Northland proudly reclaimed one of its own last night. International jewellery entrepreneur Michael Hill, who opened his first shop in his hometown of Whangarei in 1979, was inducted into the Business Hall of Fame at the 2009 Northland Business Excellence Awards. Another Northland gem also sparkled brightly last night - Dive! Tutukaka,which won the tourism and sustainability awards and went on to win the supreme award of 2009 Northland Business Of The Year. The awards were held at the new Thirty3 Event Centre in Whangarei. Dive! Tutukaka is the biggest dive charter operation in the country, taking thousands of divers a year out to Northland's Poor Knights Islands. Founded by Jeroen Jongejans and Aussie Malcolm in 1999, the company employs up to 50 through summer, has a multimillion-dollar turnover and has won many awards over the past four years. Last night's award acknowledged its continued commitment to striving for excellence in every sphere, including customer service, dive experiences, innovation, sustainable business practice and protecting the marine environment. Previous awards include the
Tourism category of the PADI (diving) Asia Pacific Awards; the New Zealand Tourism Association's supreme award the Department of Conservation's conservation in action award. Michael Hill was born and grew up in Whangarei, attending Whangarei Boys' High School. After leaving school he worked in a family-owned jewellery before starting his own business with his wife and business partner Christine. The company had expanded to 10 stores by 1987, the year it was listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange. There are now 250 stores in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. Category winners: Best Emerging Business, Nectar Cafe. Best Small Business, Far North Fuels. Building/Construction, Robinson Asphalts 1992 Ltd. Customer Choice, Bream Bay Butchery. Excellence In Business, Kericell-Nursery Ltd. Excellence In Professional Service, Henderson Reeves Connell Rishworth. Excellence In Retail, First Mobile/Crystal Communications Ltd. Excellence In Technology/Innovation, Magnetism Solutions Ltd. Excellence In Tourism, Dive! Tutukaka. Workplace Safety, Golden Bay Cement. Sustainability, Dive! Tutukaka. Judges Commendation, Vertical Playground. Northland Business Of The Year, Dive! Tutukaka.
