Grow Wellington - Case Study Archive

Giving Resource Consents the Quick Tick Hands up if you’ve ever had to go through the resource consent process, only to get horribly confused and give up?

An Economic and Sustainable Way to Go Find what you need when you need it. That was the intent behind the Hire Things website that Peter Torr-Smith started in 2006 as a means to connect Kiwis who wanted to hire everything from a power drill to a ball gown.

Keeping a Lid on Rubbish It’s a common dilemma: you want to recycle your rubbish but Wellington’s often notorious wind sends it flying all over the neighborhood. What do you do? Buy an EnviroFlexiNet, of course!

Designer plugs gap in market Sometimes you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince. That was certainly the case for 26-year-old Jenny Deonarain, who pursued a number of different paths before discovering her passion for fashion.

One of the world's coolest bars It’s been voted one of the world’s coolest bars by influential website www.worldsbestbars.com – the only New Zealand bar to make the top 20 list.

A Wellington Institution Take a passionate chef, add the freshest local ingredients, slow cook in Wellington eateries for two decades and you’ll end up with the award-winning chef, restaurateur, Listener columnist and cookbook author, Martin Bosley.

An inspirational solution to waste Kapiti-based SpectioNZ has an ambitious plan to develop technology to turn harmful waste products, such as plastics and bio-mass, into usable products such as fuel for power generation.

Research that is changing humanity’s outlook Quietly working away at the Otago Medical School’s Wellington campus is a small team of seven scientists with a big international reputation.

X marks the spot Ngareta rolled up her sleeves and worked with technical advisers to develop X-Mapping®, a consultancy-based software product that allows customers to capture and store their proprietary work processes and improve productivity and service delivery.

Tapping into the Pacific spirit It’s a long way from Las Vegas to Lower Hutt, but Viliamu Leuga seems to have easily made the transition.

Irrigation group works with community Community engagement is the first priority agreed by the Leadership Group to oversee the development of a regional water and irrigation project for the Wairarapa.

Coming up roses The Lower Hutt woman started creating the unique Swarovski Crystal Stems and Crystal Bouquets about a year ago, after stumbling across examples on an overseas website.

Internships programme to build sustainable future for screen industry A new initiative from the New Zealand Institute of Screen Innovation (NZISI) will see internships form the basis for new skills development in the screen industry.

Kapiti Company Makes Profitable Hong Kong Connection Scott Houston, InterGrid’s CEO, says the company has developed the world’s first Cloud Computing rendering solution, otherwise known as the Green Button.

A hard axe to follow A Wairarapa racing axe and saw company strikes it big

Wellington's Coffee King He started from humble beginnings but Steve Gianoutsos has taken the country's coffee market by storm.

Making the right decision Hands up if you’ve ever stood in the wine aisle at the supermarket and scratched your head at the dizzying array of wines on offer. Do you go for that cheeky Chardonnay, or will the Pinot Gris or maybe the Viognier be a better match with what you’re planning for dinner?

Ginger Beer Heaven The woman behind Hardieboys Beverages has driven buses, been a public servant, packed and delivered coffee and worked as a reading and maths tutor.

An Olive's lot Falling in love isn’t the usual prompt for a new business venture, but for Wairarapa residents Nalini and Colin Baruch, it’s what set them on the road to their successful boutique olive oil business, Lot Eight.

The Midas touch An iconic figure in Wellington’s restaurant scene, Mike is co-owner of the popular Monsoon Poon restaurants in the Capital and Auckland, the award-winning Arbitraguer Wine Room, and one of Wellington’s newest and most exciting restaurants, the Mediterranean-style Osteria del Toro.

Melt-in-the-mouth delights Many of us make impulse buys – CDs, books, clothes. But not many of us buy a business within 24 hours of seeing it advertised!

Izzat Design Perhaps you’ve admired the world’s largest Tui atop Forest & Bird’s central Wellington HQ, or thought how clever the prosthetic merino heads used in Icebreaker’s advertising campaigns are.

Harrington small goods Take some of New Zealand’s finest, ethically produced meat.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road She may have a background in law, but these days Rachel Taulelei is better known as one of Wellington’s leading fish connoisseurs.

Give Me More… Mick Davenport’s daily schedule would easily put the Energiser Bunny to shame.

Digital Media Finishing School Grow Wellington has been working with education providers, Weltec, Natcoll, Victoria University and Media Design School to look at potential ways to work together to close the gap between education and the digital media industry.

