Winners of BNZ Bay of Plenty ExportNZ Awards 2014

Media Release:

WINNERS announced for the BNZ Bay of Plenty ExportNZ Awards 2014

History was made on Friday night as Surtees Boats were the first company to take out the Emerging Exporter of the Year, and the Exporter of the Year awards in consecutive years in the BNZ Bay of Plenty ExportNZ Awards 25 year history.

Well known businessman Ian Macrae, Managing Director at Page Macrae Engineering, was the very surprised and humbled recipient of the Zespri International Service to Export award for his outstanding contributions to the Export Community in the Innovation space in particular.

All five winners of the BNZ Bay of Plenty ExportNZ Awards for 2014 were decided at a Country Music themed awards evening at ASB Baypark Stadium. Guests were entertained by MC Te Radar on a stage which included a working saloon bar, and treated to a Southern style meal including a picnic hamper of local produce, a bucket of shrimps and low & slow BBQ baby back ribs.

The high caliber of companies meant there was serious competition in every category with head judge Kelvin Trask commenting that judges were very impressed by the variety of businesses who entered from milk, vanilla, roofing, luxury fibre to solar energy – there are no two companies in the same sector. But as with all awards, there can only be one winner in each category:

United Travel Business Emerging Exporter of the Year Award

WINNER: Miraka Limited

Page Macrae Engineering Innovation in Export Award

WINNER: Douglas Creek Ltd

Bay of Plenty Tertiary Partnership Export Achievement Award

WINNER: Colin Baskin – Comvita New Zealand Ltd

Zespri International Service to Export Award

WINNER: Ian Macrae – Page Macrae Engineering Ltd

Sharp Tudhope Lawyers Exporter of the Year Award

WINNER: Surtees Boats Ltd

Link to awards photos here

Finalists: United Travel Business Emerging Exporter of the Year Award

- Heilala Vanilla

- Miraka Ltd

- Global Roofing Solutions

WINNER: Miraka Ltd

The United Travel Business Emerging Exporter of the Year award celebrates companies, from within the Bay of Plenty, which have made the most remarkable leap forward in start-up exporting. The award is not sector specific and the entrants will have been exporting for less than five consecutive years.

Each export company will be judged on the basis of its achievement relative to its own product or service sector. The winner of this award will demonstrate extraordinary attributes in the following:

• Endeavour and commitment to start exporting

• Investment, personally and professionally by principals involved

• Export performance - including earnings, growth and profit

• Leadership and direction

• Marketing strategy

• Proactive market penetration and export market development

Information about the winner:

Miraka Limited www.miraka.co.nz

Miraka, which means Maori for milk – is a young, state of the art manufacturer in the NZ Dairy processing industry. Owned by a group of Maori trusts and incorporations, Miraka has within three years gone from an unknown start up to a successful and respected company with export revenues in excess of $200 million and nearly 70 new jobs.

Miraka manufacture and sell whole milk powder, the majority of which is exported. They have completed the construction of a UHT Milk Plant adjacent to their existing whole milk powder plant and are expecting to commence production shortly. All initial production will be exported to China.

Miraka is a company which lives by its values of tikanga, kaitiakitanga, integrity, excellence and innovation.

Judges Comments: A company nurturing the land and its people. A jewel off the beaten track quietly achieving remarkable results through innovation and local resources.

Finalists: Page Macrae Engineering Innovation in Export Award

- Discovery Marine

- Balex Marine

- Douglas Creek

WINNER: Douglas Creek

The Page Macrae Engineering Innovation in Export award is a special award to recognise a Bay of Plenty business displaying outstanding innovation in exporting.

Innovation is not just inventing. It can include anything genuinely innovative be it product or service, leadership, positioning or branding, marketing, sales channels, technology, creative pricing strategy or similar that is distinctly different and differentiates their business.

Information about the winner:

Douglas Creek www.cervelt.com

Douglas Creek Ltd (DCL) is the marketing and distribution arm of its parent company Cashmere Processors Ltd, which processes natural textile fibres for the fashion industry. In 2001, it developed a new natural fibre from the New Zealand Red Deer, Cervelt(TM) which it has introduced to the European textile and apparel industry.

Cervelt is one of the two finest commercial natural textile fibres in the market today. It is the first new commercial down fiber presented to the market in over 200 years.

Yarn spun from Cervelt is used by companies such as Hermes, Giorgio Armani and Borsalino. In 2012, the London shoe maker Harrys of London, released an exclusive line of men's socks made of 100% Cervelt which were marketed as "The Most Exclusive Sock in The World" and sold for NZ$1750 a pair.

