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Flying the Fern
Flying the Fern episodes
- Scully’s: From Bulls, with love
Scully’s exports a wide range of natural boutique products for bath, body and home to Asia, Europe and Australia. Scully’s started as a small family-run operation in Bulls 20 years ago, but it’s gradually grown bigger and bigger, all the while keeping its commitment to the environment and its people.
In this episode of Flying the Fern, host David Downs talks to Operating Manager Sarah Parkinson and Shop Manager Juliette Arnott about:
- The challenges of going from a grassroots business to a global exporter
- How Scully’s satisfy different requirements for different markets, and why they decided not to adhere to China’s demands
- Why the way they operate and their company identity attracts customers
- How the FernMark has supported their brand, including the resources they’ve been able to get access to
To find out more, head to: https://scullysnz.com/
Or find them on social media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scullysnz/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scullysnz/
To find out more about the FernMark Licence Programme please visit https://www.fernmark.nzstory.govt.nz/
21 min - K9 Natural: The simple idea that carnivores should eat meat
K9 Natural pet food is sourced and produced in such a way that humans could eat it. Using high-quality ingredients from the human supply chain has a range of health benefits for animals that help our pets, and this has helped the company to play a leading role in shifting the standard of animal foods towards premium, natural, food products for cats and dogs.
In this episode of Flying the Fern, host David Downs talks to the CEO of parent company Natural Pet Food Group Neil Hinton about:
- How one of the company founders spent time living with wolves in Alaska to develop the recipe
- Being in 13 markets around the world, and why they pulled back from some
- How New Zealand-grown food (especially grass-fed meat) underpins their own nutritional brand components
- Realising the way we do business in New Zealand intrinsically stands up to high ESG international standards
- Having a US private equity investor come on board, and how this impacts the way the business is run
To find out more, head to: https://www.k9natural.com/
Or find them on social media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/k9naturaldogfood
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k9natural/
To find out more about the FernMark Licence Programme please visit https://www.fernmark.nzstory.govt.nz/
22 min - Karen Murrell: Pioneering the beauty industry with Kiwi inspiration
Karen Murrell has played a leading hand in shifting the global beauty industry towards natural, environmentally friendly products that don’t compromise on quality. Her success story has leaned on no shortage of inspiration from New Zealand flowers, colours and tones.
In this episode of Flying the Fern, host David Downs talks to Karen about:
- Developing her own lipstick range from home
- Getting an Instagram shout out from Kourtney Kardashian
- How she’s expanded into new countries, including an in-depth look at her China business
- How the FernMark helped to win a trademark court case
To find out more, head to https://karenmurrell.co.nz/
Or find them on social media:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/karenmurrell
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/karenmurrellofficial/
To find out more about the FernMark Licence Programme please visit https://www.fernmark.nzstory.govt.nz/
18 min - Anchor: 130+ years of taking New Zealand dairy to the world
Fonterra is New Zealand’s leading dairy exporter, and Anchor is a $1.2 billion kiwi brand that’s been around for more than 130 years. Anchor products go to more than 80 countries, playing a huge role in the reputation of New Zealand, and New Zealand food and beverages, around the world.
In this episode of Flying the Fern, host David Downs talks to General Manager Brent Whelan about:
- All the interesting countries where Anchor is a household name
- Why New Zealand butter is so yellow
- The significance of the company values in its success
- How New Zealand farming is tracking on its journey towards being carbon zero
- Their sustainability and community initiatives, and why they’re so important
To find out more, head to: https://www.anchordairy.com/nz/en.html
Or find them on social media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anchornz/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anchornewzealand/
To find out more about the FernMark Licence Programme please visit https://www.fernmark.nzstory.govt.nz/
19 min - Mamaku: Incorporating traditional Māori values with natural skincare
Mamaku skincare products are steeped in traditional Māori practices and values that govern everything from the way these special products are made, to how the business is run by the sisters who founded Mamaku ten years ago.
They’re helping to take the beauty industry back to the future, where natural, plant-based products are seen as premium.
In this episode of Flying the Fern, host David Downs talks to co-founder and director Tessa Davis about:
- Getting into business with no beauty industry experience, and how they figured it out
- Producing Mamaku products according to tikanga, ensuring it’s sustainable
- The values that govern the way they operate, why they’re important, and how they benefit the business
- What the proposition of being Māori means in overseas markets, and why it’s attractive
To find out more, head to: https://mamakuskin.com/
Or find them on social media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mamakuskin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamakuskin/
To find out more about the FernMark Licence Programme please visit https://www.fernmark.nzstory.govt.nz/
21 min - Matta Products: Recycling visionaries owning a niche market
Matta has recycled more than 60 million kilograms of PVC and rubber in the last 30 years, since the company was started by then-Ōtaki mayor Murray Scott in his garage.
The company produces safety matting for playgrounds and industrial use all over the world, and brings a strong sustainability approach to a very niche sector.
