Gisborne companies among export award finalists

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Gisborne’s Wisewool company has been  named among finalists in the eighth ExportNZ ASB Hawke’s Bay Export Awards.

The business is a finalist in the best emerging business category of the awards.

Also named as a finalist, in the excellence in innovation category, is StardustME.

This is the business dreamt up by friends when they were camping at Anaura Bay, enjoying the night sky and wondering how to give a late loved one an impressive send-off.

A third Gisborne finalist is Anna Holdsworth of Pultron Composites, in the inspiring women in export category. Pultron is also a finalist in the best established business category.

Entries were open to exporters covering the area from Gisborne to Pahiatua.

A record number of entries were received this year, said ExportNZ Hawke’s Bay executive Officer Amanda Liddle. “The standard has been exceptionally high.

“Both Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne have been devastated by weather events, on top of previously difficult years. What has been apparent throughout the judging is a sense of determination to overcome adversity and remain positive.

“Exporters are critical to our region’s business ecosystem and play a key role in the wider success and prosperity of New Zealand. These awards acknowledge their hard work”.

The judges are Wayne Norrie, ONZM; Alasdair Macleod, Regional Economic Development chair; Paul Gestro, ASB international trade consultant; Sarah Sherriff, Dash Group founder; Julie Jackson, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise customer director and Dan Martin, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise customer manager.

“It was pleasing to see that even with all the recent challenges, the calibre of the submissions is consistently high, the entrants are passionate and the quality of businesses put forward represents the best from the Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne regions,” ASB’s Paul Gestro said.

The awards gala dinner will be on August 10 at Toitoi Hawke’s Bay Arts and Event Centre.

The finalists are:

• ContainerCo Best Emerging Business: Animals Like Us (Hastings), Senator Boats (Napier), Wisewool (Gisborne) Rare New Zealand (Hastings) and Nibblish (Havelock North).

• Southeast Asia Centre of Asia Pacific Excellence, Excellence in Innovation: Prevar (Havelock North), T&G Global (Hastings), StardustME (Gisborne) and Animals Like Us (Hastings)

• T & G Global Best Established Business: Pultron Composites (Gisborne), Metalform (Dannevirke) and Fingermark (Havelock North)

• NewstalkZB Inspiring Women in Export Award: Anna Holdsworth, Pultron Composites; Sally Gallagher, The Apple Press; Rebecca Klee, Animals Like Us; and Sue de Bievre, Beany.

The winners of each business category will contest the supreme award of ASB Exporter of the Year and will automatically go to the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) International Business Awards in Auckland in November.

Napier Port is sponsoring the Unsung Heroes Award, which reflects the hard work done by individuals within their business. This award is based on business nominations and will be presented on the night.

Other sponsors include NZTE, Hawke’s Bay Airport, Hastings District Council, Napier City Council and Te Mata Estate Winery.