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Entrants raise bar in awards of excellence Saturday, 19 September 2009
Record entries were received for what were seen as the most competitive round of the awards so far. The awards were instigated 16 years ago to recognise, encourage and assist business growth and development. “Even those businesses which were named finalists should be extremely proud of their achievements,” says Gaelle Deighton, chief executive of Enterprising Manukau. “This year’s winners have really raised the bar and set some new standards for us all to aspire to.” All the winners have shown excellence in their management approach, says Ian Blair, general manager of Westpac business banking. “The high standards they have set are certainly inspiring.” Supreme winner A hat-trick was achieved by the supreme winner of the 2009 Westpac Business of the Year Award, National Aluminium (NALCO), which also won the Cogita Excellence in Innovation & Strategy Award and the EMA Excellence in Manufacturing Award. With headquarters in East Tamaki, NALCO was established in the 1960s. It provides complete aluminium solutions tailored to specific client needs, including designing, manufacturing, importing and exporting aluminium extrusions and related products. Value-added services include precision profile cutting on one of New Zealand’s largest CNC routers.<!--page-->
Boardertown retails snowboards, wakeboards, skateboards, surfboards, clothing and accessories at Botany Town Centre. The five-year-old business faced an uphill struggle after a series of break-ins and a ram-raid in their original Howick location, which nearly forced the business to close. Brookfields Lawyers Employer of Choice Award and the Sir Barry Curtis Excellence in Governance Award Challenge Trust is a charitable trust providing a full range of recovery services to more than 1000 people affected by mental illness, addiction, intellectual disability, physical disability and other conditions. RSM Prince Excellence in Service Delivery Award Solomon Group Education & Training Academy teaches people to read, spell and write. Its goal is to empower its students to improve their quality of life and training is delivered in a friendly, nurturing environment. TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre Excellence in Tourism & Hospitality Award The International Travel College of New Zealand provides full-time and distance learning training programmes to the airline, travel and tourism industry. It has placed more than 2000 students over 13 years of operation. Enterprising Manukau Excellence in Exporting Award Argenta employs 108 staff supplying the global animal health community with innovative products and services. The company researches and manufactures solutions for production animals, such as sheep and cattle, as well as companion animals, primarily dogs and cats. <!--page-->Manukau Water Excellence in Environmental Management Award and the ACC Workplace Safety Award OfficeMax moved its head office and northern distribution centre to Highbrook, East Tamaki, a year ago. The company delivers a comprehensive range of business supplies to more than 36,000 customers throughout New Zealand. Manukau Community Foundation Business Contribution to the Community Award Progressive Enterprises, which owns and operates 150 Countdown, Woolworths and Foodtown stores nationwide runs a range of community and fundraising programmes for young and old people and it supports many charities and organisations. Manukau City Council Young Business Person of the Year Daniel Robertson started his online bookstore Fishpond in his bedroom in 2004. The company now claims to be Australasia’s biggest online bookstore with more than two million books, 188,000 CDs and 12,000 DVDs on its virtual bookshelves. The technologically savvy company employs 30 people at its Airport Oaks location. Manukau Business Hall of Fame inductions Noel Holyoake, founder of Holyoake Industries Eric Kendall (the late), founder of Temperzone Air Conditioning
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