Allison Lawton: Take a bow, Rotorua

Westpac Business of the Year is Wildlands. Photo/Ben Fraser

The 2017 Westpac Supreme Business, Winner of the Year, is Wildlands!

Many of you are wondering who are Wildlands? What do they do? And what is their story that has led to them to securing the 2017 Supreme Business of the Year? Well, I am delighted to share their story with you because they wholeheartedly deserve this award.

Wildlands started 30 years ago, with the current director Sarah Beadel, ecologist, as a sole operator consultancy. Their core business is "providing outstanding ecological services to sustain and improve our environments".

If we consider 30 years ago, sustainability and the environment was not a "hot topic" - in fact you could argue no one really cared about it.

Within this context, Wildlands were a market leader back then, and absolutely are today because the most important issue facing New Zealand and the world is the sustainability of the environment.

From humble beginnings, Wildland's today has two directors, Sarah Beadel and William Shaw; they employ 80 staff nationwide, have 500 clients with 10 offices located throughout New Zealand; operate as a carbon neutral company, and are currently experiencing significant growth after winning a major Auckland contract in July of this year.

Take a bow Wildlands!

It is fantastic to have a company who, from small beginnings adopted the attitude of "do what is right for our environment"; to making the decision to build their company from Rotorua; to becoming a market leader in our city who contributes so much to the vibrancy of our economy; to representing the Rotorua.Inc brand on a national scale, and the thing I am most pleased about is bidding and winning major contracts from Auckland based companies. Fabulous!

So, it was fitting the business community of 600 people celebrated in style on Saturday night acknowledging all the finalists and winners of all the awards.

The winners were: Westpac Supreme Business, Winner of the Year Award - Wildlands; Red Stag Timber Rotorua Business Person of the Year - Gregg Brown; Holland Beckett Law Innovation Business Award - Pipi Ma; The Hits 97.5 Community Organisation Business Awards - Rotorua Multicultural Council; Rotorua Lakes Council Emerging Business Award - AJS / Strike Zone, Mega Zone, Time Zone; Deloitte Service Provider Business Award - Wildlands; Rotorua Daily Post Hospitality Business Award - Rotorua Top 10 Holiday Park; Rotorua Weekender Attractions Business Award - Adventure Playground; Pukeroa Oruawhata Trust Retail Business Award - Artisan Café; the Arista Group Social Responsibility Award - Professionals - McDowell Real Estate; Trust Power Customer Service Award - Holiday Inn Rotorua; Bay of Connections Excellence in Sustainable Practices Award - Rotorua Drycleaners & Apparelmaster; ID Talent Employee of the Year - Gretchen Livingston; Ministry of Education Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award - Sophie Glasgow; Toi-Ohomai Institute of Technology Emerging Young Leader of the Year - Jasmine Adams.

Allison Lawton is the chief executive of the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce