A second building products company has felt the strains in the construction sector resulting in lower profits.

A massive upgrade of electricity wires, poles and transformers across wide areas of the North Island could add $3 to $4 per month to average consumers’ power bills.

Spark has reported an increase in full-year profit, with an improved performance in the mobile and information technology divisions.

Consumer sentiment is holding around two-year highs on the back of a strong labour market, continued low inflation and interest rates.

Invercargill is hoping the symbol of a giant letter ‘I’ will boost the city’s morale and help rejuvenate its struggling inner city businesses.

Industrial rubber goods manufacturer Skellerup has posted a higher full-year profit because of recovering commodity prices.

A profits collapse at Fletcher Building shows procurement in the construction sector needs to change, the New Zealand Council for Infrastructural Development says.

Customers wanting to send priority mail will have to use courier post instead, as letter volumes continue to decline.

The company’s combined cycle gas-fired plant at Stratford in Taranaki will now keep generating electricity for five more years.

Major project losses, delays and asset writedowns have savaged Fletcher Building’s profit and cost its former chief executive his job.