I had the pleasure of attending the Westpac Hawke's Bay Chamber of Commerce Business Awards at the Opera House in Hastings last night and what an occasion it was.
I enjoy attending events like this because they are showcases of success.
In the case of the Chamber of Commerce's BusinessAwards, they are highlighting the good work a company has done, often in difficult trading conditions.
The Global Finance Crisis meant that all businesses - big or small - need to be strategic and innovative to survive. There are plenty of examples of business people and companies that are flourishing. Take a look at our own Rod Drury's Xero, which is taking the world by storm. The reason Xero is succeeding is because the company is dynamic, innovative and enterprising. It has found products the world wants and is selling them.
Even if other companies aren't on as grand a scale as Xero, we can still be very proud of their achievements.
The list of winners at last night's awards is very impressive and shows that Bay businesses have a lot going for them. Radius Medical Solutions was the winner of the Westpac Business of the Year Supreme Award, having also won the Pan Pac Large Business Award category. FPG Group CEO Robert Darroch was named the Hawke's Bay Today Business Person of the year. Congratulations to the winners and may they, and all other local businesses, continue to be successful so that we can have a strong regional economy.
