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New Zealand’s Promapp Solutions – an industry-leading provider of cloud-based business process management (BPM) software for creating and managing business processes online – is expanding its U.S. presence, opening its second U.S. office in Austin, Texas.

Promapp already has seven employees in the new Austin office, with plans to add other sales and marketing positions in the near future. The company is currently recruiting for several positions, including a Marketing Operations Manager, and additional Account Executives and Sales Development Representatives.

Source: Business Wire

Auckland-based Skellerup wants to take the technical expertise of the liquid silicone rubber maker to a wider market, saying the product is ideal for "sterile environments and use in high-precision medical and consumer products". The shares dipped 0.5 percent to $1.93, and are near the $2.07 record reached last month.

Source: Scoop

Deloitte businesses in Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand and Southeast Asia, announced they are coming together to create Deloitte Asia Pacific. This move will allow for greater investment and focus on Deloitte's clients in the region.

Together, the five geographies will invest an additional US$321m over the next three years. The investment will enhance Deloitte's ability to serve its global, national and private market clients by enhancing service capabilities and growing talent. Deloitte Asia Pacific will come into effect on 1 September 2018, and will collectively have almost 44,500 partners and people, with the potential to create a US$10b business by 2022.

Source: Scoop

There is no denying that US companies are on to something when it comes to brand and marketing. According to Forbes, eight out of 10 of the world’s most valuable brands come from the USA. With an unabashed ability to tell their story at every opportunity, we look at four tips to help you create content that sells, with the help of four (American) Brand and Marketing Gurus.

Source: NZTE

JetBlue Technology Ventures® (JTV), the venture capital subsidiary of JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU), today announced its latest efforts to help fuel travel industry innovation. The Silicon-Valley-based company, which incubates, invests in, and partners with early-stage start-ups at the intersection of technology and travel is announcing an International Innovation Partnership with launch partner Air New Zealand.

JTV and Air New Zealand will work together to build an internationally recognised technology innovation ecosystem that will seek out, partner and implement emerging technologies in the travel sector. For JetBlue Technology Ventures, the International Innovation Partnership will expand the opportunities for existing and potential portfolio companies, as well as other startup partners. For Air New Zealand, the partnership will offer early access to emerging technologies as well as an entrance into the Silicon Valley innovation ecosystem. Together the two companies, along with future partners, will build a network to better address changes coming to the travel industry as well as improve efficiencies within the existing infrastructure.

“Air New Zealand has a proud history of product innovation and we’re thrilled to be at the centre of the immense commercial and customer experience opportunities emerging from the intersection of technology and travel,” said Christopher Luxon, CEO of Air New Zealand, “As one of the most innovative airlines globally, Air New Zealand has a proud reputation for nimbly being able to seize opportunities and take these to market. We have been growing a terrific ecosystem of global partners as we seek to redefine the future of air travel. Partnering with JetBlue Technology Ventures is an important step in achieving that goal.”

“We established JetBlue Technology Ventures to expand upon JetBlue’s reputation as an innovative travel brand,” said Bonny Simi, President of JetBlue Technology Ventures. “As we further that mission, we are excited to expand our global reach and impact by building relationships with a like-minded travel partners across the travel and hospitality spectrum worldwide. Air New Zealand, with their focus on innovation and seeking creative solutions to industry challenges, is an excellent launch partner for the ecosystem.”

JTV expects to announce other travel and hospitality partners to join the ecosystem over the coming months. All partners will co-locate an innovation outpost in the JTV Silicon Valley location, creating a compelling ecosystem for startups in the expanding JTV portfolio of innovative startups.

For companies doing business with the USA

New Bilateral Entrepreneur/Innovator of the Year with the USA award introduced

The American Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2018 AmCham-DHL Express Success and Innovation Awards, held in conjunction with United Airlines, the 19th year of these awards celebrating success and innovation for companies doing business with the USA.

Mike Hearn, Executive Director for AmCham, says 2018 has seen another very strong group of entries, covering a diverse range of products and services. The quality of entries made it even more difficult for judges to select this year’s finalists.

“Trade, investment and tourism links with the USA continue to grow and this year’s entrants have shown considerable success.” says Mr Hearn.

“Following the inclusion of a Tourism award in 2017, this year we have added a new award, the Bilateral Entrepreneur/Innovator of the Year with the USA. This award recognizes an individual’s entrepreneurial spirit; financial performance; strategic direction; national/global impact; innovation; personal integrity/influence, and benefits to NZ and USA.    

