Ashburton lies in the middle of the fertile alluvial Canterbury Plains which permits agricultural activity such as dairying provided irrigation is used. And much of Ashburton industry is orientated to the needs local farmers.
Ashburton has some unique and unusual businesses. Bruce McIlroy services and restores Bentley and Rolls-Royce cars. Peter Lynn manufactures kites. Designline is New Zealand's only bus manufacturer. Ashford Handicrafts is the world's largest producer of spinning wheels.
In 2012, Ashburton was noted for having more cooperative companies operating in its district than in any other area of New Zealand, and was subsequently named by the New Zealand Cooperatives Association the "Cooperative Capital of New Zealand". Several of the 40-plus companies are national companies based outside the district, such as Fonterra,Foodstuffs and Silver Fern Farms (meat processing), but many were local cooperatives, such as the Ashburton Trading Society (farm supplies) and Electricity Ashburton (electricity distribution).
Ashburton media includes the Ashburton Guardian daily newspaper, The Courier a free weekly community newspaper owned by the Otago Daily Times, and the Mid Canterbury focused AshburtonOnline website. Radio Port FM is based in Timaru; Newstalk ZB and Classic Hits ZEFM are re-broadcast from other out-of-town stations.
There is a small airport, Ashburton Aerodrome, serving the town
