Ideas culture drives firm to success

Chief executive Simon Ward says A-Ward lives and breathes innovation.

Innovative is key to Kiwi shipping container-handling firm A-Ward Attachments scooping up a top gong at the Westpac Business Awards.

A-Ward chief executive Simon Ward said the company employs an innovative approach to every aspect of the business, something he said made the business an interesting and dynamic place to work.

"No day is the same here and our staff love it," Ward said. "We live and breathe minute-by-minute innovation."

It was this approach that won the company an excellence in innovation award last night, before seeing them awarded the supreme business excellence award for the West Auckland region.

One of the company's core philosophies is to be at the forefront of innovation through being the first to generate new ideas for their customers, allowing them to compete more effectively and improve profitability.

Ward said New Zealanders needed to look closer to home for export ideas, with some of the best being developed in the country's own backyard. "Why do we go to China for solutions when we have some of the smartest people right here? We need to export more of our ideas," he said.

A-Ward is certainly proving this can be done, with customers as far away as Kuwait, Chile and Peru.

A-Ward was founded in 2000, and now operates a global business focused on producing leading shipping-container loading and unloading systems for bulk materials.

Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnett said the awards highlighted the diversity of Auckland's economy in size, management, style and business strategies.

"The West Auckland region has a real sense of pride and innovation, and this year's winners show that entrepreneurship is alive and well in this part of Auckland," Barnett said.

"We look forward to seeing more of what these businesses - particularly the standout businesses identified by our judges - have to offer to the wider Auckland business community in the near future as they innovate, grow and prosper."