WeatherWatch.co.nz and GlobalHQ have announced they have entered into a 50/50 partnership to help grow New Zealand’s largest and most well-known privately owned weather forecaster.

Under the agreement GlobalHQ takes a 50% ownership of WeatherWatch Services Ltd, which began operating independently in 2010. The partnership will ensure WeatherWatch can be resourced appropriately to meet the rapidly growing demand from the rural sector, small businesses and Government for new ideas, digital infrastructure and bringing weather forecasts to life.

GlobalHQ owner Dean Williamson says “Partnering with Phil Duncan and WeatherWatch rounds out our primary sector information hub perfectly by creating four valuable content pillars all working together: News, weather, market information and education/vocational training. We’re here to support the agripreneur whether they work inside the farm gate, or in the supply chain beyond the farm gate. Information is king. Phil is best in class, using world-leading technology, and is incredibly passionate about farming and the agri sector.”

GlobalHQ is farmer-owned and is based in Feilding, Manawatū, with 65 full and part time employees across the country. WeatherWatch and GlobalHQ share the same purpose, working nationwide to build connection, collaboration and community into even the most remote locations, and giving every agripreneur access to the best information and tools to run their farm, orchard, service enterprise, or any primary sector business – and to plan and build for the future.

The newly structured WeatherWatch.co.nz will see investment into new weather products and services, collaborative ideas, state of the art alerting to mobile devices, interactive weather menus tailored specifically to the user and a system designed entirely around the consumer.

WeatherWatch CEO Philip Duncan says this partnership is very exciting for all New Zealanders. “Kiwis have become used to WeatherWatch going the extra mile to help give real detail and understanding to the weather. This relationship with GlobalHQ will allow us to expand our services across rural and urban NZ and better live up to the demands of the NZ public”.

Duncan says WeatherWatch is eager to build new products and services, build better resilience across the country, lead the way with digital infrastructure and improve weather technology through its special partnership with IBM. “This is all about working hard, collaborating and building for the future. We’re all very excited with the new energy this much bigger team brings to the industry and to WeatherWatch”.

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For more details on GlobalHQ, visit their website here.