The ultimate discovery with Skydive Southern Alps

by November 20, 2017

Media release from Skydive Southern Alps Boundless skies, New Zealand’s most stunning alpine scenery and an authentic appeal to the adventurous are the hallmarks of a freshly-branded skydive company. For the past five years the former Skydive Paradise has been playing little brother to its older and bigger sibling NZONE Skydive. Now Skydive Southern Alps…

Skydive Southern Alps is part of Australasia’s fastest-growing tourism company, Australian-based publicly listed company ExperienceCo. The company acquired the Glenorchy-based skydive company when it bought sister operation NZONE Skydive two years ago.

“The grandeur of the scenery as guests jump from a plane 15,000ft above the rugged snow-capped Southern Alps, the braided channels of the Dart River, crystal clear Lake Wakatipu and the gorgeous township of Glenorchy makes this a breath-taking experience,” says Marketing Manager Stephen Thompson.

“People who love a sense of discovery are ecstatic about the whole experience, starting with the spectacular 45-minute lake edge drive from Queenstown to the beautiful and remote Glenorchy in the heart of the mountains.

“It’s a very personalised trip for small groups shared with a handful of our friendly and highly-experienced flight and ground crew.

“When they get to the dropzone they love the vibe and the natural environment as they prepare to skydive and then share their skydive experience with our staff and other customers.

“And where else in the world do they get to jump over Tolkein’s magical Middle Earth, with that birds-eye view of Mt Aspiring and Fiordland national parks?”

Once they’ve made the leap of faith to leave their perfectly good plane, guests have up to 60 seconds of freefall to take in the 360-degree views from above, appreciating the scale of the 500km-long Southern Alps, the backbone of New Zealand’s South Island.

On a clear day they can see as far as Mitre Peak in Milford Sound on the wild West Coast of the island.

For a tempting ‘taster’ of a Skydive Southern Alps trip click here.

Guests wishing to book their skydive adventure of a lifetime can visit the dedicated new Skydive Southern Alps Shop in Queenstown’s Shotover Street.

Picture caption:

1/ Guests on a Skydive Southern Alps jump have up to 60 seconds of freefall to take in stunning mountain, lake and river views

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Shakti Mat – the portable ‘bed of nails’ goes from budding business to global enterprise

by November 16, 2017

Media release from Shakti Acupressure Mat Two years ago, Jonathan Heslop and George Lill were budding entrepreneurs selling beds of nails from the back of a tent in South Auckland. Fast-forward to today, and they’re still together in a business which has expanded from struggling to sell five mats a week to a global enterprise…

The Shakti acupressure mat is about the size of a doormat, an organic cotton sleeve coloured with organic dyes, inserted with a padded mat with fixed non-toxic, recyclable plastic spikes.

It’s touted as supporting healthy circulation, boosted energy levels, sound sleeping habits and muscle relaxation. In an age when many people are sitting all day and experiencing life’s everyday stresses, it’s a phenomenon that has thousands of converts of all ages.

The enterprising duo has just spent five months in The Netherlands expanding Shakti mat into Europe, setting up a company that sells in the UK, Netherlands and France.

Lying on a bed of nails might seem odd to most, but company directors Jon and George owe the success of Shakti Mat to the plenty of sterling testimonials and reviews they’ve received.

The idea for the business venture was sparked almost four years ago on a holiday off the coast of Thailand in Ko Pha Ngan. Having used the mat and curious to learn more, they discovered it had a strong following in Sweden, where a staggering 10% of the population own a Shakti mat.

“We were drawn to the mat right away because George and myself both take an active interest in mindful health and we appreciate the practice of yoga, acupressure and meditation,” says Jon.

“We saw a chance to introduce it to New Zealand and we took it. There is an awakening around people wanting to make better decisions about their physical and mental health and Shakti Mat is a tool that helps support relaxation, big or small.”

After a year of traditional retail platforms of expos, mall stalls and door-to-door sales, George and Jon decided to transition Shakti Mat into an e-commerce business, prompted after seeing the online response from sending a mat to health and wellness blogger Makaia Carr.

“Makaia introduced our product to an audience of women who are active and interested in health and wanted to learn more about healthy habits,” says George.

Embracing e-commerce and using other digital influencers has seen their business grow, with many top-tier rugby teams and other sports stars among its fans.

Back in Christchurch, the growth of the business has meant expanding the tight knit team that all work as part of a positive collaboration, keeping much of it ‘in the family’.

“We’ve been able to employ friends and family including my Aunty who is our office manager, and at lunchtime we all take a break from the factory and enjoy football and ‘Tai Chi at 3’,” says George.

About the Shakti Acupressure Mat:

– The business started when George and Jon finished university and borrowed some money from each of their parents to invest

– George and Jon now work alongside Om Mokshananda, the creator of Shakti Mats. His initial response when they pitched the idea of retailing the mats in New Zealand was “Where’s New Zealand?”

