The motivation for starting Buy Kiwi was all about helping New Zealand thrive & prosper by supporting Kiwi-owned businesses, rather than sending our hard-earned dollars to overseas companies.
And our newest Buy Kiwi seller truly encapsulates the spirit of Buy Kiwi. An inspirational entrepreneurial teenager from Hawera, Jacob McCrea.
Jacob is a Year 13 student studying for NCEA level 3 at Te Paepae o Aotea and as if that doesn’t keep him busy enough, he is also the Managing Director of The Plank!
The Plank™ was founded in 2022 by a group of year 12 Hawera High School students as part of the NCEA level 2 Young Enterprise Scheme.
The idea for The Plank™ was born out of Jacob's frustration with the inadequacy of small cutting boards to handle large portions of food or meat. He found it difficult to use hardwood or unsustainable plastic boards that quickly dulled his knives, and often leaked juices everywhere.
To address this problem, he decided to start a business that specialises in producing eco-friendly cutting boards that are large, thick, sturdy, and of high quality, and from there, The Plank™ was born.
The Plank™ has already won some big awards including being the runner-up in the New Zealand National Award for Excellence in Sales and Marketing (out of over 4700 students and 1000 businesses nationwide).
So, if you love presenting your food with high quality, long lasting & beautifully presented boards, you can get your very own board from The Plank™ @ Buy Kiwi. The Egg Rack and The Seasoning Block are personal favourites- be sure to check them out too.
And possibly even better, feel great knowing you are supporting one of our upcoming kiwi entrepreneurs - terrific to have you onboard with Buy Kiwi Jacob!
