Products win design awards

Tim Allen, director of Locus Research, the company which helped develop Roholm's Inverse Hair Conditioning System and Ubco's 2x2 electric offroad bike.

Two Bay of Plenty company products have won awards in Australia's Good Design Awards.

Roholm's Inverse Hair Conditioning System and Ubco's 2x2 electric offroad bike were both co-developed with Tauranga product development company Locus Research.

Locus founder Tim Allen, who recently became chief executive of Ubco and is a director of Roholm, said the Bay of Plenty companies were up against products from major international companies.

"These are the pre-eminent awards in Australia and are also a consumer quality mark," he said.

"I was a little bit surprised. I thought our products might get through to be considered, but didn't expect them to win an award."

Mr Allen said the detailed process consisted of an initial application, followed by sending through physical product samples.

Neither company won their category, but Ubco won an award for Product Design: Automotive and Transport, while Inverse was named for Product Design: Sport and Lifestyle.

"As with all the really big international awards, they are effectively adjudicating the quality of the work," said Mr Allen. "All award winners are able to use the design mark."

Daryl French, Roholm's acting chief executive, said the award backed up his recent experience in Europe about the potential of Inverse, which uses sub-zero temperature to induce a natural conditioning effect.

"It reinforced the fact we've really got a game-changing product in the hairdressing industry on a global basis," he said.

Both Ubco and Roholm are moving beyond the start-up stage into full-scale production.