a sale. You can check out exactly how much traffic you’re getting every day via your Made From New Zealand dashboard: but I’ll tell you more abut that in my next note.

In the meantime, send us your news, okay? That’s the story.

Going global from New Zealand is an ambition many New Zealanders hold in their hearts. Made From New Zealand uncovered someone who’s been doing it successfully for a while, and discovers the world’s richest photography prize originates from Aotearoa!

In 1998, New Zealander Geoff Blackwell launched an ambitious photographic competition with the unusual acronym M.I.L.K. – Moments of Intimacy, Laughter and Kinship, Fresh MILK Photography Competition. The competition received over 40,000 entries from all over the world, culminating in a collection of 300 winning entries – 100 in each category of Family, Friendship and Love, selected by Magnum photographer Elliot Erwitt.

The collection was published worldwide in a series of award-winning books, and received global recognition when an exhibition opened at Grand Central Station in New York City in July 2001, and toured the world. The M.I.L.K. books have subsequently been published in numerous languages and sold over three million copies.

Ten years later, M.I.L.K. Licensing, in association with Elliot Erwitt, is again offering the world’s most generous photography prize with Fresh M.I.L.K. – a USD$125,000 international photography competition. Entry is free and the 150 winning finalists will be chosen by Erwitt, with the overall winner pocketing USD$50,000.

The 150 winning images will be published in a new book in 2009, entitled: “Fresh M.I.L.K.: Friends, Families, Lovers & Laughter,” and on selected licensed products. Photographers will retain copyright of their images in exchange for granting M.I.L.K. a non-exclusive license.

So why is Blackwell doing this? “We wanted to commemorate the tenth anniversary of staging the M.I.L.K. competition. Given the popularity of the original collection, we felt the time was right to once again stage a photographic competition that celebrates humanity and, particularly, moments shared between families, friends and loved ones,” said Blackwell. “I’m really excited to see the diversity in the entries coming in, and can’t wait to begin the selection process.”

Blackwell is also excited to be working with Chief Judge Elliot Erwitt again: “Elliot is one of photography’s great masters. We’re so honoured to have his involvement again.”

When the inaugural competition launched, the internet was still in its infancy, and the task of spreading the word took a dedicated effort from the M.I.L.K. team, hitting websites and publishing adverts in prestigious photographic magazines. This time around, Blackwell is making good use of integrated web communities to spread the word around the globe.

“Using well-established online communities was the obvious way to promote our competition. People are so globally connected and networked these days, it really does make running this type of global competition much less complicated than it was ten years ago,” said Blackwell.

Because this is an online competition, only electronic images submitted online will be accepted – no physical prints or images on disc will be accepted. There are guidelines for submission requirements on the website. There is also a page with the judging criteria, which it would pay to read before you start submitting your favourite holiday snaps!

For a detailed overview of the M.I.L.K. project and full details of entry, visit www.milkphotos.com. The competition closes on the 31st of December 2008 – so get snapping, selecting and submitting!

Our mate Rob Warner was up in Singapore earlier this month DJing the first 42 Below Silent Disco to take place in Asia at the stylish Loof bar in Singapore. As you can see Rob was kind enough to rock the very stylish Made From New Zealand Tee, and check out the roof top location. See more at Robs blog

If you’re about to embark on major overseas business trip (maybe you’re attending a conference or speaking in front of a large group of people) and you’d like to represent Made From New Zealand like Rob, then drop us a line a support@madefromnewzealand.com and we’ll see if we can hook you up.

While the global economy stutters, the team at Huffer are making an effort at reviving retail therapy for the jaded US shopper by shaking up the West Coast of the USA; citizens take heart - Huffer has landed!

From humble beginnings in 1997, founders Steve Dunstan and Dan Buckley have been building up a global streetwear brand that reflects their art-inspired fashion sense. “We wanted to create a culture and a business that’s fun to be in, and we have, - we got this business that is super fun to be at – we crank work hard but its just so much fun – its not much like work at all” said Buckley. They’ve succeeded in creating an inspirational environment and a gang of people around the world who believe in Huffer and love the thought of going to work every day in the Huffer world.

