Finalists revealed for NZ's global business award

Finalists revealed for New Zealand’s only global business award

A sprout grower, a scientist and two clothing designers are among the finalists in the 2007 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Eleven entrepreneurs representing ten Kiwi companies across a diverse range of industries have been named as finalists. [Editors note: full profiles are included with this news release].

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalists for 2007 are:

• David Bennett, Pacific Helmets Limited, Wanganui
• Ashley Berrysmith, New Zealand Fresh Cuts Limited, Auckland
• Mark Donaldson, Phitek Systems Limited, Auckland
• Professor Robert Elliott, Living Cell Technologies, Auckland
• Dallas Fisher, NDA Group Limited, Hamilton
• Phil Jones, Ahu Developments Limited, Auckland
• Patricia McLean, Retailworld Resourcing Limited, Auckland
• Aaron Ridgway, Datasquirt Limited, Auckland
• Philip Wheelans, The Hire Company, Wellington
• Dan Buckley and Steve Dunstan, The Huffer Company, Auckland

Newly-appointed Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards director Jon Hooper said the finalists in this year’s Awards were impressive and, most notably, came from a wide cross-section of the business community.

“The quality of the contenders this year is impressive with individuals representing all facets of Kiwi business, from clothing to car parking to milk storage. It illustrates the reach of the Awards in recognising all elements of the business community,” he said.

Mr Hooper added that each finalist’s innovation, passion and achievements will provide inspiration to Kiwis regardless of whether they are entrepreneurs themselves.

“To become a finalist in these Awards, each entrepreneur must display qualities of leadership, creativity, business acumen, perseverance, and an unflinching determination to succeed.

“There are a number of unique New Zealanders in business and this group represents some of those.

“The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards enables us to celebrate our entrepreneurs’ achievements and share with New Zealanders the contribution these unique individuals make to our society and our economy.

“The lifeblood of New Zealand business is entrepreneurs such as this year’s finalists, people who have developed and taken their ideas, products and services to New Zealand markets and beyond to selected international markets,” he said.

Category winners will be announced in mid-October, and New Zealand’s 2007 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year will be announced at an award banquet on November 14, 2007 in Auckland.

ENDS

Please also visit http://www.ey.com/nz

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007
Finalists

David Bennett
Pacific Helmets NZ Limited
www.pacifichelmets.com

Wrapping His Head Around Protecting Yours

If you are a fireman, a cyclist, someone involved in search and rescue, engaged in fighting rioters, or merely a motorcycle buff, chances are your head is encased in one of accountancy-trained David Bennett’s creations.

After spending nearly 20 years in a variety of manufacturing and wholesale ventures—including a stint as general manager finance for Suzuki New Zealand—David Bennett put his mind to creating his own undertaking.

Wanganui-based Pacific Helmets has been protecting the skulls of New Zealand, and other parts of the world, since 1980. Originally launched with the sole purpose of manufacturing motorcycle helmets for the Australasian market, the company’s portfolio gradually expanded to cover craniums in other potentially hazardous situations.

“The development of our Pacific Fire Helmet range for the New Zealand Fire Service is a good example of how, by listening and learning from experts, we learn to get a product just right. By linking our design team with experienced personnel at the Fire Service, we achieved a result that met the Brigade’s rigid standards, specifications and price requirements. We’ve been able to replicate this scenario with equal success with numerous brigades throughout Australia, Asia, the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom.”

Financial disaster almost put the company out for the count in 1988. Based on the attractiveness of the helmet venture, once high flying DFC Limited injected significant capital into Pacific Helmets. When the finance group collapsed in 1988, Pacific Helmets paid the price by being placed in receivership. Against what some would say were mind numbing odds, the combination of technical innovation, good management and a very loyal workforce saw David Bennett systematically pay off nearly $1 million of debt. His reward was regaining control of the company in May 1990.

His desire going forward is to look at creating an amalgamation of New Zealand manufacturers with businesses that cater for the needs of fire, police and rescue services.

“As long as it doesn’t take my focus off our helmet manufacturing business, I see a real opportunity in being able to ‘package up’ a whole series of protection solutions.”

