Homes in the CBD would help attract skilled workers, high tech boss says – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

More inner city living options would help attract highly skilled workers to Nelson and inject vibrancy into the city centre, says a high-tech company boss.

The chief executive of high-tech company Snap Core, Chris Rodley, said Nelson had a growing innovation sector.

“We’ve got … businesses that are choosing to put their head office here, and businesses that have billion dollar valuations.”

The Nelson-based business itself was growing quickly, recently winning a $2.5m government loan to help expand its manufacturing operations.

That was expected to create at least 20 more jobs at the AI company, which made live cameras and tracking equipment used on fishing boats around the world.

Rodley said the outdoor lifestyle available in Nelson had helped attract the highly skilled workers the business needed, often from places like Auckland and Wellington.

Offering Nelson as a place where they could “live and breathe” in the CBD too, would help convince more to make the move, he said.

That wouldn’t just benefit the high tech sector.

Having more people walking out of their front door into the city centre would be “what brings life into the space”, he said.

Rodley said he and his wife wanted to move into…