Southern teens recognised for natural, NZ-made leather balm
A group of young, Southern entrepreneurs have developed a product already being rolled out to retail stores across the South Island.
For Ellie Templeton, 18, Emi Martin, 17, Greer Egan, 18, and Meg Miller, 18; Nature’s Prime started as desire to create something that promoted sustainability and supported the primary industries.
With the help of leather experts and chemists, they created a natural leather restoring balm — made entirely from New Zealand ingredients.
They’d already been contacted by people saying they’d been looking for a local option before they found Nature’s Prime, Templeton said.
People also liked that it was versatile, she said, adding that some had even been using it for car seats and couches.
The four met at St Hilda’s Collegiate and developed the business as part of the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) programme.
They went on to win the Otago regional competition; although Miller is from Riversdale and Egan from Wreys Bush.
This month, they placed third in the YES national competition.
The company was awarded $1000, as well as an additional $1000 for their school.
Read more here.