Ashley Berrysmith
NZ Fresh Cuts Limited
www.nzfreshcuts.co.nz

Salad Days Ahead for Fresh Produce Pioneer

What was once the domain of rabbits, kaftan wearers and dietary faddists has, under the cultivation of Ashley Berrysmith, become very good business. Good both for the balance sheet and the dietary well being of the many thousands who now crunch their way through his array of fresh, wholesome fare.

Under various brand incarnations dating back to the original company launch in 1980, Ashley Berrysmith has helped change the taste buds of New Zealanders who now relish the array of fresh sprouts, salad greens, vegetable mixes, baby peeled carrots and hemp seed oil he passionately produces.

The growth path to becoming the country’s dominant provider of fresh greens in a miniature format has not been without some sobering moments. In 1990, trading then as Sun Sprout Limited, the company established its Sprout Man brand as a mainstream supermarket product.

“Part of the success was by offering the product in its freshest state. We achieved this by installing refrigerated cabinets in Woolworths and Big Fresh supermarkets throughout New Zealand. To build on this momentum, we looked at overseas fresh produce trends and identified the achievements of baby leaf growing systems that had been launched in the United Kingdom market by Vitacress. In 1994 we launched our own version in a trial at some Woolworth’s stores.”

Great expectations soon wilted as, it seemed, local tastes were not ready to make the transition from iceberg lettuce varietals to their more miniature specimens. The project was canned in 1996 and a year later Sun Sprout was sold.

That same year Ashley Berrysmith turned his attention from green foliage to carrots. Launching Fraisbon Foods, he set his sights on creating the perfect baby peeled carrot which he then marketed under the Farmer Bill’s brand. Three years later he tried again with his tiny green salad venture—this time it turned into a particularly rich harvest.

His focus now is not just on continuing to supply the local market, but also on capitalizing on export successes in Singapore and Hong Kong. The company is also looking to take their products out of this world through a project involving NASA. The aim is to grow fresh greens on their space station missions.

That’s one tiny lettuce for NASA, one giant leap for the mung bean sprout pioneer.

Mark Donaldson
Phitek
www.phitek.com

Lend Me Your Ears!!

Some of the world’s biggest commercial aviation and consumer electronics brands are making a lot of noise about, ironically, the noise reduction technology developed by Phitek Systems. From the Airbus A380 to the IPod, founder Mark Donaldson’s noise canceling headphones, and related inventions, are music to many ears.

From the moment he started Phitek, he was on a mission to provide fellow sound aficionados with solutions that would enhance their listening experiences. The fact he would lock horns with global brands such as Bose and Sennheiser created no personal static.

Having spent six years previous to the company’s launch in post graduate study, and research, meant he had the technology and was effectively operating below the ‘radar’ in commercializing possibilities. It was just a matter of time when the right entry point would appear.

“Given the conservative nature of the aviation industry in decision making and product selection, it wasn’t obvious that this sector would get my company flying. I, however, had identified a gap in the market whereby the technology could be applied to the jack rather than the headphones. This immediately gave airlines a very cost-effective solution for providing the means of receiving on board entertainment.”

Phitek secured Panasonic as the launch customer for what was branded as its SmartJack connector. The first airline customer was Pakistan International. When the company won the contract for supplying all Singapore Airlines Business and First Class headphones in 2006, the enterprise truly began to take off.

In a 2007 New York Times review of the 6 hottest noise cancellation headphones, 3 were designed and manufactured by Phitek. In July 2007, in the home of electronic gadgetry, Phitek headphones outsold Sony products in Japan.

“I’m fully aware that in order to continue to succeed and grow into a truly global player, our job is empowering our customers with the ability to adopt our technology to their businesses. We will also need to scale mass production free of risk or complication which, in itself, is a challenge. The next few years look like they’ll provide a very exciting journey.”

Professor Robert Elliott
Living Cell Technologies
www.lct.com.au

Making More Than a Silk Purse Out of a Sow’s Ear

Under the tutelage of world renowned scientist Professor Robert Elliott, the company is perfecting live cell transplantation for the treatment of a range of conditions including diabetes, stroke, Parkinson’s disease among others.

A key part of their technological breakthrough is their ‘partnership’ with pigs.

