Invercargill Licensing Trust

What Invercargill Licensing Trust does

Invercargill Licensing Trust (ILT) is a community-owned trust organization established in 1944 in Invercargill, New Zealand, following a public vote to replace 38 years of prohibition with a social enterprise model. It operates 23 directly owned hospitality businesses spanning hotels, motels, restaurants, taverns, bars, and retail liquor outlets across Invercargill, Dunedin, and Christchurch. The accommodation portfolio comprises three hotels (The Langlands Hotel — 78-room, 4.5-star, opened 2022; Kelvin Hotel — 3.5-star; Ascot Park Hotel — 4-star with conference facilities for up to 800 attendees) and four motels including Cable Court in Dunedin and Ashford Motor Lodge in Christchurch.

The food and beverage operations cover 11 restaurants (such as Meld, Two Doors Down, Brew'd Cafe, Emberz, Level One, Speight's Ale House, The Foundry, The Lone Star, and Waxy's Irish Pub) and 15 taverns and bars (including 360 cocktail bar and Niche laneway bar at The Langlands). The retail liquor arm includes six-plus liquor outlets such as Centrepoint Liquorland, South City Liquorland, and Southland Superliquor, plus a Queenstown location. Revenue is generated through accommodation bookings, food and beverage sales, liquor retail, gaming machines, and corporate conference/event bookings handled by a dedicated sales executive for groups of 5 to 800+.

ILT operates as a social enterprise under a publicly elected board (led by President Paddy O'Brien), with CEO Chris Ramsay and a leadership team including CFO Suraj Thapa. Rather than distributing profits to shareholders, 100% of profits are reinvested into the Invercargill community through approximately $8-9 million in annual grants and donations to over 300 organizations, plus tertiary scholarships (up to 65 students annually, $2,000 for three years) and sports/arts/cultural scholarships. Since 1944, ILT has returned over $225 million to the community. Annual local procurement totals $26 million with regional suppliers, and the organization employs approximately 650-700 people. Core technology is conventional hospitality operations with no proprietary platforms or AI/ML capabilities disclosed.

Name

Invercargill Licensing Trust

Legal name

Invercargill Licensing Trust

Website

https://ilt.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1944

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Invercargill Licensing Trust is a community-owned social enterprise established in 1944 in Invercargill, New Zealand, operating 23 hospitality businesses (hotels, motels, restaurants, bars, liquor outlets) across the South Island and returning all profits — approximately $8-9 million annually — to the local community through grants, donations, and scholarships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community-Owned Hospitality Services

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111), Traveler Accommodation (7211), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Hotels & Motels (7011), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban & Downtown Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Boutique Inns (THAGAHAB), Hotel & Resort Restaurants (THAFACAH), Neighborhood Bars & Taverns (CRANACAA)

Keywords

• Hospitality operations
• Hotel accommodation
• Food and beverage
• Community trust
• Liquor retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Invercargill

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Hospitality Operations: ILT operates 23 hospitality businesses including hotels, motels, restaurants, bars, taverns, and retail liquor outlets. Revenue is generated from accommodation, food and beverage sales, and liquor sales across these establishments.
2. Gaming Machine Revenue: Income generated from gaming machines located in ILT's various hospitality businesses, which supplements the profits returned to the community.
3. Community Grants and Donations Distribution: ILT distributes approximately $8 million annually back to the community through grants, donations, and sponsorships to over 300 organizations. This is the social purpose of the organization rather than a revenue stream.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ILT operates 23 hospitality businesses across New Zealand's South Island, including three hotels (The Langlands, Kelvin, Ascot Park), four motels (Homestead Villa, Balmoral Lodge, Cable Court in Dunedin, Ashford Motor Lodge in Christchurch), eleven restaurants, fifteen taverns and bars, and liquor outlets. All profits are returned to the Invercargill community through grants, donations, and scholarships rather than distributed to shareholders.

