The Bay of Plenty’s wood and paper product manufacturing industry includes:

• sawmilling
• pulp and paper production
• construction of timber and structural components for buildings, and other wood products
• fabricated wood manufacturing, such as making plywood.

Jobs in these areas are varied, and include roles such as;

• sawmill operators, timber graders and timber machinists
• saw doctors, who sharpen and maintain saws and blades
• pulp and paper production workers and machine operators
• sawmill managers
• production and general management roles.

For those looking for work in this industry in the Bay of Plenty region, many employers are often looking for people with a proven work history, including experience doing shift work.

Sawmills and pulp and paper mills often provide work training to develop employees, which are delivered on the job or through a tertiary training provider. This training is NZQA accredited. For some roles you may also be able to complete a traineeship or apprenticeship.

With experience, people can move into supervisor or shift manager roles.

Around 4,800 people are employed in the wood and paper product manufacturing industry in the Bay of Plenty. This includes around:

• 1,200 people working in 40 log sawmills
• 1,200 people employed in five pulp and paper mills.

Job numbers in sawmills and pulp and paper mills have decreased over the last five years. This is due to factors such as:

• some sawmills closing because of higher running costs such as energy and fuel
• smaller sawmills merging, requiring fewer staff, particularly in management areas
• increased use of automation, which is aimed at increasing productivity, but requires fewer employees
• increased competition from overseas producers.

However, there has been some growth in job numbers in the manufacturing of wood products such as the construction of structural components for buildings.

Pulp and paper mills in the Bay of Plenty tend to be large businesses that employ over 200 staff. They are owned by:\

• Carter Holt Harvey (CHH), which runs the Tasman Mill in Kawerau, Kinleith Mill near Tokoroa and Whakatane Mill
• SCA Hygiene Australasia.

CHH’s Tasman Mill is the largest factory in New Zealand located outside of a city. It produces around 900,000 tonnes of pulp, paper, tissue and building products, of which 60% is exported to Asia through Port Tauranga. CHH also owns the Whakatane mill, which manufactures cartonboard.

SCA Hygiene Australasia produces toilet tissues and other hygiene products, mainly for the hospitality industry.

Major sawmills in the area include:

• Red Stag’s Waipa sawmill just outside of Rotorua (employing around 250 people)
• Carter Holt Harvey’s Kawerau sawmill.

Sawmills vary widely in size, with smaller operations employing only five to 10 people.

The pulp and paper mills are located around Kawerau. Sawmills are located throughout the region, generally close to forests, with the largest mills located at Kawerau and Rotorua.