“Our research, and product development, for the treatment of human diseases is somewhat different. It is based on the transplantation of animal cells, protected from rejection by a unique coating, to specifically combat a number of diseases. Our approach is fully integrated—from provision of a unique, disease-free herd of pigs (sourced from sub-Antarctic Auckland Island) through to a certified manufacturing premises. We currently have regulatory approvals for trial of our products in at least two countries.”

Living Cell Technologies work has evolved from a number of ground breaking initiatives developed over the decades by Professor Elliott. The road to market has not always been smooth.

“In 1961, I started my research career by attempting to transplant new insulin producing cells from rats into diabetic rabbits. It was a miserable failure. In 1977 I again attempted to transplant human foetal insulin producing cells into human diabetics. Again, no luck.”

Prompted, and funded, by the father of a newly diagnosed diabetic child, Professor Elliott’s breakthrough came with the first process that is now being replicated by Living Cell Technologies—“this time, with good evidence of partial and persisting success, it was enough to convince me, if not others, I was on the right track.”

Having now overcome a number of major obstacles—a global moratorium of pig cell transplants which has now been lifted, sourcing the right herd, accrediting the research facilities, and more—over 18 years have passed but the finishing post is clearly in sight. And with it the possibilities of providing cures, or relief, to millions of people around the globe.

It is, he says, “a race for persistent tortoises, not flashy horses.”

Dallas Fisher
NDA Group
www.nda.co.nz

A Thriving Global Enterprise

In 1950, National Dairy Association entered the stainless fabrication industry in order to provide over 250 co-operatives, and their respective members, with hygienic ways to store milk prior to collection. They were innovative and industrious, but the single product focus was solely on what came out of a cow.

It was this side of the business that caught the eye of Dallas Fisher. As a partner in a major accountancy firm, he calculated that the core competencies of this manufacturing entity could be expanded into a whole host of other applications. Any business that required the safe storage, or fermentation, of liquids, he reasoned, would be potential customers. On this basis, he was ready to take the plunge.

He started the process in 1997 by first looking at a management takeover. He enlisted the help of Wellington-based merchant bankers in what, over time, became an ‘extremely complicated’ deal structure.

He persevered until what he says was a ‘gut feeling’ that told him to pull the pin literally hours before the deal was to be sealed.

“I had worked with no income for five months to make this venture work but something didn’t feel right. I was naturally devastated by the failure but knew that backing out was the right decision. I remember being picked up from the airport by my wife Helen from the airport. Half way home I was a blubbering mess. It was Christmas time and prospects seemed bleak.”

Rather than saying ‘bah humbug’ to the whole undertaking, he instead put everything he and his family owned on the line and set about restructuring the whole purchase and finance package himself.

Christmas the following year was significantly rosier for on December 23rd, 1998, Dallas Fisher and the management team had acquired NDA. A decade later and NDA is a thriving global enterprise with with 550 employees. The company now has operations in New Zealand, Australia, China and the United States producing equipment for segments including dairy, wine making, brewing, mining, fine chemical and pharmaceutical ventures.

Phil Jones
Ahu Developments
www.u-parkit.com

A Dream that Stacked Up

One night in February 2002, then law student Phil Jones had a dream. One that would set the wheels in motion for a company and a revolutionary new product idea.

The company became Ahu Developments—inspired by his Maori heritage and the concept of ‘ahu ahu’ being ‘looking toward the horizon/future.” The product he had in mind had the makings to revolutionise one of modern life’s major headaches—parking.

Again, applying a cultural concept of interwoven/interconnected elements helped his thinking take shape. His initial diagrammes evolved three years later into a business concept that literally stacked up. U-PARKIT turned the dream into reality.

As the brand implies, this is a fully automated car parking system that relies on ‘stacking’ versus spreading car parking out on a single level. Literally weeks after unveiling its first 9 cell prototype in its Tokoroa headquarters, Rotorua Airport management came calling with an order for a 42 cell solution for a space that previously could only accommodate 15 cars.

The facility centre opened in October 2006 and with it was a working prototype that did wonders for international interest. Licensee sales arrangements were secured in various parts of Asia and the Middle East.