Product overview

ILT operates a diversified portfolio of 23 hospitality businesses across accommodation, food & beverage, and retail liquor sectors. The accommodation arm includes three hotels (The Langlands Hotel 4.5-star, Kelvin Hotel 3.5-star, Ascot Park Hotel 4-star) and four motels (Homestead Villa, Balmoral Lodge, Cable Court in Dunedin, Ashford Motor Lodge in Christchurch). The food & beverage operations span 11 restaurants (including Brew'd Cafe, Meld, Two Doors Down, The Homestead, Emberz at Ascot, Level One, Speight's Ale House, Thar & Feather, The Foundry, The Lone Star, The Saucy Chef, Waxy's Irish Pub) and 15 taverns and bars (including 360 cocktail bar, Niche laneway bar, Ascot Sports Bar, Southland Sports Bar, multiple suburban taverns). ILT also operates 6 liquor outlets (Centrepoint Liquorland, South City Liquorland, Collingwood Superliquor, Southland Superliquor, East End Liquor, Windsor Wines) plus 7 convenience bottle stores. The organisation functions as a social enterprise, returning all profits to the Invercargill community through grants, donations, and scholarships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Langlands Hotel A 4.5-star, seven-storey hotel with 78 rooms, combining sophisticated accommodation with chic bars and fantastic eateries. Opened in 2022 in the heart of Invercargill.
• Kelvin Hotel A 3.5-star hotel positioned in the heart of Invercargill beside the city centre complex. Features Editor's Cut Sports Bar, Level One Restaurant & Bar, and conference facilities for up to 140 people.
• Ascot Park Hotel A 4-star hotel 8 minutes from CBD set in park-like surroundings. Features spa, sauna, heated indoor swimming pool, fitness area, Emberz Restaurant and Bar, Sports Bar, and conference facilities for 8 to 800 people. Offers 73 hotel rooms, 4 deluxe studios, 3 suites, 12 apartment units, and 24 motel units.
• Homestead Villa Motel 4-star-plus accommodation within 10 minutes walk to central city, featuring the largest motel units in New Zealand with spacious apartment-style units and outdoor BBQ area.
• Balmoral Lodge Motel 4-star-plus self-contained motel close to city centre with comfortably furnished units featuring kitchens and multiple-bed layouts, ideal for families, large groups and corporates.
• Cable Court Motel Quality central motel accommodation in Dunedin within walking distance of the city centre, Otago University, Dunedin Hospital, restaurants and supermarkets. Pet-friendly property.
• Ashford Motor Lodge Ashford Motor Lodge offers 28 luxury units close to Christchurch city centre, Victoria St shops, Casino and Hagley Park, set in an attractive garden setting with swimming pool. Awarded Gold Sustainable Tourism Business Award from Qualmark.
• ILT Grants and Donations Programme Community funding programme providing approximately $8 million annually to over 300 organisations supporting education, health, wellbeing, recreation, arts and sports in Invercargill and Southland.
• ILT Tertiary Scholarships Tertiary scholarship programme supporting Invercargill students with up to 65 scholarships of $2,000 annually for three years of full-time undergraduate study. Over 900 students supported since 2007 with $5 million total investment.
• Sports, Arts and Cultural Scholarships Scholarships supporting talented local athletes, artists and cultural performers selected to represent New Zealand at national or international levels. Funding ranges from $750 to $2,000 based on level.

Quantifiable outcome

• $8+ million returned to community annually through grants
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Southland FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024ILT Board approved $75,000 towards Southland Foundation's operational costs. This follows $150,000 in support over the previous two years, bringing total contribution to $225,000. Southland Foundation is one of 18 community foundations across New Zealand, creating a permanent pool of local capital with returns distributed to help the community.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sudima Hotels: NZ hotel chain operating full-service and limited-service hotels nationwide. Comparable business model focused on domestic and corporate travelers in mid-scale to upscale segments.
• Heritage Hotels: NZ boutique and lifestyle hotel collection with properties across the country. Comparable to ILT's premium urban hotel offering (e.g., The Langlands) and competes for similar leisure and corporate travelers in regional NZ.
• Heartland Hotels: NZ hotel chain offering quality accommodation in regional centers. Directly comparable to ILT's regional motel and hotel offerings, particularly Cable Court and Ashford Motor Lodge.
• Millennium Hotels and Resorts: Largest NZ-owned hotel group operating full-service and limited-service hotels across New Zealand, including the Copthorne brand. Directly comparable to ILT in hotel category, guest profile, and regional New Zealand footprint.
• Distinction Hotels: NZ-owned hotel and resort group with strong regional and South Island presence. Comparable to ILT in mid-to-upper tier accommodation, F&B, and conference offerings.
• Scenic Hotel Group: NZ-owned hotel chain with strong regional and provincial presence, including in the South Island. Directly comparable to ILT's mix of urban and regional accommodation and restaurant operations.
• Copthorne Hotels: Millennium-owned NZ hotel brand offering full-service accommodation with F&B. Directly comparable to ILT's Kelvin and Ascot Park hotels in mid-scale full-service positioning.

Broad incumbents

• SkyCity Entertainment Group: NZ-listed integrated entertainment, hospitality, and gaming operator. Comparable to ILT's blend of accommodation, F&B, and gaming machine revenue, though at much larger scale and with casino operations.
• EVT Limited (Event Hospitality & Entertainment): Australasian hospitality, entertainment, and cinema group with hotels, events, and F&B. Broad incumbent with overlapping hospitality capabilities and event/conference infrastructure comparable to ILT's.

Others

• Lion (Beer, Wine & Spirits): Major NZ alcohol producer and distributor (Speight's, Lion Red, etc.). Ecosystem peer whose brands are poured across ILT's 15 taverns and bars; relevant for understanding the alcohol supply and competitive landscape that shapes ILT's liquor and tavern revenue.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ILTNZ
• Instagraminstagram.com/invercargilllicensingtrust

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Invercargill Licensing Trust