Staff key to Bluelab success

Tauranga-based Bluelab Corp has earned an international reputation for its design and manufacture of simple yet efficient metering and control devices to aid optimum plant growth.

Bluelab's core business is the manufacture and sales of a range of electronic metering and control equipment to enable growers to accurately measure and control parameters such as pH, conductivity and temperature in water-based solutions through each growing phase.

Now the homegrown company has been recognised locally after reigning supreme at the recent BNZ Bay of Plenty ExportNZ Awards, named the Sharp Tudhope Lawyers Exporter of the Year.

The judges said Bluelab had shown "how a solid brand, coupled with excellence in marketing and a focus on production efficiency, can contribute to the growth of a strong export business".

Because Bluelab "understood its market and focused strongly on their consumers and their requirements", it had been able to achieve rapid growth in new sales.

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Inventing measuring equipment for the past 30 years, Bluelab, which operates from a distinctive 800sqm building in the heart of the Tauriko Industrial Park, offers a range of products that can be used by the home grower right through to commercial applications.

Bluelab chief executive Greg Jarvis said: "From food growers to food producers, green house managers to the hobby grower, Bluelab's product range helps them manage crop health and productivity the easy way.

"Our product range is simple but highly efficient.

"From our hand-held meters to automated dosing and control devices, we are well known overseas.

"Winning the Exporter of the Year Award is great validation for our staff as we are mainly an export firm and don't have much of a local presence.

"It's great to be recognised externally by the Bay's business leaders and our peers but the biggest plus for me personally is the award recognises the achievements and accomplishments of our staff."

Bluelab products are made in New Zealand and distributed globally in at least 15 countries and its sales and marketing strategy has seen it achieve huge growth in internet sales.

"The internet is a wonderful thing as people on the other side of the world can find us easily," Mr Jarvis said.

He would not be drawn on the company's exact sales figures last year but said Bluelab's export sales had quadrupled since 2004, now accounting for 97 per cent of the company's business, with most orders being sent to the Northern Hemisphere.

Bluelab export markets include North America, United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Asia and the company is constantly exploring future markets.

"We are very much an international company," said Mr Jarvis.

The company's workforce has more than doubled from about 16 staff in 2004 and now includes two staff based in the US.

He said it made economic sense to be a predominantly export company as with only 4.5 million people here, compared with millions of people in the US alone, there were huge opportunities to grow the business, particularly in the Middle East and Asia.

Chris Winslade, Bluelab's sales and marketing vice-president, said staff selection was key to the company's achievements.

"We only employ people who are going to fit in with the company culture," she said.

"Our Bluelab people as we like to call ourselves, are all Tauranga locals who work hard to bring home the bacon for the Bay."