manufacturing
Manufacturing, including building and light engineering, is one of the largest industry sectors in the Southland region. Rich
resources combined with a skilled workforce, affordable land and the support of sound infrastructure has seen many businesses thrive, and offers many new opportunities for investment.
The largest non-agricultural based manufacturing business in Southland is an aluminium smelter, operated by New Zealand Aluminium Smelters (NZAS) at Tiwai Point near Bluff. NZAS produces more than a quarter of a million tonnes of aluminium each year. Most of the metal product is exported to Japan and other Asian countries, but fabrication and foil products are made for local consumption.