Excellence and Achievement Awards Winners and Finalists 2014
ELECTRA BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2014
Sponsor: Electra
Winner: Goodman Contractors Ltd
Judges Comments: “Taking a number of measurements into account, including winning of a significant number of awards Goodman Contractors has scored very high in several areas of their business and the judges are proud to make them Business of the Year.”
BNZ HIGHLY COMMENDED AWARD 2014
Sponsor: BNZ
Winner: Kapiti PAK’n SAVE
Judges Comments: “Their particular strengths lie in their operational focus, their financial control with healthy bottom line results and their general ability to manage all aspects of their business while constantly looking for ways to improve.”
EXCELLENCE AWARD: Owner Operator
Sponsor: Mitre 10 MEGA Kapiti
Winner: Craig Pope Mortgages & Insurance
Judges Comments: “The owner has achieved very healthy increases in turnover and profitability every year since starting and is now one of the highest performing agents in the country. Since arriving on the scene in Kapiti less than four years ago, the owner has strongly established himself in the region and obtained a high profile with a branding that could belong to a much bigger business. Given the owner’s enthusiasm, obvious talents and commercial results as we see it today, this business has the potential for franchising some time in the future.”
Finalists: CameraPlace Levin | Craig Pope Mortgages & Insurance |
EXCELLENCE AWARD: Small Business
Sponsor: GTB IT Solutions
Winner: Jomp Hair Design
Judges Comments: “This business has a clear and worthwhile vision to be the best in New Zealand and is already on the road to achieve that through excellent internal and external results that makes them noticed. There are many key areas of strength this business shows including their systems, performance measures and the way the business benchmarks its staff and customer relationships. The assessors and judges have been impressed by Jomp across all aspects of the business and noticed a strong progression since they last entered two years ago. We will watch them in the future and look forward to seeing them return again to the awards in two or three years time.”
Finalists: Jomp Hair Design | Monty’s Real Estate Ltd | Tall Poppy | Te Horo Foods |
EXCELLENCE AWARD: Medium Business
Sponsor: Coastlands Shoppingtown
Winner: Longbeach Cafe
Judges Comments: “This is an exciting entrepreneurial business venture that is adding value to its beach environment through a strong community and customer focus and clear understanding of its target markets. The business has been investing cleverly and positioning itself for further growth by concentrating on its management staff, consistent quality and expanding in associated businesses so they can be flexible while moving onward and upwards. Its particular strengths are that sense of community, the level of service they provide and the way that is tailored to their client market, their product offering and also their approach to vertical integration, including the vegetable garden supplying the restaurant, complementary bakery and new North End Brewery.”
Finalists: JMA Decorators Ltd | Longbeach | Westferry Property Services Wellington |
EXCELLENCE AWARD: Large Business
Sponsor: The Law Connection
Winner: Goodman Contractors
Judges Comments: “Following some tough times, the business has made a remarkable come-back and returning excellent revenues with profits through focusing on strong commercial opportunities while caring for its people. Goodman Contractors Ltd impressed the assessors and judges as being a quality business. The traditionally inward-looking family business has been broadened out into excellent management and business skills and strong overall performance, whilst retaining some of the key advantages of the personalised family business and culture. They have strong systems in place and especially with the recently introduced NIMBUS system, have the ability to control all elements of their business very well. ”
Finalists: Goodman Contractors Ltd | Kapiti Pak’nSave | Woodhaven Gardens Ltd |
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Health & Safety
Sponsor: Crombie Lockwood
Winner: Goodman Contractors
Judges Comments: “The business routinely does complicated work in dangerous environments and has a very strong focus on health and safety with supporting emphasis on workforce training, certifications and compliances””
Finalists: Goodman Contractors Ltd | JMA Decorators Ltd | Kapiti Pak’nSave |
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Sustainability
Sponsor: EECA
Winner: Kapiti Pak’nSave
Judges Comments: “Even though being part of a bigger operation, the Kapiti Pak’n’Save is a significant innovator constantly looking to improve with a local focus, especially in the areas of sustainability and their environmental footprint. As a large local employer and prominent business in the region, Kapiti Pak’n’Save is without doubt a well-run and top performing store. On the one hand they have the benefit of being part of a national household name, on the other hand it is obvious that there have been an impressive number of local initiatives and good management systems that have made this store more successful.”
Finalists: Beach FM | Kapiti Pak’nSave | Longbeach |
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: New Thinking
Sponsor: Grow Wellington
Winner: Woodhaven Gardens Ltd
Judges Comments: “This is a very well run business that has developed some clever online systems that will not only help themselves significantly but could also become a potentially successful business in its own right. The assessors and judges would like to congratulate this company on the excellent progress they have made all round and especially considering the huge external variables that exist in their industry. The major strengths of this successful market garden lies in its operations and the degree to which they are able to systemise and control their business and human resource focus. It is a solid business with strong family values and a proven track record and reputation.”
Finalists: JMA Decorators Ltd | Monty’s Real Estate Ltd | Woodhaven Gardens Ltd |
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Emerging Business
Sponsor: Finman Services
Winner: Tall Poppy Real Estate
Judges Comments: “As would be expected, there are excellent systems and measurements in place, but it is the passion and enthusiasm of the local owner that will see this business emerging in a very competitive market. As an early licensee and recently acquiring the certificate to operate the Tall Poppy agency in three areas stretching from Tawa to Sanson, the owner has had significant involvement with the development of the franchise. Being new to real estate himself, he led the way by achieving good levels of sales locally in Kapiti and raising the profile of the company sufficiently to start attracting other agents to its new business model.”
Finalists: Book Island | Granite Tops Ltd | Kapiti Heliworx | Tall Poppy Real Estate |
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Employer of Choice
Sponsor: Blue Dot HR
Winner: Jomp Hair Design
Judges Comments: “One of the key strengths of this business is the way it benchmarks staff relationships and engagement as part of its overall strategy which has considerably added to its overall success”
Finalists: Jomp Hair Design | Longbeach | Shirley’s Homecare |