Judges Comments: Think of the Andes & Vicuna; or the Himalayas, Chiru antelope & Shahtoosh; or now New Zealand, Red Deer and Cervelt™ – the first new commercial down fibre launched in the last 200 years. Douglas Creek have perfected the recovery and processing of this ultra-fine fibre to make exclusive yarn which is now being used by some of the worlds’ leading fashion houses to produce some incredibly fine materials and fashion accessories.

With the increasing expertise of other New Zealand partners, more and more of the final production is being brought back to New Zealand so that Cervelt™ can be a uniquely New Zealand treasure.

Finalists: Bay of Plenty Tertiary Partnership Export Achievement Award

- Eric Oversluizen, Oasis Engineering

- Heather Logie, MSM Sales Management Consultants

- Colin Baskin, Comvita New Zealand

WINNER: Colin Baskin – GM Supply Chain, Comvita

The Bay of Plenty Tertiary Partnership Export Achievement award provides an exporter the opportunity to recognise a material contribution to their export success by a particular individual within their company. These nominees are often the unsung heroes of their business.

A nominee may come from any Bay of Plenty based export or related services company and hold any position within that company.

The information provided by the Nominator is designed to provide judges with insight into the individual Export Achiever Nominee’s contribution to export processes, products or technologies, team dynamics and ultimately result in export growth and profitability.

Entry into this award is through nomination only.

Information about the winner:

Colin Baskin – GM Supply Chain, Comvita New Zealand www.comvita.co.nz

Comvita is an international health and beauty company committed to the development of innovative products, backed by credible scientific research. They are the global leader in Manuka (leptospermum) honey and fresh-picked Olive Leaf Extract, which are at the core of the Comvita product range. They have more than 35,000 beehives under contract and direct control with more than 5000 producing specialist medical-grade Manuka honey.

Colin joined Comvita in 16 July 2007 as Commercial Manager Supply. In this role Colin became responsible for adding security to supply of bee products including contracts and acquisitions.

Colin’s current role in Comvita is GM Supply Chain responsible for all production - planning, logistics, including 3PL in market providers, all apiary operations, OPA Australia and Kiwi Extracts. Comvita Global supply chain team consists of 150 persons in total.

Judges comments: Comvita is an international natural health and beauty company committed to the development of natural products, backed by credible scientific research.

Colin has enabled Comvita to grow its exports to over $100m through building a sustainable and traceable community of supply that is optimised across the world markets and delivers assurance and value to the end customer.

His contribution epitomises Comvita’s core values – Caring, Curious and Courageous.

This is the second Comvita employee to win this award, with Scott Coulter the recipient in 2010.

Zespri International Service to Export Award

No finalists just one very surprised and deserving winner on the night.

The Zespri International Service to the Export Community award recognises and honours an individual, who may or may not be directly involved with exporting, but in the view of the judges has made a significant contribution to exporting success in the Bay of Plenty.

This individual will have:

• made an outstanding contribution to exporting success within the Bay of Plenty

• assisted or is assisting in developing international recognition for the Bay of Plenty

• provided mentoring or assistance to exporters

Entry into this award is through nomination only and is decided by past winners of the award.

Past winners: Gwenda Merriman, Kay Rogers, Catherine Simmons, Graeme Boyd, Lionel Crawley, Bob Sievwright, Alan Bougen, Murray Davies, Jon Mayson, Murray Hill and Rob Jeffrey.

WINNER: Ian Macrae, Managing Director, Page Macrae Engineering

Ian trained as a mechanical engineer and spent many years working on prawn boats, laying pipelines, in various meat works, and on and off at his father’s business. These jobs took him throughout NZ and to Australia, Asia, the US and Europe. Ian’s father George founded Page and Macrae Engineering with his partner Robert Page in 1955, and Ian took over when George retired in 1992.

The company split in two in 1994 with Page Macrae concentrating on the engineering design, heavy fabrication and project work.

Ian had big ambitions for the company and acquired four hectares of property in Aerodrome Road which now has over 8,500m² of covered workshops. The company quickly grew from a medium sized, locally focused business to one of NZ’s major multi-disciplined engineering companies, employing between 175 and 345 FTE’ depending on workload.

Ian still has strong ambitions, investing in new technologies and continuing Page Macrae’s excellent export growth in Australia, and on to the Americas and Europe.

