Huia Iti has been with Ecostore since 2007. Now the Research and Development Director, he can use his technical skills for a company that perfectly aligns with his personal values.
“Ko Huia Iti taku ingoa, Ko Taranaki taku maunga, Ko Puniho, ko Oakura aku marae, Ko Nga Mahanga aa Tairi taku iwi, Ko Kura Haupo taku waka”
Iti was born and raised in Helensville, on the banks of the Kaipara River. His dad, Barry, is from Taranaki and his mum, Iris, is from Rangiputa. He was the second oldest of four boys. Grandmother Flora Thirkettle lived next door; she was known as the ‘Queen of the Kaipara’ for single-handedly raising seven children whilst juggling commercial fishing. Iti credits many life lessons to the tough and independent woman.
Most of his childhood was spent outdoors in the local area. Being a small town meant everyone had a connection to the community. In the school holidays, he would spend time far north, where the beaches were empty and the sea full of tasty treats. He attended the Catholic Māori boarding school, Hato Petera College, for his secondary education and was immersed in everything Te Ao Māori had to offer. He then went to Auckland University and completed a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry.
“From an early age, I was always interested in how things worked below the surface. How my career has played out now makes sense to me!”
Iti standing in front of a colourful Fungi wall when visiting Novozymes in Denmark.
After university, Iti took a bit of a break and spent some time commercially fishing before working in the quality lab at Wattyl Paints, Avondale. He gained plenty of valuable skills and knowledge in the manufacturer, brand, and development centre. After some time, an opportunity to be in a leadership role for steel coating came up with Fletcher Building - this was where he first connected with triple bottom line sustainability and managing a business's financial, social, and environmental profiles. The holistic nature of the role resonated with Iti and made him decide sustainability had to be essential in whatever area of product development he worked in moving forward.
Ecostore perfectly aligned with this mindset and led to Iti starting in 2007 as a research and development manager. Fifteen years later, he is the R&D Director for Ecostore and Chantal Organics and a stakeholder representative of Environmental Choice New Zealand. Understanding packaging challenges from product compatibility, user experience, manufacturing, and recycling perspectives allows him to work effectively in these roles.
“I use my technical skills to contribute to our purpose whilst feeling good about the work we do. I am particularly proud of my small team of chemists, led by the amazing Sherry Cheng.”
Iti now lives in Helensville, so a typical day at Ecostore starts with a commute into Auckland city. He is responsible for developing new products, continuously improving the current range and sourcing high-quality, ethical suppliers. Living out of the city means he can come home and fit in a surf before dinner.
“I think I’m lucky to work at ecostore, and I’m particularly grateful to Malcolm and Melanie Rands and Peter and Pablo Kraus for choosing me to play a significant role within their amazing brand.”
Ecostore research and development team - Jeanie Meng, Sherry Cheng, Tony Melton and Huia Iti.
The inspiration for innovation at Ecostore can come from the team, global megatrends, thought leaders, competitors and customers. Nothing is easy in the innovative green space, there are always challenges, but Iti and his team face them with creative thinking. He loves adopting the ‘less is more’ concept that has more value in smaller packages such as pods, tablets or concentrates. An innovation he is particularly proud of is Ecostore’s sugar plastic.
“The burden placed on people and the planet will only lessen through widespread adoption of smarter, newer formats and consumers heading down the refill route. The success of our 200+ refill stations globally is a case in point.”
Customer input in the R&D process is growing daily. People want to know more about the ins and outs of products. The most common questions Iti finds include: Is this going to be safe to use on my skin, on my hair, on my children? Is it going to leave residues in my clothes? What's it going to do to my washing machine? What will it do when the wastewater goes out of the pipe? Consumers want to know more and trust that their products are appropriately managed in every aspect.
Iti can see enzymatic ingredients playing a considerable role in the cleaning category moving forward. The team at Ecostore are currently working on high-performing laundry products that use plant-based ingredients and powerful enzymes to deliver performance in tiny doses. Some developments are not too far away that use tame microorganisms to eat soiling on dirty surfaces - Imagine using ‘bugs’ to clean your home.
Ecostore cleaner refill concentrates.
When not innovating, Iti can be found working on his five-acre block in Helensville.
“Apparently, it’s called a life sentence rather than a lifestyle block; lucky I love working the land so much that it’s never a chore.”
In his spare time, he is also a volunteer firefighter.
