Mounting costs due to the closure of the Manawatu Gorge has resulted in a Hastings construction company expanding to Levin - bringing new jobs to the town in the process.
Pre-cast concrete and civil contracting company Lattey Group intends to build a new 4500sq m plant in Levin, but company director Mark Donnelly said while there were a number of reasons why it needed to expand to Levin - the company was not moving from Hastings.
"We've outgrown our existing facility here. We're finding our site has become a barrier to expansion, and we're sending a lot of our current production into the Manawatu and Wellington areas, which with the Manawatu Gorge closed now and having to use Saddle Rd, means transport costs have climbed quite significantly."
Mr Donnelly added that land in the Horowhenua district was also well-priced and the district council had been helpful in bringing the new plant, and 20 to 25 jobs to the area.
"There's also a good labour pool down there. The good thing about the Horowhenua district is that there is a large demographic there, as far as labour goes. Because of the motorways, you can pretty much pick up labour all the way downs as Paraparaumu and almost as far north as Palmerston North."