In 10 years the Babu brand has grown from one Auckland stockist to a 380-store deal in Europe

Ian Walsh, director at Intent Group, which helps manufacturing businesses increase productivity and efficiency.

Cactus Equipment began making packs and bags for mountaineers and trampers back in 1992 in Wellington. We moved to Christchurch in the late 90’s so that the owners could be closer to the Southern Alps.

John Wyma, managing director of CRONZ (Carpets and Rugs of New Zealand) based in Christchurch, make boutique carpets and rugs for high-end domestic and commercial use. All their products are one-offs, mostly commissioned by architects and designers.

Helen and Dave Morgan, based in Pt Chevalier are the entrepreneurs behind the scooterack, a rack for parking scooters.

Manufacturing in New Zealand has its challenges but advantages too, writes Catherine Beard.

John Beeson, expert in leadership development and leadership coaching at Beeson Consulting, based in New York.

As nations struggle to pull themselves out of the economic malaise created by the global financial crisis, innovation appears to be an enduring theme.

One of Rakon's largest institutional shareholders has almost halved its investment in the high-tech electronic components maker.

Manufacturing grew at the fastest pace in eight months in January but employment in the sector is shrinking.

Rakon's share price dropped by nearly 24pc to an all-time low today after the high-tech components maker cut its earnings guidance for the second time since December.

New Zealand's unemployment rate fell from a 13-year high in the last three months of 2012 as people stopped looking for work and the participation rate shrank.

I pity manufacturers in New Zealand. They are the collateral damage of our narrow approach to controlling inflation.

That dwindling band who continue to deny our economy is being hurt by an overvalued currency will usually - in the face of the indisputable evidence - take refuge as a last resort.

New Zealand labour costs rose in the final three months of 2012 as the gathering pace of Canterbury's reconstruction effort saw the building and construction sector underpin gains.

Workers who will lose their jobs when the Summit Wool Spinners' Oamaru plant closes could struggle to find work and may have to move, the Otago Chamber of Commerce says.

Times are very tough in manufacturing. The global recession has merely contributed an additional woe to a sector whose share of economic activity has been declining for more than two decades.

More leading export companies are on the verge of moving overseas due to the high dollar, Opposition MPs were told yesterday by manufacturers.

A lot of exporters of manufactured products had been waiting for an opportunity to vent anguish over the high exchange rate, writes John Armstrong. The targets of the anger - John Key, the Reserve Bank, Steven Joyce and the Treasury - were absent.

The manufacturing sector ended 2012 much as it had spent the whole year, just barely on the right side of the line between expansion and contraction, the BNZ-Business New Zealand performance of manufacturing index (PMI) indicates.