– Om practices meditation in the Himalayas living the simple lifestyle of a monk

– Jon’s introductory Shakti Mat ‘blanket rule’ is to try it every night for a week and see what you notice

– A recent Swedish study reported that 98% of users experienced pain relief and customer reviews on their website have hit 1,500, with an average 5-star rating

– Shakti Mat retails at NZ$69

Please go here for a video on how the Shakti Acupressure Mat works.

Picture caption:

1) The Shakti acupressure mat is natural health tool to support relaxation

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MAXRaft joins ‘exclusive club’ on 2017 Deloitte Fast 50

by November 10, 2017

Media release from MAXRaft The company behind the only fully-insulated concrete slab in New Zealand is once again celebrating achieving outstanding growth within its business. Queenstown-based MAXRaft has joined an ‘exclusive club’ by featuring in the Deloitte Fast 50 index for an impressive third year in a row, ranking 33 in the 2017 index. The…

Having been in business for just four years, MAXRaft has a revenue growth of 224% for 2017 and employs 15 people. The company ranked 15 in the national index for 2016 with a growth rate of over 405%, and 33 in 2015 with growth of over 257%.

The company was named Fastest Growing Manufacturer for Dunedin and the lower South Island at the Deloitte Fast 50 regional awards in October, for the second year.

Stoked to be ranked amongst some of the New Zealand’s highest-growth companies, MAXRaft General Manager Henry Edney described the Festival of Fast Growth as “inspiring”.

“It’s hugely motivational to be able to network with such a diverse range of businesses and industry experts that are all achieving outstanding growth,” he said.

“To be ranked as one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing businesses for the third year is phenomenal.

“Our outstanding growth is a testament to our staff and their commitment to innovate and test new concepts and ideas to further improve our offering.

“Our company has achieved impressive year-on-year growth due to our niche product and our mission to help New Zealanders build better homes.

“We continue to implement strategic changes to our business plan to ensure we keep growing in a sustainable way. And with that growth, we’ll build on our teams of contractors and full-time onsite crews in each of our target markets across the country.”

For more information about MAXRaft go to www.maxraft.co.nz

You can see the full list of winners here.

Photo caption:

1/ A fully-insulated concrete slab by insulated foundations company MAXRaft, which ranked 33 in the 2017 Deloitte Fast 50 index

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One office space remains in multi-million-dollar business park in Wigram, Christchurch

by November 08, 2017

Media release from Harvard Hub Investors and owner-occupiers are being targeted by the original developer of a multi-million-dollar light industrial multi-use business park in Christchurch. Harvard Hub is situated just off the city’s Southern motorway in the heart of Wigram, only six kilometres from the Christchurch CBD. It’s home to 22 individual units spread over…

Most units have been sold to owner-occupiers since the development launched in mid-2015, with the ‘connectivity’ of Wigram and continued growth of the nearby Landing retail complex and Wigram Skies residential development proving a huge drawcard.

The fact its located on a sun-soaked piece of flat, desirable land with key transport links including the $30m overpass linking southwest Christchurch to the central city and Blenheim Road means it’s been a ‘poster child’ for suburban business growth.

Paula Raine of Ray White Commercial said the development company had seen the potential for the site from the outset and existing businesses at Harvard Hub were “delighted” with their move onsite.

The mix of tenants includes Ray White Real Estate, Adidas, communications specialists Quasar Systems and long-established Foleys Plumbing alongside growing local firm Mainland Roofing.

Others such as HCB Technologies, and Wigram Dairy are joined by the hugely popular Meshino Café with its loyal client base of fans.

For those investors and owner-occupiers there’s the chance to own the very last space available — all 275sqm of it with great views, heaps of natural light and the ability to be split into two separate tenancy areas.

It comes with fully-ducted air conditioning, six car parks and an impressive central stairway to draw in the clients. An incentivised sale package includes a generous fitout package of $115,000 +GST and a two-year leaseback providing an investor with an annual rental of $88,575 pa + GST and outgoings for two years from settlement date.

Ms Raine described the sale package as an “early Christmas present” for anyone who wanted to join the many successful businesses that call Harvard Hub home.

“The revitalisation of the Christchurch CBD is now well underway but there are many, many businesses contributing to the overall health and wellbeing of the city’s economy outside of the four avenues,” she said.

“Some set up shop in what many think of as suburbia out of necessity following the earthquakes, then found that they flourished in their new settings and never wanted to go back to the CBD.

“The advantages of developments such as Harvard Hub are well-documented, including ease of access to transport systems, parking right outside their office doors and a real sense of community.

“The buildings themselves are brand new and built to cater for flexible office, retail and warehouse use.

“And close to the development you’ve got a full-size New World, childcare centre, and two more cafes and restaurants. Literally everything anyone needs is right on their doorstep.”

The last office space is being marketed by joint sole agents Ray White Commercial, Glass Miles Commercial, and NAI Harcourts. Investors or owner/occupiers are invited to register their interest for a full Property Information Memorandum. A Deadline Private Treaty Sale closes at 4pm on Thursday 23 November 2017 (unless sold prior).

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