NZ Innovation & Export Podcast

What happens when your biggest innovation is also the reason people think your product looks weird?

Julz Christy, Co-owner and Director of Aarn Packs, talks about the challenges of selling something radically different, the realities of influencer marketing, and why growing a successful business doesn't always mean growing as fast as possible.

Aarn Packs has challenged conventional backpack design, earned international recognition and built a loyal following across New Zealand and Australia. Now the team is taking on the US and UK markets, discovering that what worked at home doesn't always work overseas.

Timestamp:

0:00 Introduction

1:16 Meet Julz Christy from Aarn Packs

2:50 Why they reduced their product range to grow

4:37 The inventor behind Aarn Packs

8:22 The science and design behind the backpacks

13:12 Winning international recognition

14:36 Buying the business and making partnerships work

20:18 Taking Aarn Packs into the US and UK

22:05 Why they had to change their marketing

24:10 How demonstrations build word of mouth

25:55 Lessons from influencer marketing

31:40 Manufacturing and funding business growth

34:17 What's next for Aarn Packs

Show Notes:

www.tryfirstshake.com

FirstShake - Turn free-product requests into sales

Follow Aarn Packs here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AarnPacks

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/aarnpacks

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@aarnpacks

YouTube - www.youtube.com/@aarnpacksofficial

Website - https://www.aarnpacks.com

Follow Further Faster here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/furtherfasternz

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/furtherfasternz

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@furtherfasternz

YouTube - www.youtube.com/@furtherfasternz

Website - https://www.furtherfaster.co.nz

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

How do you build a $100 million-plus engineering business by solving problems others consider impossible?

Bruce Carden, Managing Director of TRT, explores the innovations behind the company’s heavy transport and crane solutions, its expansion into Australia, and the challenges of introducing technology years before customers are ready to adopt it.

From world-first engineering solutions to family business succession, Bruce shares lessons from nearly six decades of TRT history and what it takes to build a business for the long term.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

2:53 TRT's History and Family Legacy

4:58 Innovation in Heavy Transport Technology

11:02 Quick Connect: From Days to Minutes

13:03 The Challenge of Innovating Too Early

18:06 TractionAir and the Australian Road Train Market

24:00 Building Safer Pick and Carry Cranes

26:29 TRT's Culture of Solving Impossible Problems

28:24 Defence Engineering and World-First Solutions

35:00 Family Ownership and Business Succession

37:45 Expanding from New Zealand into Australia

44:52 The Value of Independent Governance

48:15 Marketing, Margins and Profitable Growth

52:04 Business Resilience Through Innovation

53:18 How to Contact TRT

Follow TRT here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/trtltd

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/trt_madepossible

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/tidd-ross-todd-ltd

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@trt_tidd

Website - https://www.trt.co.nz

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

What happens to soft plastic, food and beverage cartons and other packaging that is difficult to recycle?

Paul Charteris founder of saveBOARD explains how the company turns this waste into high-performance building materials used throughout New Zealand and Australia.

Paul shares the difficult journey of raising around $5 million to establish the New Zealand operation, overcoming resistance to a new construction product, expanding into Australia, and building sustainability into a commercially competitive business model.

It’s a practical story about innovation, persistence, circular manufacturing, and creating demand for something that did not previously exist.

Timestamp:

0:00 Introduction

1:08 The saveBOARD Story

4:10 Raising the Capital

7:31 From Startup to 1,000+ Installations

9:01 What Waste Goes Into the Boards?

15:54 Building the Product Range

20:37 Getting the Construction Industry On Board

24:46 Why Sustainability Alone Isn't Enough

26:36 The Unusual Feedstock Business Model

28:46 Measuring Carbon Impact

34:03 Understanding the Circular Economy

36:10 Why Circularity Needs More Demand

40:57 Expanding Into Australia

43:46 Paul's Vision for 2040

45:44 What Consumers Can Do

48:02 Connecting With saveBOARD

Follow saveBOARD here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/saveboardanz

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/saveboardanz

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/save-board

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@saveboard

Website - https://www.saveboard.nz

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

What if one of the most labour-intensive parts of building a house could be digitised and largely automated?