Stores in Japan, and Australia already feature Huffer styles, but the guys knew cranking the lucrative US market would really make them a global force. So far it’s been a two-year process, with Dunstan basing himself in the US to sell in the range. “We’ve got a good gang in the US as well,” said Buckley. “They really believe in what we’re doing and have taken ownership of the brand – it’s not just ‘work’ for them either, our mate wiLL – he’s just a good guy, hes in L.A and its just a pleasure to work on projects with him.”

Teaming up with Willard Ford and his 722 Figueroa showroom has helped Huffer understand the vast US market, and how their unique design style can make an impact. “People who like fashion, and modern stylized brand-based thinking can be opinionated – they’ll either love Huffer or love something else ,” said Buckley. “hopefully we offer up some hot idea’s, identity and fresh products.”
Expanding into the US hasn’t been an easy road. “It’s a bit like surfing,” said Buckley, “you start off, have a few wobbles, fall off the board, find your feet and get the hang of it. right now we have caught a couple of waves, wiped out once or twice (luckily we are pretty good at holding our breath) and we are hoping to get straight up barrelled sometime soon, pop out, and then just smash the lip.” It’s not something that can be done from New Zealand, hence Dunstan’s drive for sales on the ground in the US. “You’ve got to have confidence and back yourself,” he said. “You can get in the door, so once you’re in, you need to show you can do it.” Selling in a little under USD$100,000 worth of Huffer isn’t bad for the first shipment, which is hitting US stores as you read this.

Huffer are also joining the e-commerce world, with the launch of the online Huffer store on the 14th of November. “It’s just like opening a new store,” said Buckley, who is in love with the internet. It’s not the first time they’ve dabbled online, but they’ve learned valuable lessons from previous attempts. “We’re growing the business and giving customers options,” said Buckley. “We’re also conscious about working with our retail partners to get the best outcome, we are very conscious of the fact that great business is a growing business, and not a changing one. we intend to have our web presence continue to be the compliment to our wholesale business that it always has been, we are working on all of our existing business partnerships, so as they grow and prosper.”

The team are already selling in their second range to US buyers and are confident their unique Huffer style will win the hearts of discerning shoppers. “Raw sophistication is a good explanation for what we do,” said Buckley.

Just what the world needs.

The Bro’s at Huffer have given us 10 Huffer T-shirts to give away. All you have to do to be in the draw to win one of these sweet tees is to give Huffer some love on their Made From New Zealand profile Winners will be announced next week.

In 2004, artist Rona Ngahuia Osborne, designer Dan Mace, and Lindsay Mace, business manager extraordinaire, joined forces and launched Native Agent’. Since then their business has grown steadily and has something of a cult following.

Native Agent’s flagship store is situated in the creative suburb of Kingsland.
Best known for their own brand of exquisitely crafted cushions, quilts and clothing, the store also showcases some of the best design, art, fashion, music and culture New Zealand has to offer.

Central to Native Agent’s aesthetic is the creative handiwork of designer and artist Rona Ngahuia Osborne. Inspired by the meeting of Maori and Pakeha cultures in New Zealand’s colonial past, she creates woollen blankets, cushions, linen and clothing that have won a place in many hearts, and homes.

In 19th century New Zealand, Native Agents were representatives of the crown. They were fluent in the Maori language and therefore able to advocate for and assist Maori with land transactions and other matters of law. Osborne’s partner Dan is a descendant of a Native Agent, and this title seemed an appropriate name for their new venture, an agency where the best ‘native’ New Zealand design could be showcased to the world.

Osborne’s work is rich in symbolism, weaving together stories that reflect her family’s history, stories of the blending of bloodlines and the coming together of many people.

Woollen blankets were common items of trade between European settlers and Maori, so it is fitting that they form the foundation for many of Osborne’s works. She adorns them with layers of shape, colour and iconography representative of New Zealand’s cultural history and symbols of the natural world.

Many of the defining themes in the work that Osborne creates as Native Agent make historical references to land struggles that led to conflict and war, the trading of muskets and blankets for land, and the extinction of native flora and fauna. These struggles are as relevant today as they were at the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

The work created as Native Agent has a profound resonance that speaks of Aotearoa’s combined histories, wild places and people. These stories add to our sense of identity and capture something of the unique place we call home.

