

WHERE SUCCESS
GROWS SUCCESS

South Waikato Investment Fund Trust (SWIFT) has appointed three new board members: corporate lawyer Kate Searancke (Ngāti Maniapoto), accountant, lawyer, director and investor Michael Crawford and kaupapa Māori environmental consultant James Whetu as it plans for trustee retirements and adopts a new strategic focus.
Since the commencement of the CNIWC Generation Programme in 2021, which, alongside others has been funded by SWIFT, there has been success with many students who have gained employment within the forestry industry or continued further education. Olive Williams has been a prime example. business for 30 years.
Van Dam Plumbing is well known across the South Waikato having been established 60 years ago. Stephen Mulholland who has recently purchased the business with his partner Jade Corry, had worked for Van Dam Plumbing for 15 years and is well known in the Putaruru sporting community.
Hancocks Forest Management (HFM) are part of the Hancocks Natural Resources Group – the world’s largest forest owners, and locally manage the 145,000-hectare Kinleith Forest. Hancocks operate from old premises in Tokoroa and needed an operations base and offices that were fit for contemporary forest management needs.
2020 presented many challenges for the district and the nation. However it also provided a great opportunity for different organisations to work together on the single focus of business survival and regeneration.
These included SWDC, SWIFT, Te Waka, Firestation, The Event Girl, and EMA.