a2 Milk’s unusual path to a top productivity ranking

Experts say a2 Milk's high productivity is due to its unique business model. (Image: NZME/Businessdesk/Supplied)

Tue, 25 Nov 2025

a2 Milk tops a BusinessDesk Productivity Unleashed series league table by a wide margin, but its edge comes from a capital-light model and clever use of partners, reports Michael Neilson.The a2 Milk Company has experienced the biggest increase in productivity among listed New Zealand businesses, according to a BusinessDesk analysis, but experts say its extraordinary figures have less to do with factory efficiency and more with how the company built a global premium brand on a remarkably lean structure. According to an analys...

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