Pictured above: Samuel Brooks and Jonno Hill.
A sustained lift in New Zealandโs export sector, alongside increasing regulatory complexity across food and primary industries, is reshaping demand for inspection, auditing and certification services โ prompting expansion within one of the countryโs key testing providers, Hill Labs.
From this month, the joint venture between Hill Labs and auditing specialist Samuel Brooks will operate under a unified Hill Labs brand, bringing inspection and certification services more closely in line with its established laboratory testing business.
The move follows the formation of the joint venture in February 2025 and reflects what the company says has been a strong first year of trading, supported by rising demand from export-focused food and dairy producers.
Hill Labs Managing Director Jonno Hill says the consolidation is a natural evolution of the business model.
โOur joint venture has performed strongly. Weโve seen solid uptake from industry. Customers have responded positively to increased competition in the market,โ he says. โBringing these inspection and certification services under the Hill Labs brand gives customers further clarity and confidence.โ
The shift comes at a time when export performance remains a key driver of compliance activity. Ministry for Primary Industries data shows primary sector export revenue reached $60.4 billion in the year to June 2025, up 13 percent year-on-year, with further growth forecast to $62 billion in 2026.
Hill Labs Inspection and Certification CEO Samuel Brooks says that growth is directly influencing demand for assurance services across export supply chains.
โAs New Zealand exports grow, the need for independent verification grows with them. Market access requirements are becoming more complex, and producers need reliable and responsive auditing partners to maintain trade confidence,โ he says.
The company provides auditing and certification services across dairy, food manufacturing and export supply chains, assessing compliance from farm through to processing, storage and export readiness.
Industry pressure is also being driven by a broader expectation of choice and competition in compliance services.
โCustomers want choice. Competition in our sector improves consistency and value, and helps strengthen confidence in the overall compliance industry,โ Brooks says.
Beyond exports, domestic regulatory demand is also rising, particularly in the hospitality sector, which reached $15.99 billion in annual sales by mid-2025 according to Hospitality New Zealand.
Hill Labs says this growth is placing pressure on some councils to maintain inspection capacity, particularly in specialised compliance areas such as food safety, alcohol licensing and environmental health.
โCouncils sometimes face staffing shortages in specialised compliance roles,โ Brooks says. โOur team acts as a supportive extension of a councilโs in-house capability, helping them keep communities safe while remaining responsive to growth.โ
The business also supports organisations providing meals in sensitive environments, including early childhood centres and retirement villages, where food safety compliance is critical.
The expanded inspection and certification function positions Hill Labs within the global Testing, Inspection and Compliance (TIC) sector, allowing it to offer end-to-end services alongside its laboratory testing operations.
โCustomers increasingly want a single trusted partner,โ Hill says. โLarger customers who require the full spectrum of these services can now test with us, verify with us, and demonstrate compliance with us. That continuity improves reliability across the process.โ
The combined group now employs around 550 people, increasing to up to 700 during peak testing periods, and is actively recruiting additional inspection specialists as demand grows.
Hill also signalled further expansion ahead, including potential acquisitions to strengthen capability across testing and compliance services.
โStrategic acquisitions are now a key part of our growth trajectory,โ he says. โWe expect to make further acquisition announcements in the coming years as we continue building capability around customersโ testing and compliance needs.โ
