Mataura Licensing Trust

What Mataura Licensing Trust does

Mataura Licensing Trust (MLT) is a community-owned licensing trust established in 1955 and headquartered in Gore, Southland, New Zealand. It operates a diversified hospitality portfolio comprising approximately 12 venues across the Gore District, including restaurants and bars (Thomas Green, Howl at the Moon, Blazing Copper Restaurant, Traffers), accommodation properties (Croydon Lodge/Heartland Hotel, Forest Lodge Hotel, Falls Hotel, Pioneer Tavern/Edendale Motels, Three Rivers Hotel, Tokanui Tavern), liquor retail outlets (Gore Liquorland, Super Liquor), and a central distribution warehouse supplying beverages and supplies to all internal venues. The trust is governed by a board of trustees and executive management led by General Manager Mark Paterson and CEO Glenn Dickson.

MLT's business model is structurally non-profit: under New Zealand's licensing trust legislation, the entity is community-owned and legally requires that 100% of profits be redistributed back to the local community. Revenue is generated through direct-to-consumer hospitality transactions: restaurant and bar sales, accommodation bookings, liquor retail, gaming machine revenue, and venue hire. Pricing is venue-specific and not publicly disclosed, with individual menu and accommodation rates available per location. MLT operates a central distribution hub that supplies all owned venues, providing internal scale benefits in beverage procurement.

The trust is one of the largest employers in the Gore area and has returned more than $33 million to the local community cumulatively through grants, educational scholarships (over 100 awarded), facility investments, and event sponsorship. Signature community-facing programs include the NZ Gold Guitar Awards (44 years), Hokonui Fashion Design Awards (since 1988), senior citizens' Christmas dinners serving nearly 1,000 attendees annually, and a well-being partnership delivering free mental health presentations. The entity serves a primary market of around 12,000 residents in the Gore region plus regional visitors and tourists, with no export or international footprint.

Name

Mataura Licensing Trust

Legal name

Mataura Licensing Trust

Website

https://mltgore.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mataura Licensing Trust is a community-owned New Zealand licensing trust, founded 1955, operating 12 hospitality venues across the Gore/Southland region including restaurants, bars, accommodation, liquor retail, and a central distribution hub, distributing 100% of profits back to the local community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Hospitality Trust

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSAAANAI

Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services

Financial & Insurance/Asset & Wealth Management/Trust & Fiduciary Services (Trust Companies, Estate & Custody Trusts)

Keywords

• Hospitality services
• Licensed premises
• Community grants
• Liquor retail
• Hotel accommodation

Headquarters

HQ city

Gore

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Hospitality Operations: Revenue from restaurants, bars, accommodation, and liquor outlets. All profits are redistributed to the local community through grants, facilities investment, and community support.
2. Central Distribution: Distribution of alcoholic beverages and supplies to MLT community outlets. Focuses on efficient receiving and distribution to internal venues.
3. Liquor Sales: Retail liquor sales through Gore Liquorland and Super Liquor outlets. Products include beer, wine, spirits, and related supplies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Mataura Licensing Trust operates a community-owned hospitality portfolio comprising restaurants, bars, hotels/motels, liquor retail outlets, a central distribution warehouse, and a multi-sports event centre across the Gore District and surrounding Southland region. All profits generated are redistributed back into the local community through grants, scholarships, event sponsorship, and investment in community facilities. The trust has returned more than NZ$33 million to the community since its founding in 1955.

Product overview

Mataura Licensing Trust operates a community-focused hospitality portfolio consisting of restaurants and bars (Thomas Green, Howl at the Moon, Blazing Copper Restaurant), accommodation venues (Croydon Lodge/Heartland Hotel, Forest Lodge Hotel, Falls Hotel, Pioneer Tavern/Edendale Motels, Three Rivers Hotel, Tokanui Tavern), liquor retail outlets (Gore Liquorland, Super Liquor), a central distribution warehouse, public bars with gaming and TAB facilities (Traffers), and community facilities including the MLT Event Centre. The trust also administers educational scholarships and organizes/sponsors community events. All profits are distributed back to the local community through facility investments, community grants, and support for sports, arts, education, and well-being initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MLT Event Centre: Multi-sports complex featuring sporting and fitness facilities including a four-court event centre, water-turf hockey field, ice skating rink, and aquatic centre
• Thomas Green
• Howl at the Moon
• Croydon Lodge (Heartland Hotel)
• Gore Liquorland
• Super Liquor
• Traffers
• Tokanui Tavern
• Three Rivers Hotel
• Falls Hotel
• Forest Lodge Hotel
• Pioneer Tavern & Edendale Motels
• Central Distribution

Products and services

• Thomas Green Restaurant and Bar
• Howl at the Moon Restaurant and Bar
• Croydon Lodge (Heartland Hotel)
• Gore Liquorland
• Super Liquor
• Traffers Public Bar
• Forest Lodge Hotel
• Falls Hotel
• Pioneer Tavern and Edendale Motels
• Three Rivers Hotel
• Tokanui Tavern
• MLT Event Centre
• MLT Scholarships and Bursaries
• MLT Community Events Program
• Central Distribution Hub

Quantifiable outcome

• More than $33 million given back to local community
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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.

• Trusts Community FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2010Nationwide not-for-profit company established in June 2010. Provides funding for clubs, charities and community groups in sport, arts, culture, health and education. MLT partners with this foundation to facilitate community funding distribution through 11 funding rounds per annum.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pub Charity: NZ charitable trust funded by gaming machine proceeds that returns funds to community organizations. Mirrors MLT's community-return philosophy in a closely adjacent regulatory and operational framework.
• South Canterbury Licensing Trust: Another NZ licensing trust operating hospitality and liquor businesses in the South Canterbury region with profits returned to the community — same legal structure and operating model as MLT.
• Lion Foundation: Another NZ community gaming and charitable trust distributing proceeds to community groups. Operates gaming machines in NZ clubs and pubs — comparable regulatory and community-distribution model.
• NZ Community Trust (NZCT): Major NZ charitable gaming trust funding amateur sport and community groups. Directly comparable in mission and regulatory structure, though operating across NZ rather than a single region like MLT.
• Heartland Hotels: NZ hotel brand that already partners with MLT via Croydon Lodge. Operates a network of regional NZ hotels comparable to MLT's accommodation venues, sharing distribution, booking systems, and quality standards.
• Heritage Hotels: New Zealand hotel chain operating in regional and resort locations with similar accommodation and F&B offerings. Comparable in scale and guest profile to MLT's Croydon Lodge and Forest Lodge properties.
• Invercargill Licensing Trust (ILT): The most direct comparable: another Southland-based NZ licensing trust operating hospitality venues, hotels, and liquor outlets with profits returned to the Invercargill community. Same legal structure, same business model, same regulatory environment.

Broad incumbents

• Scenic Hotel Group: Larger NZ hotel chain with regional and resort properties, providing a public-market reference point for the scale and economics of MLT's accommodation portfolio.
• SkyCity Entertainment Group: Larger NZ entertainment and hospitality operator running hotels, restaurants, bars, and gaming operations. Overlaps with MLT's hospitality/gaming exposure at much greater scale, providing a public-market reference for the sector.

Others

• Trusts Community Foundation: National not-for-profit facilitating community grant distribution. MLT formally partners with this entity for funding rounds, making it an ecosystem partner rather than a competitor but directly relevant to MLT's grant-distribution model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mataura-licensing-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Mataura Licensing Trust