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Regen owner named Mumtrepreneur of the Year

Wednesday 16 July 2014, 5:35PM

By Melody Brass

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Wellington businesswoman Bridgit Hawkins has been named Fly Buys Mumtrepreneur of the Year in the Fly Buys Mumtrepreneur Awards.

Hawkins’ business, Regen Ltd, helps dairy farmers manage a key issue – disposing of cattle effluent. The company has developed software that turns data, including soil moisture, temperature and rainfall, into a simple daily recommendation that’s sent to the farmer by text message.

Since Regen launched in 2010, the company has helped hundreds of farms across the country manage effluent disposal efficiently and its customer numbers have doubled year on year.

Fly Buys chief executive Stephen England-Hall said the Mumtrepreneur Awards recognise the growing number of successful Kiwi women who handle the dual challenges of running a business while raising a family at home. 

“Any business owner will testify that launching a company involves a tremendous amount of hard work and mumtrepreneurs are balancing this with bringing up children at the same time.

“Bridgit has come up with a revolutionary way to address a problem many farmers face in New Zealand.

The competition judges were Catherine de Groot, Trilogy skincare co-founder and Mumtrepreneur; Tui Te Hau, general manager at *experience, and Stephen England-Hall.

“Agriculture is the backbone of the New Zealand economy and so much of our international competitive advantage stems from our clean, green credentials. Regen’s services provide farmers with a way to increase their profitability while improving their environmental impact. The judges saw solid growth potential for these services in New Zealand and also overseas,” Mr England-Hall says.

In addition to the supreme award, Hawkins’ also took home the title of Best Agri-business and will receive 40,000 Fly Buys points.

More than 250 entries were received for five different categories: Best Product or Service, Best Online or Technology Business, Best Creative Business, Best Food and Beverage Business and the Best Agri-Business.

For more information see www.mumtrepreneurawards.co.nz.

2014 Fly Buys Mumtrepreneur of the Year Winners

Fly Buys Mumtrepreneur of the Year and Best Agri-business
Bridgit Hawkins, Wellington/ Wairarapa, Regen Ltd
www.nzregen.co.nz

Best Creative Business
Shona Grundy, Kingsland, Trigger Happy
www.toonhero.com 

Trigger Happy develops cutting-edge software for content creators on iPads. The company’s first product Toon Hero is an app that allows people of all ages to easily create their own animated stories without training or artistic ability. The app currently has over 120,000 fans on Facebook and is growing rapidly, attracting the attention of some of Hollywood’s top studios including Valve Corporation and Moonscoop.

Best Product or Service
Diane Hurford, Devonport, Brolly Sheets Ltd
www.brollysheets.co.nz

Brolly Sheets sells high-quality waterproof bed-linen, a product Diane developed while toilet-training her children. The company started out with sales to friends and family but had since expanded into a multi-million dollar business, processing over 1,000 orders per month. Brollysheets has a strong online presence across the country, as well as Australia, the UK and USA. 

Best Online or Technology Business
Ursula Maidens, Hawkes Bay, Rock My Baby
www.rockmybaby.co.nz

Offering home-based childcare, professional nannies and babysitters, Rock my Baby is the largest childcare agency in New Zealand. Ursula started the company three years ago and has built a nationwide and international brand, with franchises in Australia, Switzerland, Israel and the UK.

Best Food and Beverage
Sandra Finlay, Mairangi Bay, The Growth Collective
www.ezlunch.co.nz

The Growth Collective is an online ordering system which links fresh food suppliers and local schools, meaning parents can order a low-cost and nutritious lunch for their kids. The company has grown to service over 57 schools around the country, more than 165,000 lunch orders, and has recently launched a new service called Kindo, making it easier for parents to pay for school fees, books, and uniforms.