Air New Zealand Cargo ExportNZ Awards winners announced!

Companies with booming overseas sales and innovative offerings - from natural toothpaste and eco-friendly toothbrushes and floss, to an app for school children that enables better collaboration - have been recognised for their outstanding achievements at the 2019 Air New Zealand Cargo ExportNZ awards.

Exporters of goods and services from Northland, Auckland and Waikato came together in Auckland last night to celebrate at a sparkling awards evening.

Adventure tourism company Haka Tourism Group, which incorporates educational and cultural experiences for tourists in New Zealand, won the Supreme Award for overall top performance in exporting. It also won the category of BDO Best Medium Business (services exports).

Judges said the story of New Zealand is clearly evidenced in every aspect of its operations and that it creates experiences for tourists that make a deep emotional connection to our culture.

The DHL Best Emerging Business (for goods exports) went to Grin Natural Products, a New Zealand oral care brand that specialises in 100 per cent natural toothpastes and eco-friendly oral care essentials.

Judges commented that a cornerstone of Grin’s strategy was the understanding that to succeed in the large and competitive oral healthcare market with a new, innovative, high-priced natural product, it needed to start with consumer education and a cost-effective sales channel.

Company-X Best Emerging Business (services exports) winner Kami received high praise from the judges for their PDF and document annotation app for schools, or digital pen and paper, which gives users the ability to edit, collaborate on and interact with digital documents.

In particular the judges were impressed with its growth acceleration of the past 12 months, and its commitment to the mission of helping the education sector flourish in the digital world. It has close to seven million users around the world.

Baldwins Intellectual Property Excellence in Innovation winner FaceMe also operates in the digital space, but aims to bring the human, emotional connection back to digital experiences. Its digital humans create brand-aligned customer support, but through a human-like experience rich in qualities such as empathy and warmth.

Also named last night was the Exporters Champion (for exemplary services to export). This was awarded to the late Bob Walters, an engineer who for more than 30 years was involved in international business including as International GM of Building Products for Alex Harvey Industries, GM Feltex Carpets, and Corporate Brands Manager and later Regional Development Manager European Region for the NZ Dairy Board.

He knew business in a way that can’t be taught and lived and breathed exporting and was able to articulate strategy as well as policy in a way people could understand and was a problem-solver.

Full list Air New Zealand Cargo ExportNZ Awards winners:

DHL Best Emerging Business (for goods exports)

Grin Natural Products - a natural New Zealand oral care brand that specialises in 100 per cent natural toothpastes and eco-friendly oral care essentials.

Ports of Auckland Best Medium Business (for goods exports)

Howick Limited - manufactures high-technology roll-forming machines for light steel framing automation.

Westpac Best Large Business (for goods exports)

Douglas Pharmaceuticals - develops and manufactures its own generic and repurposed medicines for New Zealand and the rest of the world.

Company-X Best Emerging Business (for services exports)

Kami - is an easy-to-use web application that gives millions of individuals the ability to view, edit, collaborate and interact with digital documentation

BDO Best Medium Business (for services exports)

- Haka Tourism Group - runs guided tours and accommodation in New Zealand which all include experiential cultural education, and is actively targeting 12 overseas markets.

New Zealand Trade & Enterprise Best Large Business (for services exports)

EROAD - develops technology solutions that manage vehicle fleets, support regulatory compliance, improve driver safety and reduce the costs associated with driving.

Baldwins Intellectual Property Excellence in Innovation

FaceMe - digital humans create brand-aligned customer support which combines the benefits of human interaction and digital channels.

Supreme Winner

- Haka Tourism Group - runs guided tours and accommodation in New Zealand which all include experiential cultural education, and is actively targeting 12 overseas markets.

All category winners now automatically go forward to the "pitch" stage for their equivalent categories in the NZTE New Zealand International Business Awards.

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