Artemis Healthcare heads to Dunedin

Artemis general manager Leigh Kite is looking forward to the company shifting into Vogel St premises. Photo / Gregor Richardson

Moving to Dunedin's warehouse precinct signals ''a new era'' for plant medicine company Artemis.

The company was founded in 1998 by registered medical herbalist Sandra Clair, who created a range of natural, certified organic herbal tea, body care and health remedies. It has been based in Fingall St since 2006.

With sales growth of more than 300% in the past three years, the time was right to focus on growing the Artemis brand rather than expanding its own manufacturing, general manager Leigh Kite said.

It would contract out its manufacturing and warehousing in New Zealand while retaining its head office in the old Dalgety and Co building in Dunedin.

The move away from manufacturing was part of a broader strategy for growth that had been two years in the making. Artemis had ambitious goals for expansion within New Zealand and internationally, with a focus on Asia Pacific. It expected to double its growth again this year.

''In anticipation, we've been gearing up, completing capital raising last year to fund this growth and now we're at the exciting part of implementation,'' she said.

A contract manufacturer in Dunedin would take on some work previously done in Auckland.

Artemis was the final company to sign up for the Vogel St premises, taking the last available office space on the first floor.

The building was traditional - and Artemis was about traditional plant medicine - but it was also contemporary, as was Artemis, she said.

It also represented being part of a big cultural transition, going from a small start-up to a global-facing company, and moving from being product-focused to brand-focused.

Artemis employs 18 people across New Zealand.

It has a small office in Tauranga which opened in October last year, and two sales staff based in Auckland.

Mrs Kite, who lives in Tauranga, said Ms Clair was still very involved in the business. She remained on the board and continued ''to come up with fabulous formulations''.

The company's domestic market was growing, which was good, as it wanted to have a strong home base. On the back of it, it was also ''really growing'' its business into China, she said.

In 2012, the company was named fastest-growing manufacturer in Otago and the lower South Island in the Deloitte Fast 50, while it made the top 10 nationwide in the Westpac Business Growth Grant programme in 2015.