Ian is someone who likes to stay behind the scenes, but he is known for his generosity and philanthropy, he is a tough nut to crack but when he believes in something he is the first to put his hand up to support. Many people and organisations have achieved their goals with the help of Ian’s generosity. Ian and Page Macrae are sponsors of:

- The Innovation in Export Award in the BNZ Bay of Plenty ExportNZ Awards

- OATS Vexmen Otumoetai College Robotics Team

- Tauranga Rotary ITO Graduation

- Mount Maunganui Golden Oldies

- The Bay of Plenty Steamers

- Omanu Surf Lifesaving

- YIA, the Young Innovator Awards

- Trustpower TECT Rescue Helicopter

- Tauranga Coastguard

- Alex & Luke Fraser-Brown – Motocross Enthusiasts

- Fiona Wilson – Indoor Bowls representative

- Mount Maunganui Sport Club, home of the ‘Mounties’

- Mount Maunganui Sport Fishing Club Inc

- Te Aranui Youth Trust – Dare to Fight for Youth

Comments about Ian:

From Angela Wallace, Executive Officer, ExportNZ Bay of Plenty: ExportNZ Bay of Plenty could not thrive without the likes of Ian who is passionate, visionary and always looking at the greater good. Ian is a long time sponsor of ExportNZ Bay of Plenty and on the ExportNZ Bay of Plenty Executive Committee.

From Jon Mayson, Scales Corporation: One of the Bay of Plenty’s unsung heroes, working away behind the scenes, innovating, investing in start-ups and R&D, exporting in his own right, supporting and encouraging others through Export BOP, a worthy and self-effacing winner who deserves the recognition that this award delivers.

From John Gordon, Sharp Tudhope Lawyers: “Ian you are such a worthy recipient. Your passion for this region and what can be made to happen here is amazing. For me the best part is you are only just getting started! ”

From Warwick Downing – Titanium Industry Development Association (TiDA)

About TiDA

It is through Ian’s vision that TiDA exists. TiDA and associated company Rapid Advanced Manufacturing Ltd provide services to over 50 NZ companies. This has resulted in a number of new export products, with many more in development. Ian continues to provide leadership in his role as Chairman of TiDA. He continues to look at ways in which manufacturers, particularly in the engineering field, can add more value to products and create new opportunities. This has resulted in TiDA winning a number of National Awards for innovation and also being recognised by international peers as leading in Titanium powder metallurgy.

Personal note from Warwick Downing:

Ian has a wealth of knowledge which he does not force on anybody, instead using it to guide and support. With strategic decisions Ian is able see beyond the present. TiDA would not be where it is today, and I would not be the manager I am without the support Ian gives. Ian has taught me much about business and ensuring a life balance.

Finalists: Sharp Tudhope Lawyers Exporter of the Year Award

- Avocado Oil NZ

- Surtees Boats

- PowerSmart

WINNER: Surtees Boats

The Sharp Tudhope Exporter of the Year Award is the big award of the evening, and is for companies who have achieved extraordinary and sustainable export growth. The business will have been engaged in generating significant export earnings for that business and New Zealand for more than five consecutive years.

The winner of this award will demonstrate sustained and outstanding performance and results in terms of:

• Export earnings, growth and profit

• Leadership and direction

• Excellence in marketing

• Export strategy and business planning

• Commitment to quality management

• Governance

Information about the winner:

Surtees Boats www.surtees.co.nz

Surtees Boats design and build aluminum trailer boats for fishing and recreational use. The boats are designed to use the same parts on the different models so customers can get the boat they want but the parts inventory is less which helps speed up build time per boat.

Their reputation is worldwide, with 50% of their boats exported. Surtees Boats are known for their excellent sea handling capabilities, as being designed for fishing, for their good looks and being tough.

Judges Comments: Surtees boats have just made history by being the first ever company to win the Emerging Exporter of the Year, and Exporter of the Year award in consecutive years.

So a flooding keel doesn’t float your boat, maybe not, but an integral water ballast ride stabiliser will certainly make for a smooth day out on the water. Just one example of how through listening, design innovation, practical features, naked craftsmanship by dedicated specialists, and a great dealer network the team at Surtees Boats build boats “Built to Fish”. Yes, an Australian has tried to copy the Surtees range, but the Surtees boats have generated their own strong brand loyalty and sales in Australia have more than doubled in recent years

Some might think that a pleasure boat, even a fishing boat, is not something you need to buy, but the crew at Surtees Boats have got them queuing up for more.

END

Contact: Angela Wallace, Executive Officer, ExportNZ Bay of Plenty 021 636373

© Scoop Media