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Create Business Opportunities by Entering Bay of Plenty Export Awards 2009

Tuesday 24 February 2009, 1:48PM

By Carlin Valenti

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BAY OF PLENTY

Export New Zealand Bay of Plenty are anticipating an exciting time ahead for award participants and sponsors as they prepare to launch the BNZ Partners Bay of Plenty Export Awards for 2009.

Guests can arrive by land or sea for the launch event at Sebel Trinity Wharf, Tauranga, on March 5. They will be entertained and informed about this year’s awards in combination with the release of the Sebel Trinity Wharf Exporters’ Club Card.

It’s an ideal way to celebrate local business and for last year’s winners to share their international successes with the community. It’s also a great opportunity to encourage new applicants to get involved.

BNZ Managing Partner, Mike Frew, says he is delighted to be involved with the Export Awards again saying, it’s great to be a part of such a fantastic group of people who want see each other succeed.

“Our role is to support the exporters. We offer expert financial advice in the international trade arena and with our team of specialists we have all our bases covered, in fact we have just appointed an international trade specialist who will be joining our team in Tauranga shortly.”

“We support Export New Zealand because it’s an organisation that shares best business practices and our teams work well together. Our exporters are innovative and entrepreneurial, and always discover opportunities to do well in challenging financial atmospheres like we’re experiencing at the moment,” says Frew.

Last year’s winner of the Services to Export Award, Bob Sievwright of Trimax Mowing Systems, received his award via Skype from the UK, and was taken by surprise. He remains enthusiastic about his award win.

“We’ve won Export Awards in 1993 and 2003. But this time around I was overseas and only discovered I was nominated for the Services to Export Award within hours prior to the announcement. Apart from the honour of winning, the awards are good for my business,” says Sievwright.

“Going through the award process provides useful time for reflection. It also raises the self-esteem of staff within the whole company and creates a positive team buzz.

“People thinking of applying should approach it as a team effort - it can be a lot of fun as well as educational for those involved,” says Sievwright.

According to Sievwright, most New Zealanders that are exporting have a relatively small market share but even in a depressed market, the opportunities are still there.

Winner of the 2008 Sharp Tudhope Exporter of the Year, Oasis Engineering’s Andy Cameron, who is also a previous Emerging Exporter of the year winner, says the Awards have changed the way he has approached his business.

“The first award came with an airline ticket, which I utilised to travel overseas to visit a potential customer. It wasn’t until I arrived that I discovered the market was much bigger than anticipated because of the sheer number of people we could service compared to New Zealand,” says Cameron.

“From that experience the export side of the business grew from 15 percent to 80 percent of annual turnover, with sales increasing by more than 3 million dollars.

“The judging process was an exercise well worth putting the business through - it not only covers the company’s financial aspects, you have to look at all of your systems as a company including safety practices.

“Companies should be doing this anyway, and we all say we do, but until you have a bloke turning up who is part of a judging panel to assess your company, you realise the things that can be improved. The benefits you get from exposure to other people’s scrutiny can be very useful,” says Cameron.

The evening is going to be a great social occasion while aimed at encouraging and inspiring exporters to join in and learn about the awards process.

The Awards are announced at a celebratory gala dinner which is to be held at Bay Park Convention Centre on June 26.

Nomination packs are available on the launch night and from Export Bay of Plenty. For more information including purchase of tickets for the Awards gala night, contact Angela Wallace, phone 07 571 0600, email angela@exportnewzealand.org.nz or visit www.exportbop.org.nz