Ahu Developments, as a young enterprise, has its own challenges—not the least of which is the ‘Catch 22’ dilemma most start-up companies face—namely having a ‘world beating’ idea but not necessarily the fiscal means to bring it totally to fruition. Another obstacle to be faced is gearing up with the production capability to meet the orders, and interests from overseas licensees, that are currently stacking up.

Forewarned is also to be forward armed, so Phil Jones is confident that, like his invention, the stages to success will be closely watched and woven together.

It is not just the space saving dilemmas that the product overcomes—it is also being designed with environmental benefits in place including low energy consumption and reduced carbon emission devices.

Patricia McLean
Retailworld Resourcing Limited
www.rwr.co.nz

The Right Medicine for Recruitment Success

You know motivation isn’t a problem when you develop an acronym, based on your Christian name, to summarise your character.

Patricia McLean would likely have no difficulty in developing something for the longer version of her name, but instead based it around her abbreviated nomenclature—TRISH. Standing for Tenacious, Resilient, Inspirational, Sharing, Hard Worker.

When she worked as a technician in a retail pharmacy, it seems that Patricia McLean had her focus on matters more than just apothecary. The ‘people power’ in the retailing process caught her imagination and led to the creation of New Zealand’s largest, and Australia’s fastest growing, specialist retail recruiter.

After time spent in retail optics, a sales and marketing management role in retail pharmacy supply, buying and running her own restaurant, and overseas travel, she returned to New Zealand armed with a fresh perspective on the business of recruitment.

Founded in 2001, Retailworld Recruiting takes the view that retailing makes the world go round. “We recognise that retail is a global, dynamic and fast paced industry. We recruit across all functional disciplines—from CEO to sales to front line staff—and across sectors from banking, telecommunications, food to fashion. If the business and skill demand involves retailing, we’re involved.”

Currently the company has offices in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney. Given their orientation, it is not surprising that Patricia McLean has other territories, and expansion plans, in the making. Despite the rapid growth the same ‘edgy’ brand culture that she has purposely cultivated remains integral to success of the business. Another accolade, coming second in the New Zealand Best Places to Work survey, is testimony to her drive to create a positive environment.

“I’m a bit of a loner when it comes to my sport—marathon running—but team work is essential to the way we operate. It is really important that you develop your team to make decisions on their own, plus be accountable and responsible for their actions. I’ve learned that you can’t always do everything.”

Aaron Ridgway
Datasquirt
www.datasquirt.com

No ‘Squirt’ When It Comes to Business Ambitions

To squirt, or a squirt, that is the question? The concept of a ‘jet’ of information flowing somewhere, given the nature of the business, makes sense. In contrast, and despite the relative youth of the enterprise, there is nothing ‘small fry or insignificant’ about this company’s growth plans and ambitions.

Launch in 2001—become the first New Zealand IT company to list on the Australian Stock Exchange seven years later with a fully subscribed IPO. And along the way clock in as New Zealand’s 5th fastest growing company. All in a days work, it seems, for company founder Aaron Ridgway.

Aaron Ridgway cut his technological ‘teeth’ at the seemingly tender age of 23 when he established the first, and what became the most successful, First Mobile sales franchises. Sold on the voice opportunities of mobile telephony, he began to fully understand the real business potential that lay in texting—and other forms of data transfer—the more he worked with the media.

Given the right regulatory environment and ‘cross over’ between various platforms, he saw rich pickings for those wanting to get in touch with customers in a quick, and very compelling, manner.

Setting up Datasquirt was evidence that Aaron Ridgway saw the ‘light’—convincing others took more time. And initially almost cost him his business.

“The agreement by Telecom and Vodafone to enable exchange of text messages between their networks technically opened up the opportunities, but there was a big challenge to educate the market on it commercial possibilities.”

Lots of ‘door knocking’ secured some early clients but the cost of the ‘hard yards’ was the dissolution of the original partnership. For awhile there was the very real possibility that any data ‘squirting’ would soon peter out. His belief in the commercial potential of text messaging, not to mention the fledgling company, saw Aaron Ridgway both underwrite, and take on the company’s fiscal responsibilities, personally.

