Innovation takes Comvita to the top

Comvita general manager supply chain Colin Baskin and Comvita export manager Wang Xiao pick up the NZ China Trade Association supply chain award. Photo / Supplied

Bay of Plenty health and honey products company Comvita has won the New Zealand China Trade Association (NZCTA) Award for Supply Chain Innovation.

Comvita was also a finalist in the Hong Kong New Zealand Business Association Award for Hong Kong Business at the awards.

Judges said Comvita's win recognised that the company had demonstrated capability and innovation in supply chain benefits for China-New Zealand trade.

Comvita entered the supply chain category, but was added as a finalist, by the judges, to the Hong Kong business award, which it won in 2011. Comvita was also a finalist in the general business category in 2013.

Chief executive Brett Hewlett said the company had been successful in capturing maximum value from its products by building a successful and protable premium consumer brand, selling directly to consumers through an extensive retail network in China.

"As the rst company to import manuka honey into China more than 20 years ago, we're also the most well-known New Zealand manuka honey and bee products brand and marketer in China," he said.

"For example, we've been rated as one of the most favourite food brands in Taobao by Chinese consumers. Our focus is to grow brand awareness and bring high performance Comvita natural products to Chinese consumers in order to drive protability and long-term value for the company."

Comvita opened its first Comvita store globally in China in 2004 and now has more than 400 branded outlets in more than 40 cities across the country, synchronised with a sizeable online digital business.

Comvita general manager, supply chain, Colin Baskin said the company worked in partnership with its distributor GPE.

"That means we have applied the full extent of our assets - quality, logistics, technical etc - to support their efforts," said Mr Baskin.

"We develop product specications together, have established a logistics infrastructure through Hong Kong, and are committed to building and continually strengthening our relationship with them. We also develop products specifically for our distributor based on their initiatives and expertise in their market."

Milk New Zealand Holding, owned by Shanghai Pengxin, the investor in Crafar Farms, was the supreme winner at the awards. NZCTA chairman Martin Thomson said the winner proved the benefits of direct investment by China in New Zealand.

"Investment tends to follow trade, and more trade still results from direct investment," he said.

"New Zealand's largest foreign investor is Australia, which was also our first free-trade partner.

"It stands to reason, then, that China, which is now our number one or two trade partner, will invest more and more in New Zealand. Chinese investment has created New Zealand opportunity, at the same time providing a Chinese company with returns."