Northland businesses can now harness the power of two after Northland Inc and New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE) strengthened collaboration for the benefit of the region.
In October NZTE appointed David McLeish to the role of Northland Regional Manager and the agreement with Northland Inc sees the two agencies collocated, with McLeish working out of The Orchard, Northland Incβs business and events hub in WhangΔrei, for the past month.
Joseph Stuart, General Manager, Business Innovation and Growth at Northland Inc, described the joint initiative between the regional development agency and NZTE, the countryβs international development agency, as a βnatural fitβ, and believed it would prove a significant boon for Northland.
βWeβre fortunate to have this opportunity to partner with such an outstanding business connector as NZTE, and to help the many aspiring and growing businesses in the region make a global impression,β he said. βThis partnership is recognition of the burgeoning business export activity currently coming out of Northland.β
Lisa Thompson, General Manager, Customers at NZTE, said the move reaffirmed the agencyβs commitment to Northland exporters.
βWeβve always maintained a link with Northland Inc, but itβs good to finally have a presence in Northland as opposed to us having a conversation from a distance. Thereβs a real synergy between our two agencies, so itβs great that we can harness this for Northland businesses.
βNorthland is proving to be a fertile ground for business, and a big focus will be increasing the number of MΔori businesses we are working with. I am excited about the opportunities to work with exporters in the region to help them grow internationally bigger, better and faster, for the good of New Zealand.β
NZTE is currently working with more than 100 businesses in the region
McLeish has been with NZTE in a variety of roles for 13 years, including spells in the agencyβs offices in London, Singapore and Sydney.
