In one day, nearly 500 Dunedin people learnt they will lose their jobs - the time has come again for city and business leaders to join forces and find a way to protect the businesses that remain.
A loyal and stable workforce, and financial support from the Dunedin City Council were not enough in the end to keep Fisher and Paykel Appliances immune from global forces.
News on Thursday the appliance maker was closing its doors and moving the Mosgiel operation to Mexico came as a shock but not a surprise to most people.
One of the disappointments was that it became a self-fulfilling prophecy. For years, many people had predicted the company would go offshore or consolidate in Auckland or Australia.
Instead, it has moved to Mexico and Thailand or Italy while keeping its Auckland operations under review.
Sadly, another stalwart of the local economy - Tamahine Knitwear - has succumbed to the high dollar and cheap imports and will close its doors.
The key to the city's survival will always centre on the education sector, particularly the University of Otago, but increasingly the Otago Polytechnic.
Research is proving to be a growth area for the city and is now worth $120 million a year to the region, an industry in its own right.
Information technology and biotechnology companies can be labour intensive but require start-up funding and a lot of faith in their early stages.
Calls have been made for the rates relief programme operated by the Dunedin City Council to focus more on how it can be used to support a different range of industries.
At last, there has been an acknowledgement that the days of chasing rainbows - larges-cale, greenfield businesses like wood-processing plants - are over.
For too long, city leaders have bought into the dream that one big employer would save the city.
Often, that has come at the expense of smaller employers who could have been supported to grow their businesses by one or two employees a year.
The region missed out on early lucrative government funding because it could not decide on a regional economic strategy. Differences must be put aside.
Instead of wringing hands and looking backwards, this is the time for Otago to prove to itself and others that it can provide creative solutions to reappearing problems.
