Source: New Zealand Government
Tairāwhiti’s economy is to get a $5.9 million boost through two investments from the Provincial Growth Fund in local employer Pultron Composites, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced.
Pultron is a Gisborne-based global industrial technology company specialising in the development and manufacture of high-performance fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites using the pultrusion process.
“This company is a key employer in the Gisborne area and this Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) investment will support it to expand its facility and to grow and develop its workforce,” Shane Jones said.
The first investment of $5.3 million will support the company to build and equip a state-of-the-art research and engineering facility and to expand its site to manage increasing demand for its products.
The second investment of just over $610,000 will help the company upskill its current workforce and enable it to hire more local people.
“The site expansion and research facility builds will be a two-year construction programme that can begin immediately. These projects will not only provide immediate work on the build, but once in place they will also create around 60 additional jobs in the new facility,” Shane Jones said.
Pultron will use the $612,994 in Te Ara Mahi funding from the PGF to help 23 Tairāwhiti people into employment and provide up to 127 training opportunities each year to for new and existing employees to upskill, including three engineering apprenticeships.
“Through the training programme, Pultron will upskill and promote their current workforce which will create new entry-level vacancies.
“These projects will help the local economy to diversify from a reliance on the forestry sector by providing alternative skills and employment opportunities.
“It will also mean economic growth across the economy and will provide employment opportunities for all sections of Tairāwhiti’s community, especially given that Pultron has a history of workforce employment diversity and promoting employment opportunities for Māori,” Shane Jones said.
