The Horowhenua Company Ltd

07/10/2026

Health and Safety? It’s Risky Business!

Local Health and Safety professional Gillian Jones has launched Risky Business, helping small and medium-sized businesses take a practical, straightforward approach to workplace Health and Safety.

Rather than simply adding more paperwork, Gillian’s coaching approach is about working alongside businesses to build their knowledge and confidence and make Health and Safety work in the real world.

She’s also launched Safety in 15 – short, practical resources combined with one-to-one coaching for businesses looking for support on a specific topic.

Great to see another Horowhenua business getting underway!

Find out more at

Trusted & experienced Workplace Health & Safety coaching, training, guidance and support New Zealand-wide, plus Safety in 15 – quick online coaching with no lock-in contracts.

06/10/2026

Thanks Mama Cleans Levin for the shoutout!

We love helping Horowhenua businesses with opportunities to learn, grow and build capability. If you’re a local business wondering what support might be available to you, get in touch with our team at [email protected]

05/10/2026

We’re heading to Firebird for our next business networking event!

You might know the name, but did you know Firebird started out as a food truck before growing into the café, restaurant and live-music venue it is today? Now based at 58 Oxford Street, Levin, Firebird is all about bringing great food, music and community together.

On Thursday 29th October, we’re heading there for our next THCL Business Networking event. Come along for a relaxed evening of business networking, conversation and pizza at one of Levin’s unique local venues.

And why not make a night of it? Following our networking event, Firebird is hosting Australian blues and soul musician Shaun Kirk for a live show. Concert tickets are sold separately through Humanitix.

Grab your business networking ticket here: https://events.humanitix.com/business-networking-event-october-2026/tickets

THCL BUSINESS NETWORKING EVENT:
29th October, 5-7pm
Firebird, 58 Oxford Street, Levin
Tickets $10 (pizza included)

01/10/2026

A big night for Horowhenua!

Congratulations to all the winners at the 2026 Electra Business & Innovation Awards, especially our Horowhenua locals :

Udderly Organic – winning 5 awards including the top honour, Electra Business of the Year

Premium Garage Doors Ltd

Nation Beauty

Four Square Shannon – Judges' Award, Heart of the Community

It was great to see so many outstanding businesses and individuals recognised – and we were especially proud to see Horowhenua so well represented!

A special shout-out to our own Carmen Gray, this year's Horowhenua mentor, who supported Horowhenua businesses with their award applications.

Congratulations to all the winners, finalists and entrants!

The 2026 Electra Business & Innovation Awards! 🌟💜

After a very exciting awards season, impeccable businesses joining the journey, and a night full of celebration, we are excited to present this year's winners!

Congratulations to all entrants, finalists, and winners. 📣

Electra Business of the Year: Sponsored by Electra
🌟 Udderly Organic Ltd

Construction and Trades: Sponsored by Mills Albert Ltd
🌟 Premium Garage Doors

Consumer Services: Sponsored by Zebunisso Alimova - Mike Pero Mortgages
🌟 Nation Beauty

Hospitality, Entertainment and Tourism: Sponsored by Kapinua
🌟 The Custard Pie

Manufacturing, Production and Processing: Sponsored by MTF Kāpiti
🌟 Udderly Organic Ltd

Not for Profit, Community and Public Services: Sponsored by LT McGuinness
🌟 Otaki Women’s Community Club (OWCC)

Professional and Business Services, or Technology: Sponsored by Graphic Press & Packaging
🌟 Pou Architecture

Retail: Sponsored by New World Levin
🌟We Love Local

Customer Experience - Horowhenua: Sponsored by The Horowhenua Company
🌟 Udderly Organic Ltd

Customer Experience - Kāpiti: Sponsored by Spark Business Hub Kāpiti
🌟 We Love Local

New/Emerging: Sponsored by Kāpiti Business Chamber
🌟 Udderly Organic Ltd

Small Business: Sponsored by NZME
🌟 Pou Architecture

Environmental Sustainability: Sponsored by ANZ Bank of New Zealand
🌟 Udderly Organic Ltd

Innovation: Sponsored by Elite Diagnostics
🌟 Premium Garage Doors

Judges' Award - Heart of the Community
🌟 Four Square Shannon

Hall of Fame Horowhenua: Sponsored by Horowhenua District Council
🌟 Doug Rowan

Hall of Fame Kāpiti: Sponsored by Kāpiti Coast District Council
🌟 Mark Brosnahan

30/09/2026

Have you heard of Paul's Project?

