A growing demand for premium quality nutritional products has led dairy company Mataura Valley Milk to put a call out for workers to make the move south to live and work in the Southland region.
Mataura Valley Milk's purpose-built plant is one of the most technologically advanced nutritional manufacturing sites in the world.
Its high-quality milk-based products have been in hot demand, something that caught the attention of dairy powerhouse a2 Milk Company which acquired a 75 per cent interest in the company just two months ago.
That move has sparked an ambitious development plan which includes a new laboratory and work to introduce more products to sit alongside the premium milk powder, infant formula and bespoke nutritional powders the company is known for.
It's the increase in production and range of products being offered to its discerning markets that means more staff are needed now to work alongside the existing 100-strong team.
CEO Bernard May says they're planning for exponential growth.
"We anticipate that in the next couple of years that we will need to increase our workforce significantly. Those jobs will be across the board from operators to engineers to interns in the technical team, we need people with a great attitude and who want to be part of something exciting."
May knows that relocating to a different part of the country can be daunting.
"We want our staff to settle in and enjoy living in this special part of the country. We do all the normal induction and training that people expect but we also work with the Gore District Council to give new staff members an introduction to the whole region so they can get the most out of living here."
"I lived in Auckland for 25 years before moving down with my wife Donna five years ago, the change in lifestyle can be refreshing."
"Beyond employment, there's fantastic lifestyle opportunities, particularly if you're raising a young family. The level of schooling and quality of teaching is great and feedback has been very good from those moving into the region."
It's a sentiment shared by Automation Engineer Billy Gannon who also made the move
south from Auckland, with wife Wendy and their two small children.
"We wanted a family orientated lifestyle. It's been a really good move for us, you don't lose an hour or two hours a day commuting - it's like a five-minute drive!"
Southland is widely regarded as being one of the finest grass-producing regions in the world, but as Gannon is quick to testify, the region has plenty more to offer those looking for greener pasture.
"There's a massive variety of things you can do within an hour or hour and a half's drive. In summer we went to the Catlins, went on small hikes with the kids, and spent time on the coast at the beaches."
Southland's lower property prices should also hold an appeal, according to CEO Bernard May.
"Particularly for younger people, not having to have all their money tied up in a house means they can have other investments, a second property or enjoy other leisure activities."
Sharing Southland's best kept secrets is one way to attract talent but so too is offering an opportunity to work at the cutting edge of what is a growing industry.
Innovation in dairy technology has come a long way in recent years and Mataura Valley Milk, with its 'world's best' objective, knows it needs to stay ahead of the pack.
Being a trusted and ethical supplier of milk-based products helps particularly when competing on the international stage.
Mataura Valley Milk already manages to combine the best ingredients and latest technologies to make high quality products, adding to its specialist workforce is now key to the company reaching its full potential.