Settling In Visiting Wellington IT company Core Technology, is a little like venturing into a global village.

New Zealand Institute of Screen Innovation (NZISI) The New Zealand Institute of Screen Innovation is a new representative body that will engage in local and international relationships for the advancement of the digital content sector.

Getting the Tentacles Out There What’s large, colourful and communicates to more than 25,000 Wellingtonians 24/7?

A Wellington Icon It’s been said that if Steve Logan and Alistair (Al) Brown ever took the paua ravioli off the menu of their iconic Wellington restaurant, there would be a riot.

The Fruits of their Labours Like many Kiwi businesses, Rutherford & Meyer began life as a cottage industry.

Give us our Daily Squeeze You’d have to love what you do to get up at 5.00am for 21 years to squeeze mountains of fruit by hand.

Designing Woman Dream job designing distinctive illustrative designs.

A World of Free Information Free, expert advice on intellectual property can save you time and money, provide a source of valuable competitor information and spur innovation.

Water... Water... Everywhere It’s one of our natural resources, but a lack of water in the right place, at the right time, could severely hamper the productive potential of the Wairarapa Valley.

A fresh start in Wellington Grow Wellington offers advice to people wanting to live and work in New Zealand.

Graduating to the manufacturing sector A ground-breaking graduate scheme is set to be launched early in 2009.

Going back to basics Wairarapa baker Breadcraft has gone back to basics.

A Capital Institution The Matterhorn is the Cuba Street eatery that was recently named Cuisine Magazine’s Supreme Restaurant of the Year.

Taking business to the next level Investing in business is all about future-thinking, says one of Wellington’s investment ‘Angels’.

Pioneering medical diagnostics Trinity Bioactive with recent AngelHQ funding, has the potential to change the face of medical diagnostics.

Fast communication critical 4RF Communications is going global with their innovative point-to-point microwave radio solutions.

Formway leads the way Formway Furniture with the help of a TechNZ grant is leading the way through innovative technology.

Recruiting a warm welcome In October 2007, Nicki Moakes locked the front door of her house in Guernsey, got on a plane to New Zealand and walked straight into a new job, and life, in Wellington.

Massey wins at BeST awards Massey students won 29 awards in the student category at this years BeST Design Awards.

The Giant Kelp guy Erasmo Horta is studying the generic connectivity of giant kelp at Victoria University in Wellington.

Sensing Murder Wellington-based production company Ninox Television is the creator of Sensing Murder International which is currently licensed in nine countries.

Aftershock Showcasing locations across the Wellington region, this documentary explored a catastrophic ‘what if’ scenario.

AFCI Cineposium 2008 Early November saw Film Wellington host the 33rd annual Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) Cineposium 08.

Telling the Wellington Food Story The Wellington Food Story has four key deliverables

Cultivating Food The Wellington region has significant and diverse areas of highly productive land on both its Eastern and Western sides.

Growing Wood Resource The Southern North Island wood supply region has a well-established forestry sector.

Centre Hub The Wellington region, being in the centre of New Zealand, is the ideal import /export location.

HERC Centre Wellington Collaboration is the key to ensuring world changing discoveries are made.

How is it that... How is it that such a small region in such a small and far-flung country can exert such a major influence in the world of innovation, scientific development and thinking?

CV Bank Finding the perfect employee just got a step closer, thanks to two young Wellington entrepreneurs who are taking the headache out of recruiting staff by using innovative live video technology.

The Oh! Group The Oh! Group is one of Wellington's hottest new drink companies and the first food and beverage company accepted into Grow Wellington’s incubation programme Creative HQ.

Curiously good stories Independent children's publisher, Gecko Press has gained a reputation for its range of delightful, quirky and quality publications.

Along for the eco ride... It may be an American phrase, but "pimping your ride" just got easier - and more eco-friendly, thanks to a Wellington company that specialises in customising motorised skateboards and scooters.

The source of all learning Sometimes the best products come from the simplest of ideas.

Into the black... It's a bird, it's a plane...no, it's New Zealand's first jet-powered vehicle.

Final resting place It may be a subject we don't like to dwell too much on, but death and funerals are at the heart of an award-winning Wellington business, Final Furniture.

ReFashion ReDunn Having a green ethic is one thing, but how can you be fashionable and still be true to the principles of recycling and being kind to the planet?

No horsing around here... Producing the ultimate online shopping experience for horse lovers all over the globe is the aim of an Upper Hutt business, ThatHorse.com.

High tech music centre State of the art production and music recording facility.