Te Hiringa Maori Business Excellence Awards a great success

Te Hiringa Maori Business expo at Forum North on Friday 22 June attracted a steady stream of people interested in excellent Maori businesses, showcased prior to the business excellence awards that night.

​“As well as showcasing excellent businesses, the event provided an opportunity for people to make connections and find new openings for their work,” said Council’s Group Manager Positive Growth, Jude Thompson.

“It was great to see Whangarei Security firm Kia Tupato do so well, winning the Outstanding Business Award. It is excellent to see them being recognised for their overall business excellence.

"There is a huge amount of talent across our community, the district and the region, and the potential for Maori to be major contributors to the economy is growing all the time.

“We expect the sector to be one of the strongest in our region in years to come because of the diversity of projects and fields it covers, from tourism, to learning, to aquaculture, hospitality – the range is huge.

“Council’s role as a contributor to economic development is becoming clearer and it was a good opportunity for us to offer some practical support,” Ms Thompson said.