Finalists Announced For 2021 ExportNZ ASB Hawke’s Bay Export Awards

The finalists for the sixth ExportNZ ASB Hawke’s Bay Export Awards have been found and they include some of the province’s top companies.

The finalists are:

- ContainerCo Best Emerging Business: Wood Mallets (Otane), NZ Mecates (Wairoa), Kiwigarden (Hastings), National Distillery Company (Napier), Nibblish (Havelock North).

- Southeast Asia Centre Asia Pacific Excellence Excellence in Innovation: Future Products Group (Napier), NZ Juice Company (Whakatu), The True Honey Co (Dannevirke), National Distillery Company.

- T & G Global Best Established Business: NZ Frost Fans (Hastings), Mt Erin Group (Hastings), GisVin (Gisborne).

The winners of each category will contest the supreme award of ASB Exporter of the Year, and will automatically go to the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) International Business Awards in Auckland in November.

Napier Port is sponsoring the Unsung Heroes Award, which reflects the hard work done by people within their business. This award is based on nominations from businesses and will be presented on the night.

Entries were open to exporters from Gisborne to Pahiatua.

The Awards Gala Dinner will be on 29 July at Toi Toi Hawke’s Bay Arts and Event Centre.

The judges are ASB Head of International Trade Fergus Lee, NZTE director Wayne Norrie, Callaghan Innovation Specialist Jenny Brown, Napier Port Chairman Alasdair Macleod, and NZTE Regional Manager Katrina Buscke.

Mr Lee said the quality of the entries was very high, which meant the judges had a real challenge on their hands.

"There are great companies out there doing great stuff the length and breadth of Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne, so we know the overall winner will be right up there when it comes to representing the region at the national awards."

ExportNZ Hawke’s Bay Executive Officer Amanda Liddle said there were a record number of entries this year, and the standard was easily on a par with the previous five competitions.

"We’ve been really thrilled with the wide variety of entries, which I believe display a true representation of what companies are doing here in Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne.

"Companies of all shapes and sizes have faced enormous challenges over the past 15 months, and these awards give us the opportunity to show how much we value what they’ve gone through."

Stuart Ainslie, Chair of ExportNZ Hawke’s Bay said the awards continued to show it didn’t matter how big or small companies had to be to succeed.

"There was a real mix of smaller exporters who entered and who are well placed to scale and grow on the global stage. We love watching that happen and this event helps them prepare for that."

Hawke’s Bay Airport is sponsoring the gala dinner. Other sponsors are NZTE, Great Things Grow Here, Napier City Council, Grundy Productions, and Trinity Hill.

Last year’s ASB Exporter of the Year was Napier software company Re-Leased.

ExportNZ Hawke’s Bay is overseen by Business Central, which represents about 3500 employers across the lower North Island. It provides employer, health & safety, and human resources advice, and advocates policies that reflect the interest of the business community.

Tickets to the event go on sale today on the Export NZ website: exportnz.org.nz

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