It’s one of Horowhenua’s growing local businesses - and the latest to feature in our THCL case study series.

From getting the business off the ground to building its reputation and finding new opportunities, the Paul’s Project story is one of backing an idea and seeing where it can lead.

Curious to know more?
Read the full story here: https://www.thcl.nz/case-studies/

29/09/2026

Looking to sharpen your sales skills? Join us in Levin next week.

Think Right’s practical 7 Fundamentals of Sales workshop is happening next Tuesday, giving you four focused hours to strengthen your sales approach and build confidence in conversations with customers.

You’ll learn how to:
• understand what drives customer decisions
• make a strong first impression
• ask better questions to uncover customer needs
• communicate value more effectively
• handle objections with confidence
• identify cross-selling and upselling opportunities
• close sales more effectively

Whether you’re a business owner or part of a sales team, this workshop will give you practical tools you can put into action straight away.

Tuesday, 6th October 2026
8:30am–12:30pm
The Horowhenua Company Ltd, 8 Bath Street, Levin

The workshop is $400 + GST, with Regional Business Partner funding of up to 75% available for eligible businesses.

To find out more about funding eligibility, contact THCL’s Richard van Gaalen at [email protected].

More workshop information:
https://www.thinkright.co.nz/7-fundamentals-public

28/09/2026

Looking for something to keep the tamariki busy these school holidays?

Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō has a great line-up of free activities for tamariki and whānau, with reading, growing, making and plenty of hands-on fun - all themed around celebrating Horowhenua's proud food-growing roots.

Don't miss the big finale party on Saturday 17th October – complete with a bouncy castle, face painting, games, brunch and more!

27/09/2026

A huge thank you to Spark, one of our new THCL Partners, for investing in the future of Horowhenua.

Support from partners like Spark helps us deliver initiatives that strengthen our local business community, from networking events and practical workshops to programmes that support business growth and workforce development. Together, we're helping create opportunities for businesses, entrepreneurs and our future workforce. We're proud to have Spark alongside us and appreciate their commitment to making a positive impact in our region.

Also Spark recently provided the smartphone prize for our LinkedIn giveaway, and we were delighted to present it to our winner, Cher McCartney, at our latest Business After 5 event. Congratulations again, Cher!

We’re always keen to connect with businesses that want to get behind the work we’re doing in Horowhenua. Becoming a THCL partner is a great way to support the local business community while building your own brand visibility and connections across the region.

Interested in partnering with THCL? Get in touch with our team to find out more about our partnership and sponsorship opportunities.

24/09/2026

Bringing careers to life for Horowhenua rangatahi

Get-Go has been busy connecting students at Waiopehu College and Horowhenua College with local businesses and professionals, giving them the opportunity to explore different careers and see where their interests could take them.

Waiopehu College students visited Techlam, getting hands-on with timber engineering and manufacturing and discovering how maths, technology and engineering are used in a real workplace. Students also heard from Rebecca from Colbert Cooper and Riana from CS Law, who shared their experiences of university, career choices and working in accounting and law – including the important message that career pathways don’t always have to follow a straight line.

At Horowhenua College, Kirsty Chamberlain from Architecture Plus gave students an insight into architecture and the creativity, problem-solving and hard work behind the profession.

These experiences are at the heart of Get-Go – exposing, educating and exciting young people about career pathways and connecting them with the opportunities, businesses and people right here in Horowhenua.

A huge thank you to Techlam, Colbert Cooper, CS Law and Architecture Plus for giving their time, sharing their experiences and helping our rangatahi see what their futures could hold.

23/09/2026

What a great evening at Belcanto for our September Business After Five!

A huge thank you to the Belcanto team for opening their doors and giving us a behind-the-scenes look at their Levin operation.

During the course of the evening we got to view some of Belcanto's machinery in action and hear more about the company's story - including the innovation behind its Grappler Balcony system, some of the major projects they’re delivering across New Zealand, and their thoughts on the opportunities ahead for both Belcanto and Horowhenua.

We also heard from Business Advisor Vijay Nyayapati, who shared three simple actions businesses can take to build greater resilience:
- One page – get clear on where you’re going
- Five numbers – track what really matters
- Sixty minutes – make time each week to tackle your biggest issues

Want Vijay’s one-page template? Email him at [email protected] and he’ll send you a copy.

Last but not least, thanks to Zaaffran for the delicious food, and to everyone who joined us for another fantastic BA5!