Chris Staal from EC8 explains how his Hamilton team developed its own measuring technology, software, robotics and delivery systems to pre-cut plasterboard before it reaches site.

From roughly 50 measuring-tool prototypes to robotic heads crashing into each other and a rubber mat solving a stubborn dust problem, this episode is a practical look at what real-world innovation actually takes.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

1:19 Automating Plasterboard

5:30 How the Startup Began

11:00 Building the Measurement System

17:46 Solving Production Speed

21:27 Unexpected Engineering Breakthroughs

26:08 Building the Software Platform

28:07 The Logistics Challenge

30:54 What Builders Think

34:33 Patents and Protecting the Technology

35:46 EC8's Business Model

39:18 Turning EC8 Into a Technology Platform

40:48 International Expansion

43:11 Funding Hardware Innovation

46:07 Lessons From Five Years of R&D

47:53 What Keeps a Founder Going

49:50 Contacting EC8

Follow EC8 here:

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@ec8743

Website - https://ec8.co.nz/

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

Intellectual property can be far more than a defensive legal tool.

IP strategist Kate Wilson from James & Wells explains how innovative New Zealand businesses can use patents, trademarks, designs, competitive intelligence and collaboration to build an edge in global markets.

Kate shares stories involving acquisitions, competitor research, overseas manufacturing, employee risk and some expensive IP mistakes, along with practical advice for businesses developing products, technology or other innovations they do not want competitors copying.

Show Notes:

Kate Wilson's book

The Hidden Mechanics of IP: Demystifying Intellectual Property

Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FF44XKDV/

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

1:20 What an IP strategist does

3:49 Kate Wilson's path into intellectual property

8:07 The IP strategy behind a major acquisition

14:14 What intellectual property really includes

16:09 How much IP protection is worth paying for

20:04 Kate's three cogs of IP

24:01 Freedom to operate and avoiding costly mistakes

29:45 Why NZ exporters need protection at home

32:44 Creating an IP-conscious business

38:26 How Zespri protects its varieties

40:14 Patent trolls and strategic patent use

43:56 Why patent titles are deliberately vague

45:21 Protecting IP when manufacturing in China

47:07 Kate's key takeaway

Follow James & Wells here:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/james-&-wells-ip/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jameswellsintellectualprop4184

Website - https://www.jamesandwells.com/

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

What started with a panel beater building a better horse float for his daughter has grown into a specialty vehicle manufacturer approaching 100 staff.

Alyssa Wade, Managing Director of Wade Group, shares how the family business moved from luxury equine coaches into motorsport transporters, prisoner vehicles and the national New Zealand Police contract, while building new technology and expanding into Australia.

It is a story about succession, manufacturing, calculated growth and continually finding new problems worth solving.

Timestamps:

0:00 The Wade Group Story

1:11 Specialty Vehicles Explained

5:46 How the Family Business Started

9:47 Stepping Into Leadership

16:19 The Decision That Changed the Business

17:05 Winning the NZ Police Contract

21:46 5,500 Police Vehicles and Counting

25:03 Surviving the Tough Years

27:04 Expanding Into Australia

32:15 The Next Export Opportunity

34:02 Building for Future Growth

35:56 Culture and High Standards

39:15 What's Next for Wade Group

Follow Wade Group here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/wadeequinecoaches

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wadegroup

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@wadeequinenz

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wade-group

Website - https://wadegroupltd.com

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

What does it take for a Hamilton software company to win major healthcare contracts across New Zealand, Australia and the Middle East?

Ross Wilson, founder of CBS, shares how the company grew from running hospital costing calculations on a laptop to supporting hundreds of hospitals.

Ross explains why cracking Australia took around a decade, how proof-of-concept projects help win enterprise clients, the unexpected realities of doing business in the UAE, and why relationships remain at the centre of CBS’s international growth.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

1:07 Meet Ross Wilson and CBS

3:05 How CBS Started

5:21 The 10-Year Push Into Australia

8:42 CBS's Competitive Advantage

10:28 How Enterprise Sales Really Work

12:02 Finding Millions in Missing Funding

13:53 Helping Hospitals Make Better Decisions

17:38 Expanding Into the UAE

18:42 The Challenges of Doing Business in the UAE

22:35 Why Relationships Matter

26:42 How NZTE Helped CBS Grow

30:35 What's Next for CBS

31:43 Connect With Ross and CBS

Follow CBS here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cbsnz

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbsnz

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@cbsnz2327

Website - https://www.cbsnz.com

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

New Zealand is one of only a small number of countries with commercial aircraft design and manufacturing capability, and NZAero is keeping that expertise alive from its Hamilton factory.

