Craft Brewery is Kapiti Horowhenua Electra Business of the Year
The 2011 Electra Business of the Year for Kapiti and Horowhenua is Tuatara Brewery of Waikanae.
The annual awards were announced at a dinner event in the Southward Theatre, Paraparaumu on Friday 4th November.
After many years dominated by two breweries in New Zealand, a craft beer revolution started – and one of those
breweries, named Tuatara, began as a backyard operation in the Tararua Mountain Range above Waikanae. The company was
founded by Carl Vasta, an engineer with the taste buds of a wine critic. Carl made beer that is described as
uncompromising, good and full of flavour. Not only is the beer available across New Zealand but the company also exports
it.
The BNZ Highly Commended Business of the Year title has gone to Prenail Systems of Levin. It has been in the
prefabrication business for 12 years, manufacturing prenail frames, trusses, beams, pole-sheds and associated timber
products for the residential, commercial and rural building market. It also operates QTS - Quantity Takeoff Services,
which provides a comprehensive estimate of materials to builder’s merchants, builders, draughtsman and architects.
Three Excellence Awards were presented to Emkay Ltd for Emerging Business of the Year, Exhale Spa as Small Business of
the Year and Aura Information Security received this year’s Past Masters Award.
2011 Category winners are: Horowhenua Chronicle (New Thinking), Levin New World (Staff Development), Ohau Playcentre
(Sustainability), Prenail Systems (Health and Safety), Telecom Hub Kapiti (Customer Service), Tuatara Brewery
(Operational Capability, High Growth and Marketing and Image Building), Vista del Sol (Regional Branding and Promotion),
Youth Quest (Not For Profit).
The Kapiti Horowhenua Electra Business Awards began in 1993 and each business is individually visited and assessed
against a rigorous set of business success factors. The assessors then present their findings for testing to a panel of
judges.