Rotorua Business Awards finalists announced

Finalists in this year's Westpac Rotorua Business Awards have just been announced.

Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chief executive Bryce Heard said competition had been fierce and entry numbers were well up on previous years.

"There was a huge number of entries for the awards this year," Heard said.

"So much so I think the judges have had their work cut out coming up with the finalists."

He thanked businesses who had taken the time to enter and the judges who had been working overtime.

Winners will be announced at a dinner on October 5 at the Energy Events Centre.

"It will be the Rotorua party of the year. You can quote me on that," Heard said.

Last year's supreme winner was Event Impressions, who were hired to run the awards ceremony, not realising they were about to become the winners of the night.

Managing director Jacqui Alexander, who founded the company with husband Jeff Alexander, spoke to the Rotorua Daily Post the next day, saying she felt overwhelmed and shocked to have taken out the Service Sector Excellence Award and then the Supreme Business of the Year category.

"We were sitting at our table just crossing our fingers for our category, so when we found out we had won we were blown away, and feeling quite humbled," Alexander said at the time.

Excellence Categories

Excellence in Primary Industries - Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology

Kapenga M Trust

PF Olsen Ltd

Excellence in Property, Construction and Manufacturing – One Roof

DCA Architects

Mills-Tui Ltd

Property Inspect BOP Ltd

Excellence in the Retail Industry – Pukeroa Oruawhata Group

Artisan Cafe

Mountain Jade

Excellence in the Service Sector – Holland Beckett Law

Cheal Consultants Ltd

Peak Safety Ltd

Physio Direct Ltd

Excellence in Hospitality – Deloitte

Pig and Whistle Historic Pub

Sichuan Style Restaurant

Excellence in Tourism – Deloitte

Kaitiaki Adventures

Waimangu Volcanic Experience

Bi-lingual Business Award – Deloitte

Arataua Media Ltd

Hikoi NZ Ltd

Kaitiaki Adventures

Excellence in Small Business (less than 5FTE) – Osbornes Funeral Directors

Arataua Media Ltd

Galaxy Travel

Property Inspect BOP Ltd

Sustainability Business Award – Rotorua Economic Development

Jasco Distributing

Kaitiaki Adventures

Waimangu Volcanic Valley

Innovation and Disruption Business Award – Scion

Mills-Tui Ltd

PF Olsen Ltd

Waimangu Volcanic Valley

Not For Profit – The Hits 97.5FM

Rotorua Arts Village Trust

Rotorua Parents Centre Inc

ACC Workplace Safety – ACC

Lakes District Health Board/Rotorua Hospital

Redwoods Treewalk

Emerging Leader – Ministry of Social Development

Felicity Farrell - Mediaworks Rotorua

Kerri Anne Hancock - Rangiwewehi Charitable Trust

Miriam Hewson - Futureproof Concepts Ltd

Kahurangi Milne – Arataua

David Remmerswaal – Dimple

Employee of the Year – Our House

Helen Bennett - Physio Direct

Binod Pudasaini – WaiOra

Jonelle Smith - Redwoods Treewalk

Young Innovator of the Year – Ministry of Education

Dale Noble - Western Heights High School

Kayleigh Waller - Western Heights High School