2018 WINNERS

ENTER NOW

The Tauranga Chamber of Commerce is delighted to announce the winners of the Westpac Tauranga Business Awards 2018. Head Judge, Andrew Hitchfield, said this year saw a very high standard in entrants, with a strong focus on technology and particularly in the Kiwifruit sector.

Head Judge Andrew Hitchfield said “this year we continued to see local businesses embracing technology as the cornerstone for carefully considered and well-structured strategy and felt that regardless of the original motivation for entering the Awards the process which combines rigorous internal review and external assessment, makes the process beneficial for all.”

Retail Excellence: Sponsored by Gartshore Retail Interiors

Winner: Fashion Island

Emerging Business: Sponsored by Toi Ohomai

Winner: Road Safety Traffic Management Limited
Finalist: Quentosity Limiterd
Finalist: Little Big Events
Finalist: H.A.R.M Ltd

Manufacturing &/or Distribution Award: Sponsored by Powerco

Winner: Voyager Group
Finalist: AJC Distribution Limited
Finalist: A1 Benchworx

Embracing Digital Technology: Sponsored by Vodafone

Winner: Jenkins Freshpac Systems Limited
Highly Commended: Exceed Franchising Limited

Tourism & Hospitality Award: Sponsored by Bay Venues Limited

Winner: Good Local Pyes Pa
Finalist: Little Big Events

Service Excellence Award: Sponsored by YOU Travel

Winner: Jenkins Freshpac System Limited
Finalist: Quentoisity Limited
Finalist: Exceed Franchising Limited
Finalist: Vertical Horizonz NZ Limited

Social Enterprise Award: Sponsored by Bay of Connections

Winner: Graeme Dingle Foundation Bay of Plenty

Sustainable Business Practices: Sponsored by Bay of Plenty Business News

Winner: Fern Garden Preschool & Childcare Centre
Finalist: Adam Taylor Architecture
Finalist: Exceed Franchising Limited

Customer Experience Award: Sponsored by Trustpower

Winner: Tauranga Veterinary Services Limited
Finalist: Jenkins Freshpac Systems Limited
Finalist: Exceed Franchising Limited

Workplace Safety Award: Sponsored by ACC

Winner: Waikato & BOP Suspended Ceiling Services Limited
Highly Commended: Vertical Horizonz NZ Limited
Finalist: Road Safe Traffic Management
Finalist: Jenkins Freshpac Systems Limited

Business Innovation Award: Sponsored by Zespri

Winner: Little Big Events
Finalist: Exceed Franchising Limited

Corporate Sponsorship sponsored by Air New Zealand

Winner: Carrus Corp (Paul and Cheryl Adams)
Finalist: Holland Beckett Law
Craigs Investment Partners
Farmer Autovillage
Lysaght
Realty Group
Metro Marketing

Corporate Leadership Award: Sponsored by Waikato Management School

Winner: Seeka

Westpac Tauranga Business of the Year:

Winner: Jenkins Freshpac Systems Limited

This year’s Westpac Business of the Year is Jenkins Freshpac Systems Ltd, who also won the Vodafone Embracing Digital Technology. The culture of Jenkins Freshpac has been shaped by its long and proud private ownership; it has a leading position in the market for labelling and packaging of horticultural products, and continued to focus on this area to the point where it is the clear market leader. It has been able to keep out larger competitors that are more resourced by focusing on its expertise and superior service offering.

Locally, the company works with all the large kiwifruit pack houses and Zespri to ensure that processed kiwi fruit is fit for market. Given the bulk of packing is seasonal it is critical that its machines are able to run with minimal downtime which the company ensures it is able to achieve with around the clock technical service.

This year saw the introduction of a new award sponsored by Air New Zealand for Corporate sponsorship, which is a way of recognising and thereby encouraging sponsorship. The corporate sectors contribution comes directly off their bottom line, and so it is important to acknowledge this contribution.

The Corporate sector is already extremely generous, without which a huge amount number of events, both sporting, and culture and amenity within the city simply would not happen. It would be very difficult to quantify the amount that is contributed through the corporate sector, but if you were doing the sums on the back of a postage stamp, it would be safe to say it was in the millions. Imagine for a moment a world without that contribution.

While the dollars of contribution is extremely important, this award was not just about that, it was also the support, the voluntary hours, the understanding of how important it is to give back that factored into this award.

The finalists were nominated all of whom have been extremely generous over the years and it was not an easy category to judge, and there are seven company’s we would like to acknowledge in this section for their generosity to the region. The seven finalists were Holland Beckett Law, Craigs Investment, Farmer Motor Group, Lysaght, Realty Group, Metro Marketing with the winner being Carrus Corp.

The business recognised for their Corporate Leadership this year is Seeka, The company has evolved over the years from a post harvest business to New Zealand’s largest kiwifruit grower and specialised supply chain management company that has operations around New Zealand and in Australia.

The Westpac Tauranga Business Awards have always been about taking time out to acknowledge business excellence – this is about recognising the smartest, strongest and most sustainable businesses in the community. Congratulations to the 2018 Westpac Tauranga Business Awards winners – we’re sure this is a stepping stone to even greater business success, says Clare Basire, Area Commercial Manager.”