Commenting on the awards, Mark Foy, Country Manager, DHL Express New Zealand, said “DHL Express are proud sponsors for the 10th year of AmCham New Zealand’s annual awards, celebrating Kiwi business success between New Zealand and the United States. As an international express logistics provider, we are committed to helping Kiwi businesses navigate international trade, and the USA is a major trading partner for Kiwi businesses.

The annual ExportNZ DHL Export Barometer highlighted a steady increase in NZ exports to the USA, with an increase of 6% for 2017. This is a testament to the innovation and Kiwi ingenuity that thrives among the export community and we predict to see this same trend continue with the 2018 results.

The high calibre of this year’s finalists demonstrates the ongoing success of Kiwi businesses tapping into and reaping the benefits of the USA export market. DHL congratulates all of the finalists for 2018”

The finalists are:

Importer of the Year from the USA

• Ford New Zealand

• Hawaiki Submarine Cable LP

• Protempo Ltd

Investor of the Year to or from the USA

• Goat Ventures

• Infratil Ltd/New Zealand Superannuation Fund

• Tourism Holdings Ltd

Exporter of the Year to the USA under $1 million

• Dexibit Limited

• Eagle Protect Group

• Fix & Fogg

• Tekron International Ltd

• Ubco Ltd

Exporter of the Year to the USA $1 million to $10 million

• EROAD Ltd

• Organic Initiative (Oi)

• Redshield Security Ltd

• RJ’s Licorice Ltd

Exporter of the Year to the USA over $10 million

• Endace Measurement Systems Ltd

• New Zealand King Salmon

• Pushpay Holdings Ltd

Bilateral Connections with the USA

• BioPacific Partners

• Goat Ventures

• MARS Bioimaging Ltd

• Wharf42 Ltd

Contribution to Tourism with the USA

• Let's Travel Magazine

• Regency Tourism Group in collaboration with APTMS

• The Walshe Group

• Tourism Holdings Ltd

• Visit Anaheim

Bilateral Entrepreneur/Innovator of the Year with the USA

• Chip Dawson
  

• Helen Robinson, ONZM

• Ralph Highnam

• Shaveer Mirpuri

One of the above will be chosen as the Supreme winner.

One other award will be presented on the night:  The AmCham Supporter of the Year.

The awards will be presented at a black tie gala dinner at the Pullman Hotel Auckland on 16th August with the Hon Grant Robertson representing the government and US Ambassador Scott Brown presenting the Importer of the Year award.

In addition to AmCham, DHL Express and United Airlines, the awards are supported by ANZ Bank, Baldwins, Fonterra Co-operative, and media sponsor The New Zealand Business.

Previous winners of the Supreme Award have included Peace Software; Airways Corporation; HumanWare; Tenon; Orion Health; Zeacom; SMI Group; Fonterra; Pratt & Whitney Air New Zealand Services t/a Christchurch Engine Centre; Buckley Systems; Greenshell New Zealand; Vista Entertainment; Fisher & Paykel Healthcare and Zespri International.

From Ingham chicken and McCain’s fries, to locally grown lettuce and tomatoes, McDonald’s shopping list looks a lot like the average Kiwis, with one exception: the final bill which saw $155 million spent on local produce in 2017.

McDonald’s isn’t just purchasing for New Zealand either. Overseas McDonald’s markets including Australia, the United States and Asia, purchased a further $207 million of Kiwi produce, taking the total amount earned by Kiwi suppliers to $362 million.

Source: Scoop

Turists are flooding into our airports everyday and many of them are billionaires looking for a true Kiwi experience. But where do the rich and powerful go to when visiting NZ?

Veronika Vermeulen, from Aroha Tours, is taking her very high-end customers to Taihape for a chance to connect with real locals.

Waikato based Agritech company Halter has raised $8 million from US venture capitalists which it will use to develop its IoT and artificial intelligence technologies that help cattle farmers manage their herds.

The investment round was led by Data Collective, the largest backers of Rocket lab, with support from Founders Fund (Peter Thiel), and Ubiquity Ventures. Rocket Labs’ Peter Beck, Promus Ventures’ Mike Collett and Matt Ocko from Data Collective now account for three of Halter’s four board members.

Halter says it has developed a solar powered, GPS-enabled intelligent neckband that uses sensory cues to direct cows, enabling farmers to move and manage their cows remotely with a few simple swipes of a screen.

Source: Computerworld New Zealand

New Zealand's leading maritime freight, supply chain and Trade News newspaper New Zealand Shipping Gazette recently published a special report on trade with North America.

Read the digital publication here.