Businesses are a valuable asset in any local community. We recognise the efforts of all the businesses in our community, who by opening their doors day-after-day, create and communicate our town identity. We are also especially proud of our  entrepreneurs, home-grown businesses, and locally made products. Along with good urban design, it's our businesses that create vibrancy in our town centre and that transform our town character into local employment and economic advantage.

By business type, the largest industry sectors in the South Waikato district are agriculture, forestry and fishing (23.9%), manufacturing (17.5%) and education and training (9.9%). Retail trade represents 7.7% of industry. 

For Putāruru specifically, the main industry is timber handling and processing, water related industry and farming. Dairying, with some sheep raising, is the main farming activity in the surrounding area. Putāruru have a connection with the timber industry which dates back to the turn of the century. Presently, there are two saw mills in Putāruru, being Pine and Kiwi Lumber. 

The South Waikato District is currently experiencing a strong economic upswing, with GDP growth in the year 2017 at 4.3% up from just a 1.3% a year earlier and well above the national average of 2.8%.  In 2017, the South Waikato District  economy produced a total of $1,000m in GDP, through approximately 2,274 businesses and providing employment to 9,480 full time equivalents.