Paihia Taxis & Tours Limited is,as far as we know, the only company of its kind that runs its vehicles on 100% Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO), known locally as “Geoff’s Gourmet Gas” and is not to be confused with biodiesel We operate what is known as “The Paihia “it’s not a HYBRID, it’s a FRYBRID” shuttle, “Geoff’s Gourmet Gas” is simply Waste Vegetable Oil which is collected on a regular basis from local chip shops and restaurants, cleaned and filtered down to 5 microns in Paihia Taxis & Tours Limited’s own (waste vegetable) oil refinery then used as fuel in 2 Toyota shuttle/tour vans.

Paihia Taxis & Tours Limited, are committed to “doing their bit” to try to keep their part of New Zealand clean and green and to attract more environmentally concerned tourists to New Zealand’s Winterless North. Paihia Taxis & Tours Limited is literally a “mom and pop” business with Geoff and Naomi doing everything that needs to be done.

The 2 Toyota vans, used in the business, have now been converted to run on 100% WVO. The conversion kit was invented by 2 enterprising young individuals in Whangarei who were supplied with free oil while testing the kit in one of their own vehicles. The arrangement was that if the kit worked, and it did, then Paihia Taxis & Tours Limited would be their first customer, and they were. The first conversion, on a 1999 Toyota Hiace, was done in December 2007 and the vehicle has done well over 15000 km on 100%WVO since that time. The van averages 8.5 km per litre which has meant a saving of some 1760 litres of diesel and, assuming $1.20 per litre, a saving of over $2,100.00 in fuel costs. The second van, a 2003 Toyota, has now been converted and the company is now, in effect, energy self sufficient as far as its vehicles are concerned. Geoff collects the dirty oil, cleans it and puts it in the 1000 litre storage tank until it is required. The company has an increasing demand for its surplus oil, which is sold to regular customers in Whangarei for $0.70 per litre plus GST, and which causes periodic “peak oil” problems of its own!

Paihia Taxis & Tours Limited see their switch to 100% WVO as one of two major changes that have been made during the past year. The second one is in the area of “trees.” The company is experimenting with growing 2 types of trees. One is known as “the miracle tree” because of its many beneficial properties, not least of which are the oil content of its seeds, which is food grade and can be used as biofuel after being used for cooking, and (the seed) can also be used as a water purifier. The University of Leicester has set up a complete water purifying system in the African country of Mali, using the seeds from “the miracle tree.” The second is known as “the diesel tree” because its oil can be used as an alternative to diesel and the seed cake makes very good fertiliser. The “diesel tree” is also a “Nitrogen fixing” tree which is beneficial to the environment.

Both trees are susceptible to frost, but can survive “light” frosts, which is why it is hoped that they will grow successfully in Northland, New Zealand’s “Winterless North.” There are vast tracts of land in Northland which, if the trees survive Winter, could be planted with both species. The benefits from the trees would be enormous. There would be carbon credits for a start followed by the harvesting of the leaves and fruit (seeds),all of which are edible, from “the miracle tree” and the seeds from “the diesel tree.” The beauty of both species is that they can be harvested every year without being cut down, unlike the case with Pine trees, and the land owner doesn’t have to wait 30 years for a return. The other benefits would be a reduction in the importation of cooking oil and diesel fuel thereby helping to reduce New Zealand’s astronomical overseas debt.

Paihia Taxis & Tours Limited hope that, as a result of their total switch from fossil fuel (diesel) to 100% Waste Vegetable Oil and their ability to custom design programmes/tours, they will become the Northland transport provider of choice for corporate travel incentive companies and conference groups.
Our latest endeavour is investigating alcohol as a fuel. Geoff attenede an Eco conference in Taupo recently where he heard and met David Blume, author of “Alcohol Can Be A Gas.’ David came to Kaikohe and spoke to a packed hall of some 140, holding them spell bound with his examples of how alcohol cannot only fuel vehicles locally and sustainably, but also benefit the environment by reducing green house gases and the use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers and helping to eliminate the use of GM seeds. A visit to “www.permaculture.com” will be very enlightening. We are becoming an importer/distributor of the book “Alcohol Can Be a Gas”