In this episode of Flying the Fern, host David Downs talks to managing director Brent Harris about:
- The DIY early days and pioneering recycling systems in the 1990s
- Growing from a small Ōtaki startup to having overseas offices and international business
- How being from New Zealand aligns with their focus on recycling and opens doors
- Why they keep manufacturing in New Zealand, despite it being cheaper to go elsewhere
To find out more, head to https://www.mattaproducts.com/
Find Matta on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattaProducts
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matta_products_/
To find out more about the FernMark Licence Programme please visit https://www.fernmark.nzstory.govt.nz/
18 min - Prolife Foods: $100m in 10 years – taking the Australian market by storm
Prolife Foods might be the biggest New Zealand brand that you’ve never heard of. It is doing business in more than 18 countries and has more than $300 million in annual revenue through its range of bulk foods, self-selection products, honey, and well-known FMCG grocery food brands.
In this episode of Flying the Fern, host David Downs talks to CEO Andrew Smith about:
- The Jack and the Beanstalk-like company origin story, and starting out of a Hamilton garage 40 years ago
- How Prolife Foods changed the game by partnering with a big name celebrity chef
- How they’ve diversified the business, why it was necessary, and how they made it a success
- Gaining traction overseas as a New Zealand business, and the big mistake many people make
- The halo effect of the FernMark when it’s used by more and more businesses
To find out more, head to: https://www.prolifefoods.co.nz/
To find out more about the FernMark Licence Programme please visit https://www.fernmark.nzstory.govt.nz/
23 min - GreenKiwi Supplements: Putting values first – How sustainability drives international success
Max Donaldson started GreenKiwi at just 17 when he realised pruned olive leaves his neighbour was throwing away had huge health benefits. In just over two years, he’s had a steep learning curve in developing effective, sustainable, New Zealand-made olive leaf supplements.
Max has grown the company from nothing to being in retail stores around New Zealand and Dubai, all while finishing school and studying at university.
In this episode of Flying the Fern, host David Downs talks to Max about:
- Max’s inspiration for the company
- Why New Zealand-grown olive leaves are so much better
- How Max coped with early sales struggles
- The issue of trust in the healthcare market, and how Max tackles it
- The significance of being local and sustainable
To find out more, head to https://www.greenkiwisupplements.com/
Find GreenKiwi on social media:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/greenkiwisupplements
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/greenkiwisupplements/
To find out more about the FernMark Licence Programme please visit https://www.fernmark.nzstory.govt.nz/
24 min - Comvita: 50 years of pioneering wellness
Comvita was a wellness brand before wellness brands were even a thing. The business has become a global powerhouse, with revenue into the hundreds of millions, using natural, New Zealand products like manuka honey for their health benefits.
This episode of Flying the Fern features three generations of Comvita leadership; co-founder Alan Bougen, former CEO and current board chair Brett Hewlett and current CEO David Banfield.
Together, they talk to host David Downs about:
- The lofty goals the company was started on, and how they’re only just starting to live them
- Changing the way people think about honey as a health product, not just a food
- The difference between being an A-grade company and being truly global
- How New Zealand’s free thinking enabled the company’s growth
- How being from New Zealand automatically captures the attention of people overseas
To find out more, head to https://www.comvita.co.nz/
Find Comvita on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ComvitaNZ/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/comvita_nz/
To find out more about the FernMark Licence Programme please visit https://www.fernmark.nzstory.govt.nz/
32 min - Rodd & Gunn: Humble sustainability and a global network
When Mike Beagley started as Rodd & Gunn's CEO, the business had around 12 stores. Now it has more than 200, all over the world. The New Zealand menswear brand has grown exponentially in the last 20 years, underpinned by humility and a commitment to doing things the right way.
In this episode of Flying the Fern, host David Downs talks to Mike Beagley about:
- The global goal that he’s never broadcast, and why
- How they cracked the “toughest market” in the United States
- Expanding into hospitality, and getting NZ’s only master sommelier and our only Michelin star chef involved
- Adding “New Zealand” to their brand name overseas
- Why they don’t talk about the sustainability journey they’re on
To find out more, head to https://www.roddandgunn.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roddandgunnnz/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roddandgunn/
To find out more about the FernMark Licence Programme please visit https://www.fernmark.nzstory.govt.nz/
22 min
About Flying the Fern
From the publisher's feed
Flying the Fern podcast tells the stories of well-known New Zealand businesses delivering products and services that are made, grown or designed in New Zealand. Businesses that are carrying the official New Zealand FernMark, sharing their authenticity at home and abroad, and building New Zealand’s global reputation as a trusted origin of innovative, high-quality products and services.
We dig deep into how these New Zealand business pioneers turned their ideas into reality, with determination, creativity, and perseverance. No sugar coating - just the facts. Where they came from, the battles they’ve fought and the scars they’ve collected to get to where they are now.
Together, these businesses have become part of the FernMark community, flying the fern and representing New Zealand both locally as well as overseas. A community that embodies and shares our core New Zealand values of potikitanga, manaaki, tiaki and pono as part of our collective New Zealand Story. This is the story of how they did it.