New superstars of Manukau business revealed

Westpac Manukau Business Excellence Awards finalists announced.

Some of Manukau’s best-known businesses rubbed shoulders with high-calibre small and medium businesses at Villa Maria Estate Winery this week. What these companies have in common is that they have all been announced as finalists in the Westpac Manukau Business Excellence Awards, the biggest and most prestigious business awards programmes in the country.

Finalists in the 2010 Westpac Manukau Business Excellence Awards are:

Brookfield Lawyers Employer of Choice
Bluebird Foods
HMSC – AIAL
Progressive Enterprises Ltd

Cogita Excellence in Innovation & Strategy
Butterfly Creek
Coverstaff
East Tamaki Healthcare
HTC Specialised Tooling
International Travel College of New Zealand

EMA Excellence in Manufacturing
Bluebird Foods
GMP Pharmaceuticals Ltd
Rotaform

RSM Prince Excellence in Service Delivery
Don Ha Real Estate Ltd
East Tamaki Healthcare
HMSC – AIAL
International Travel College of New Zealand
Progressive Enterprises Ltd
Watercare Laboratory Services

NALCO Excellence in Exporting
GMP Pharmaceuticals Ltd
Rotaform

Wiri Licensing Trust Excellence in Emerging Business
Boardertown
Crumbles Ltd

TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre Excellence in Tourism & Hospitality
Butterfly Creek
HMSC – AIAL
International Travel College of New Zealand

Manukau Water Excellence in Environmental Management
Envirofert
Linfox Logistics NZ Ltd
Progressive Enterprises Ltd

ACC Workplace Safety
CHEP
Linfox Logistics NZ Ltd
Progressive Enterprises Ltd

Manukau Community Foundation Business Contribution to the Community
Nestle New Zealand
PlaceMakers Pakuranga
Spookers

Manukau City Council Young Business Person of the Year
Julia Watson – Spookers
Pam McNickle – Crumbles Ltd
Tim Guy – Boardertown

Ian Blair, General Manager of Business Banking at Westpac, major sponsor of the Awards, thanks all the businesses that entered this year.
“Westpac congratulates all the finalists, and we recognise that the process of applying and being judged takes some time. I congratulate you for seeing the value in standing up and being counted alongside your peers.”

Ian Blair says that Westpac is very proud to be associated with these Awards.

“Every year, the Awards honour local companies, their people, and their extraordinary achievements in New Zealand business. At Westpac, we are here to support business growth, so it makes sense to get alongside our local businesses and help them grow the New Zealand economy.”

Mr Blair adds: “The Awards provide businesses the opportunity to raise their profiles and build ever more powerful networks.”

Manukau City Council Mayor Len Brown, whose council is a major sponsor of these Awards, says he is delighted with the quality entries coming from the business community.

“Once again, Manukau businesses have stepped up to the challenge – and it’s great to see some companies who are household names taking this opportunity too. Successful businesses – large or small – help to build a successful city and keep the economy ticking.”

"I congratulate all the finalists – making it this far is a huge achievement, so I hope you and your teams take this opportunity to celebrate your hard work and success. I'm looking forward to the announcement of the winners in a few weeks’ time, but the quality of finalists shows that everyone who entered is already a winning business."

The grand finale to the Westpac Manukau Business Excellence Awards will be on 17 September at the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre. The winners will be announced at a prestigious black-tie gala dinner, which is reputed to be the most glamorous yearly business event in Manukau. Tickets are available by contacting Enterprising Manukau on 09 262 2244 or visiting www.bizawards.co.nz.

Entry categories have been specially designed so that there are relevant choices for all manner of industries and business sizes. Categories include employer of choice, exporting, manufacturing, innovation and strategy, service delivery, emerging business, environmental management, tourism and hospitality, ACC workplace safety, and two nominated categories; business contribution to the community and young business person of the year.

Sponsors of the Westpac Manukau Business Excellence Awards include the Wiri Licensing Trust, New Zealand Herald, Brookfields Lawyers, EMA, NALCO, COGITA, RSM Prince, Manukau Water, TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre, ACC and the Manukau Community Foundation. Manukau City Council and Westpac are the major sponsors of these awards, which are delivered on behalf of the council by Enterprising Manukau. These Awards were instigated 16 years ago to recognise, encourage and assist business growth and development.