Scott Unsworth started selling his Performance Speedsuits out of his Toyota Corolla back in 1992. Word got around about the performance, flexibility and buoyancy of the wetsuits and pretty soon there was demand from triathletes all around the world. In 1995 he launched the Orca brand, which can now be found in over 30 countries around the world. While Orca is still regarded as one of the top triathlon wetsuit brands, we also make triathlon apparel, cycle and swimming gear, and general run/fitness apparel. We sponsor world champion triathletes, cyclists, free divers, kayakers and a guy who swam the length of the Amazon.

What makes us “Made from New Zealand”.

The Orca business was started in New Zealand and it’s CEO Scott Unsworth still owns and runs the company. We have an office in Auckland that looks after global marketing and sponsor New Zealands and athletes.

The Company’s principle is to operate with utmost integrity at all times, whilst ethically adhering to a win-win philosophy.

Central to the mission, is the reinforcement of New Zealand’s distinguished position in motoring, by marketing an outstanding supercar capable of delivering the drive of dreams for its owners, and profitable returns for the Company’s investors.

In the first year, an initial global sales target of 10 cars has been set. The directors believe, given the HULME supercars unique design and performance capabilities, a global sales target of 30 cars per year is achievable, though options are in place to cover both lower and higher volumes.

This New Zealand story is based on the podium glory of Kiwi motor racing greats Denny Hulme, Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon, which is today continuing with the success of Scott Dixon and the New Zealand A1 Grand Prix team.

New Zealand has a reputation for excellence and achievement disproportionate to its size, as witnessed not only in motor racing but also in a wide field of endeavours. A New Zealander led the team that first split the atom, scaled to the top of Mount Everest, directed the Oscar winning “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, plus the latest internationally acclaimed film, “The World’s Fastest Indian”, that embodies New Zealanders “can-do” attitude. A New Zealand team twice won the America’s Cup, and we have top golfer Michael Campbell as U.S. Open Champion following in the footsteps of Sir Bob Charles.

New Zealand is a boutique participant in world markets, ideally positioned to provide the quality and exclusivity that are desired in the select world of supercars.

NEW ZEALAND
A Great Place to Sail…

…A Great Place to Build a Winning Team.

New Zealand is a location that gives our company, and with it our partners, significant advantages of business environment, quality of demand, and market positioning.

For a company involved in marketing premium sailing products, New Zealand provides one of the best product-testing grounds anywhere. With a longer coastline than any other country in the world (relative to land mass) ours is a truly maritime nation. Magnificent sailing conditions and a proud tradition in competitive yachting mean that sailing is a major influence on our lives, on how we spend our leisure time, and on how we use our incomes. The benefit we gain from being so close an active marine market as large and discerning as ours is near impossible to quantify.

Because of our sailing environment and our high sporting ambition as a nation, New Zealand and its sailors have an extremely strong reputation internationally. Outstanding victories in practically all major world sailing competitions by New Zealand skippers, crews, boats and boat designs have, over the last 40 years, contributed to a perception of New Zealand as a superpower of sailing. Naturally this does a great deal to cast credibility on the New Zealand marine industry – in which Line 7 plays an important and very active role.

The pinnacle of New Zealand’s proud sailing history is, without a doubt, the winning of the America’s Cup in San Diego in 1995 – where motivation, sailing skill and experience, teamwork and technology combined to provide a spectacular and convincing result. Team New Zealand’s victory was a result savoured and celebrated by all New Zealanders and sailing fans worldwide.

As the exclusive supplier of clothing to Team New Zealand in 1995, 2000 and 2003 and 2007, as well as several New Zealand sailing representatives at the Olympic Games - we at Line 7 are proud of the contribution we are able to make to New Zealand’s exemplary international sailing record.

We like to believe that the outstanding qualities that underpinned Team New Zealand’s victory are values to be lived by in our own field of competition. We continue to work hard to maintain the attitude and level of excellence required to earn the same results and reputation our most famous wearers have earned.