VICTORIOUS: Metalman NZ Ltd staff, led by managing director Clark Proctor (fifth from right), celebrate the Ormiston Rd company's prizes on Friday night, including the Westpac Manukau Business of the Year Supreme Award. Photos supplied.

Ormiston Rd firm Metalman NZ Ltd was named Westpac Manukau Business of the Year, while East Tamaki’s Flavorjen Ltd was recognised as Manukau’s top small company, winning the Marley NZ Ltd Manukau Small Business of the Year title.

Metalman, which claimed triple titles by winning the Supreme Award as well as the EMA Excellence in Manufacturing, and the Enterprising Manukau Excellence in Exporting awards, was founded seven years ago.

The recycler, processor and exporter of scrap metal doubled in size in the past two years and employs more than 50 staff in five locations around the country. Judges say Metalman’s strengths lie in its ability to think on its feet, to forge strong customer relationships, and in its unique approach to exporting unwanted metal for recycling.

Success is timely for Flavorjen Ltd, which also won the COGITA Innovation and Strategy Award and the Wiri Licensing Trust Best Emerging Business Award.

Making the most of a time when the price of dairy products is escalating, Flavorjen’s expertise is in natural flavours used by food and beverage manufacturers seeking an alternative to dairy ingredients.

The company has grown exponentially in its first four years and its products are found in many goods found on supermarket shelves. “There’s no doubt that both of these companies are highly deserving,” says Ian Blair, general manager of Westpac’s business banking. “The Westpac Manukau Business Excellence Awards judge companies on all the fundamental aspects of business management. To be named as the ultimate winner is a sign of a truly excellent approach to doing business.”

JUBILANT: Personnel of East Tamaki firm Flavorjen Ltd, with managing director Paul Marra (centre), are ecstatic with their prize haul, including the COGITA Excellence in Innovation and Strategy Award.

DSS Animal Management, with its managing director Barry Gillingwater of Howick, won the ACC Workplace Safety Award. Founded in 2000, it provides animal management and enforcement services to local authorities such as Manukau, Wellington, Franklin and Transit NZ.

The winner of the Brookfields Lawyers Employer of Choice Award is Solomon Group Education and Training Academy, a whanau based organisation providing literacy courses to 475 students.

Grange Lodge is an award winning Papatoetoe motel and took out the Auckland International Airport Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality category for its attention to detail and focus on the customer experience.

Vision Dannemora, winner of the RSM Prince Excellence in Service Delivery category, is a retirement village and community of 200 that was one of the first in its industry to select a central location and to build multi-level apartments.

Marguerite Howlett, 22, was named Manukau City Council’s Young Businessperson of the Year for her success in founding The Renaissance School of Dance, Papatoetoe.

Salters Cartage Ltd won the Hubbards Foods Ltd Environmental Management Award for its environmentally sustainable solutions to the problem of contaminated oil waste products. And for its policy of community involvement Frucor Beverages Ltd was named recipient of the special Manukau Community Foundation Business Contribution to the Community Award.

Property developer and investor Kit Wong and Pumpkin Patch founder Sally Synnott were inducted into the Manukau Business Hall of Fame.

Acting Manukau Mayor Gary Troup says: “Economic security brings personal security and the companies named as winners are leaders in what they do, as employers, innovators and industry champions.” For more information, see www.bizawards.co.nz.