Ten Christchurch companies to watch in 2018

23 July 2018

The top 10 Christchurch companies to keep an eye on for future growth include a life changing burger experience offering free hugs, a tiny house accommodation provider and an innovative GPS fleet tracking company.

These companies have received a welcome boost from an intensive 12-week mentoring programme that aims to propel businesses with great ideas to their next level, with many previous participants going on to expand nationally and internationally

Designed to empower the city’s best and brightest business talent, the Hi-Growth Launch Programme (HGLP) is delivered by economic development agency ChristchurchNZ with support from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

ChristchurchNZ General Manager of Business and Innovation Richard Sandford says many businesses have gone on to expand and achieve great things after completing the programme.

“This is a catalyst for Christchurch businesses to scale up by giving them the courage and know-how to face business challenges and often crack into overseas markets,” he says.

Mr Sandford says enabling local businesses to expand has an important flow-on effect on Christchurch’s broader ecosystem and economy as it creates new job opportunities in our local workforce pipeline.

“Enabling business to connect to that ecosystem, including our tertiaries, with workforce initiatives and mentoring programmes, helps fill the organisation’s future workforce needs and creates pathways for students and graduates into the Christchurch and Canterbury workforce,” he says.

This year’s 10 HGLP participants include Troy Bilbrough and Chloe Parks who are the Bacon Guru and Bacon Queen behind the Bacon Bros burger concept, which has grown in the last six years from a stall at the Riccarton Bush farmers market to a prime spot at Little High Eatery. The company even offers hugs with every burger sold.

Justin and Todd McCormack joined forced to create GPS fleet tracking company Fleetpin after identifying a need to transform complex GPS solutions into low cost and easy to use packages to suit the needs of smaller businesses.

Scott Cooper and Jack Stewart are championing a smaller way of living with their fully compliant tiny homes company, Cube Cabins, and looking to take on the world from their Christchurch base.

Other companies on the grow include boutique online ecommerce clothing store, Pagan Marie; New Zealand made natural luxurious dog grooming products, Pampered Pooch; and Banqer Ltd, who provide online financial education for primary schools.

Other HGLP participants include Maui Studios, who focus on telling Aotearoa’s stories through film, graphic design, brand development and web; RegenerateNZ who provide renewable energy engineering focused services; Well Ltd who have created a patient data software suite for the health sector; and Senior Move Managers who assist older citizens move into retirement villages.

The 2018 programme targeted 10 existing, scalable businesses and each participating business was partnered with its own mentor, provided through Business Mentors New Zealand. A graduation evening will be held on July 24, 2018.

If you’re a local business owner and would like to attend the graduation evening or find out more about this programme, check out: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/hi-growth-launch-programme-2018-showcasing-extraordinary-business-talent-registration-47907240847

ENDS

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