Cocktail maker settles on Tauranga

New Zealand's only cocktail-in-a-bottle manufacturer has opened its global manufacturing centre in Maleme St, Tauranga, after searching the world for a suitable base.
VnC Cocktails scouted areas in Thailand, India, Asia, Russia and the United Kingdom but the search ended in Tauranga. "These places are all good options. They're low cost, close to our market and when put up against the rest, Tauranga was right up there," VnC executive chairman Andrew Walker said. "We've chosen Tauranga for our global manufacturing centre because it's a dynamic and fast-growing part of New Zealand.
"In Tauranga there is a very skilled workforce, you've got a very strong port and it's easy to do business from there."
The global manufacturing centre will help VnC Cocktails achieve its goal of quadrupling its exports through the Port of Tauranga by 2015. To accommodate that, the company will boost its local workforce by more than 60 per cent in the next three years.
For now 31 people are employed by VnC Cocktails in Tauranga. The new centre will open up 19 positions. In addition, VnC employs 13 other staff in New Zealand and 25 across the world. Mr Walker said both numbers were forecast to grow.
VnC was founded in 2007 by entrepreneur Shane McKillen and is focused mainly on exports. Around 95 per cent of its production goes to customers in 25 countries.
Speaking to the Bay of Plenty's top business and community leaders at the official opening yesterday, Mr Walker said the company planned to become a major player in the Bay of Plenty business community.
"We're committed to New Zealand because it is home and because it provides us with a strong domestic market, and it is vital to have a company's manufacturing centre based within a strong domestic market," he said. "Within New Zealand, we're committed to Tauranga because our analysis indicates that this is the best place in New Zealand from which to build an export business."
The centre was officially opened by MP Simon Bridges.