Judging chairman Greg Cross said making the final decision was one of the toughest, not to mention closest, the panel of five judges had been faced with.
He said Mr Hickson had demonstrated a level of innovation and entrepreneurship that was "unusual and exceptional" in what was effectively a traditional New Zealand industry.
Mr Hickson was unavailable to comment - a member of his family said he was "out of range" and unable to be contacted.
Like Mr Drury last year, Mr Hickson will now represent New Zealand at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year contest that will be staged in Monaco in June next year.
It was the second national award he has picked up - in 2012 he was judged to be Federated Farmers' Agribusiness Person of the Year.
Mr Hickson's business and foresight skills are underlined by the fact he started Progressive Meats with wife, Penny, in 1981 with a staff of just six.
They now employ about 300 people and have an annual revenue of $500million.
The Hicksons also run a 1200ha sheep, deer and beef farm in Hawke's Bay.
Mr Hickson attended Massey University where he initially signed up for a science degree.
But a grant from the Hawke's Bay Farmers Meat Company changed his focus to food technology, as did summer employment at its plant.
As well as food engineering qualifications he also achieved a BA in marketing and economics.
After graduation he worked for the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board where he gained a fuller perspective of the meat industry and saw a meat export opportunity packing frozen lamb chops and using what was then a new "skin pack" technology.
His initial idea was to piggy-back his production off an already-operating, and licensed, facility.
He got close to signing deals with several parties only to see them go to what they perceived were greener pastures.
Undaunted, he made contact with a Hawke's Bay coldstore business that was in the middle of its own building project.
After discussions the investment syndicate agreed to build him premises, for lease, adjacent to the cold store where he could run his operation as well as achieve synergies with a coldstore operation next door.
Some colleagues advised him against it but he persevered and Progressive Meats began, and through smart financing options, technological innovation, and building strategic relationships along the supply chain, his empire expanded.