CEO Stephen Burrows joins Josh Moore to discuss the company's remarkable aviation history, why aircraft sales alone cannot provide a stable business model, the importance of global relationships, and how NZAero is exploring the next generation of flight through hydrogen-electric technology.

Timestamps:

0:00 New Zealand-Made Aircraft

1:17 Meet Stephen Burrows of NZAero

3:49 Preserving Aircraft Manufacturing in New Zealand

7:59 70 Years of Aircraft Innovation

15:20 Who Buys NZAero Aircraft?

19:00 Building a Sustainable Aviation Business

26:10 The $200 Million Cost of New Aircraft Development

28:33 Exporting to 55 Countries

30:09 Lessons From Global Exporting

34:04 Building the Next Generation of Engineers

38:48 Cliff Tait's World-Record Flight

41:28 The Future of NZAero

41:48 Hydrogen-Electric Aircraft

44:03 Next Episode Preview

Follow NZAero here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NZAero

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzaero_official

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZAero_

Website - https://www.nzaero.com

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

How does a Hamilton software company end up working with multinational technology businesses and developing immersive training systems for the NZ Defence Force?

Company-X CEO Jeremy Hughes explains how complementary co-founders, Kiwi problem solving and a focus on difficult problems shaped the company’s growth.

Jeremy shares why simulation technology presents an export opportunity, what New Zealand businesses need before entering overseas markets, and the experience that convinced him technology should play a greater role in New Zealand’s economic future.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introducing Jeremy Hughes and Company-X

1:16 What Company-X Does

5:40 Building the Business with a Co-Founder

8:47 Rapid Growth and International Clients

14:34 Award-Winning Defence Simulations

17:49 Virtual Reality Helicopter Training

20:01 New Technology and Export Opportunities

23:20 Intellectual Property and Recurring Revenue

25:09 Why New Zealand Needs More Technology Exports

31:44 Growing the Team and Protecting Culture

35:28 Moving from Technical Work to CEO

38:57 How NZTE Helped Company-X Export

41:41 Advice for New Zealand Exporters

44:08 What Comes Next for Company-X

Show Notes:

Sir Paul Callaghan's impactful speech on Mapping our Future, from Strategy NZ 2011 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhCAyIllnXY

Follow Company-X here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/company.x.ltd

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@company-x-ltd

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/company-x-ltd

Website - https://companyx.com

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

What if one of milk’s most valuable ingredients is found in only a tiny concentration, but can deliver significant health benefits?

Quantec co-founder Rod Claycomb explains how an unsuccessful on-farm technology project led to the discovery of IDP, a high-value milk protein ingredient now used in supplements, skincare and other health products.

Rod shares the pivots, failed ideas, export lessons, and commercial decisions behind a business earning more than 95% of its revenue offshore.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

1:05 Turning Milk Into Health Ingredients

3:20 The Discovery Behind IDP

6:36 How Quantec Began

10:45 Knowing When To Pivot

16:06 When To Stop Or Keep Investing

18:06 Patents, Brands And Intellectual Property

20:54 Proving IDP With Finished Products

24:17 How Quantec Entered Mexico

27:53 Building An Export Business In China

30:29 Why Every Business Needs An Export

32:21 All Good Ventures And Social Enterprise

36:08 Stepping Down From The CEO Role

40:29 Investing Heavily In Innovation

42:02 New Zealand’s Export Opportunity

46:59 What Comes Next For Quantec

Follow Quantec here:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/quantec-limited

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@QuantecLtd

Website - https://www.quantec.co.nz

Follow All Good Ventures here:

Website - https://www.allgood.ventures

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/allgoodventures

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/allgoodventures

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/all-good-ventures

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064