Why buy a business in the Bay of Plenty? The Bay of Plenty, centrally located on the North Island in close proximity to Auckland and the Waikato region, is a prosperous area of New Zealand with many opportunities for investment. Its coastline is rich with natural resources, including plenty of water and fertile soil, making it the heartland of New Zealand’s agriculture, horticulture, forestry and geothermal energy industries.
Areas of Investment Opportunity
Forestry and Wood Processing
The Bay of Plenty contains New Zealand’s largest area of plantation forest. Investment opportunities exist to establish businesses in wood processing and those that export wood and wood fibre products. The Bay of Plenty produces 21 per cent of the total exotic timber harvested in New Zealand and 40 per cent of the country’s overall wood harvest.
With its abundant fields, excellent infrastructure for transport and excellent soil conditions, the Bay of Plenty is a compelling region to invest in the production, supply and processing of wood and wood products.
Agriculture
The Bay of Plenty’s agricultural industry centres on kiwifruit and avocado production and it continues to experience significant growth. Other land areas are currently being investigated and researched for additional opportunities, including niche crops and honey plantations. In addition, the establishment of New Zealand’s largest marine mussel farm is creating significant opportunities in eastern areas of the region, from hatcheries to farming and processing.
Leading-Edge Research
Through extensive research, this sector has made significant technological advancements to help service other primary industries, including wood processing, marine, agriculture and horticulture. Manufacturing companies in this region produce goods for domestic and international markets, including aluminium ducting, solar panels, tools and equipment. For servicing the growing marine sector, some companies produce automatic and manual watertight door closures for boats and water equipment.
With considerable activity taking place in these key industries, many investment opportunities exist within these fields for new and seasoned investors.
Why the Bay of Plenty Is Favourable for Investors
Economic Activity
The Bay of Plenty’s Port of Tauranga is New Zealand’s largest international seaport for exports and it drives a significant amount of economic activity in the region. The existence of rail lines, including the most densely used one in all of New Zealand and a well-developed road infrastructure, help provide connections to the Bay of Plenty from surrounding areas.
The Bay of Plenty also:
- Accounts for 5.6 per cent of the country’s GDP
- Makes up 6.6 per cent of total employment throughout New Zealand
With numbers like these, it’s easy to see that businesses are active for this region of New Zealand and will likely continue to grow for many years in the future.
Key Industries
According to StatsNZ, the top five industries in the Bay of Plenty region include:
- Healthcare
- Retail trade
- Manufacturing
- Education and training
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing
Investors would be wise to choose to start a business within any one of these industries, as growth is expected for each of them. The number of paid employees in the region rose 3 per cent from 2006-2013 and is expected to rise further when new statistics are compiled.
Population
A total of 267,741 people live in the Bay of Plenty region as of the 2013 census. This is an increase of 4 per cent, or 10,362 people, since the 2006 census. For potential business investors, an increase in population growth is a positive sign, especially if that business counts on the presence of consumers to make it successful. The Bay of Plenty ranks 5th in population out of the 16 total regions in New Zealand.
The Bay of Plenty is a thriving, growing region of New Zealand that is ripe with investment opportunity in many industries, reflective of its strengthening economy. Many companies have already established themselves in the region with many more planned for the next few years.
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