Maketū Pies is going up for sale less than two years after it was bought by the Montana Group, potentially impacting 21 full-time jobs.
Montana met with the Maketū-based team on Monday afternoon to discuss a proposal to close the Bay of Plenty factory when its lease ends in December.
“The Maketū Pies team are an incredible group of people who are deeply passionate about Maketū and the Maketū Pies business. Understandably, team members need time to digest the news, and we will continue to support them throughout this process,” Montana Group chief executive Lizzi Pearson said in a statement.
“We’re so proud of what we have collectively achieved in a relatively short amount of time with Maketū Pies. The entire team has worked incredibly hard to give the brand a new lease of life and could not have been achieved without the huge amount of nationwide support we have received."
A Montana Group spokesperson confirmed to 1News 21 full-time jobs would be potentially affected.
"Ultimately, the reason for this development is that the factory lease in Maketū ends in December, so it’s been the right time to take stock and think about next steps. Since purchasing Maketū Pies nearly two years ago, the team and Montana have grown the business significantly – in short they have turned it around. So it’s in a super positive place for someone to potentially pick it up and take it to another level."
Pearson said the factory, originally built in 1982, had been "extended in several iterations over the decades, resulting in a fragmented site that is no longer fit for purpose".
"The factory would realistically require a full rebuild to accommodate further production growth and product storage – without that, Maketū Pies has reached capacity at the site," she said.
"Whether that next chapter takes place in Maketū or in another manufacturing location will be the decision of the new owner."
Stretching far beyond its roots in the Bay of Plenty, at its peak the pie brand was available in up to 1500 pie warmers across Aotearoa, Maketū Pies general manager Craig Williams said.
"When Montana picked up the business in late 2024, that number was down to less than 100 pie warmers. Today its more than 600 and growing, as well on more than 200 different supermarket shelves.”
Maketū Pies went into liquidation in November 2024 after five years of losses before being sold to the Montana Group.
Williams said he was confident a new owner would be able to continue the growth of the business.
“Our team have rebuilt a solid foundation and set a framework and strategy that ensures Maketū Pies has a place in what is a very competitive market.
“This is not a brand that was invented by a marketing team on a whiteboard – it has grown over more than 40 years from a home kitchen helping to feed kids in the local community.
“The Maketū Pies legacy spans generations, and now is the right time for a new buyer to turn the next page.”
The consultation period would be completed next week.
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