He then set about sharpening and redefining the nature of Datasquirt’s business. In 2004 its focus shifted to become solely a solutions provider for non-voice channels to the call centre industry. This brought about the development of the company’s ‘flagship’ CONTACT product—a process that lets customers communicate with organisations and call centres, and vice versa, by inbound and outbound SMS, Email, Fax and Open Media.

Currently the New Zealand market accounts for close to 100% of revenue—but with the technology well proven overseas call centre opportunities in the United States, the United Kingdom, German and Australia will provide a market 200 times bigger than the local one.

Philip Wheelans
The Hire Company
www.hireco.co.nz

The Undisputed Heavyweight Hiring Company of New Zealand

For a person involved in the hiring of such mammoth machinery, Phil Wheelan’s business and customer services philosophies are remarkably tiny.

Simply: “Do it now, do it well.” Despite the brevity this motivational mantra has helped deliver some very big results.

The Hire Company evolved from an earlier Phil Wheelan venture; namely second hand truck importation from Japan. Over time customers began to ask whether, instead of buying the equipment, hiring was an option. His response—after 10 years the truck selling business had disappeared and the Hire Company blossomed.

“We’ve grown in 4 years from assets of $10 million, producing revenues of $6 million, to assets of $37 million generating revenues of $17 million. What’s different about this industry is that expensive equipment and vehicles become the cost of sales. It’s a bit like living on a knife’s edge but by purchasing equipment you then have to back yourself to succeed.”

His lightness of foot in making business decisions, and refusal to blink at committing capital to secure equipment, paid significant dividend when the somewhat young company secured a major supply contract.

“When we got the business to provide the hire equipment for the $259 million Transit NZ Orewa By-Pass project, I knew this was the start the business needed. I worked initially very hard to secure positive relationships with the key management of Fulton Hogan and Leightons who were responsible for the project. I knew also that time was critical so I had to back my instinct that we’d get the business if we had the right equipment.”

His potential gamble of writing a cheque for $8 million was rewarded with this plum, and high profile, project. Over time the business has continued to grow and gain reputation. His aim now is add more branches to achieve a truly national coverage and expand the number of workshops to support third party businesses.

All the while, though, of keeping the big business of heavy machinery as light and simple as he can.

Dan Buckley and Steve Dunstan
Huffer Direct
www.huffer.co.nz

Brothers in Boards, Friends in Fashion

When a professional snow boarder and a former New Zealand skateboarding champion turned designer, join forces in a business venture, the last elements it would be lacking would be attitude and edge.

Huffer is the brain and brawn child of ‘snow man’ Steve Dunstan, and ‘skate man’ Dan Buckley. Their mission in life is to design, produce and distribute what they term as HOT clothing. HOT to them is an attitudinal approach to design that is manifested across their respective ranges.

These include Huffer Colour, Huffer Collection and Huffer Function. Case in point: Their upcoming summer range is eclectically labeled Animalistic Geometric. In Huffer speak, the creations are:

hot young (of mind) fashion that has been intentionally influenced by summer holiday shopping throughout the north island of new zealands prolific second hand stores, including towns like whangamata for a beach influence, tokoroa for a timber town break down, and palmerston north for an interesting look at new zealand mid-town culture

While some of these concepts might be lost in translation, the end result is gaining a committed following outside of New Zealand with 70% of production destined for overseas markets. In New Zealand Huffer has a committed base of over 50 retail chains throughout the country. They have seen their turnover increase four fold in less than 10 years.

The pair met at a Grey Lynn skate park. AUT design graduate Dan Buckley was selling his wares at the Dockside Markets, and Steve Dunstan had left the cold of the professional circuit for a summer in Auckland. They kept in touch, met from time to time, but the stitching together of a business relationship didn’t happen for some time.

The opportunity came when the pair teamed up to produce what was their first range—a winter snowboarding collection.

“Huffer makes products designed with a function. We make primarily clothing but have also designed and sold bean bags through to simple home furniture. Huffer is a design led business. At the start of a range we incorporate all Huffer people in brainstorming sessions for the range covering products, features, imagery and marketing. We then work on these to design the range to sell.”

-ENDS-

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