Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Spark Business Stella Awards 2022: Profile of Taupō finalists 'the survivors'

Taupo & Turangi Herald
24 Aug, 2022 03:00 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

In the workshop at Damel Kennels, Runs, Trailers and Portable Buildings. The Tūrangi-based business is a finalist in the award for Service Stella Survivor. Photo / Supplied
In the workshop at Damel Kennels, Runs, Trailers and Portable Buildings. The Tūrangi-based business is a finalist in the award for Service Stella Survivor. Photo / Supplied

In the workshop at Damel Kennels, Runs, Trailers and Portable Buildings. The Tūrangi-based business is a finalist in the award for Service Stella Survivor. Photo / Supplied

The finalists at the Spark Stella Business Awards 2022 have a lot to be thankful for, mainly surviving the tough business conditions because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Towncentre Taupō general manager Julie McLeod says there were so many entries it was decided to split them into three industry categories "to be fair" as well as to use the opportunity to share experiences from the Taupō business community.

"Finalists in the Camex Stella Survivors awards not only survived, but did it with grace and passion, as well as blood, sweat and tears," Julie says.

Read More

  • Taupo's Spark Stella Business Awards 2022: focus on ...
  • Spark Stella Business Awards 2022: Celebrating customer ...
  • Stella Awards: Joinery business puts in the hard graft ...
  • Taupō District Stella Awards: Green Gang makes big ...

Finalists:
Service Survivor: Act 2 Performing Arts School, BDO Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge, Damel Kennels Runs Trailers and Portable Buildings, Graft Joinery, Summit Fitness.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Tourism Survivor: Huka Prawn Park, Lake Taupō Holiday Resort, Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, Taupō Sailing Adventures, You Travel.

Business Survivor: Constables Kitchen, Get Set Event Hire, Hamills Taupō, Lil Something Ltd, Positive Kalibration Cafe.

Huka Prawn Park are finalists in the award for Tourism Stella Survivor. Photo / Supplied
Huka Prawn Park are finalists in the award for Tourism Stella Survivor. Photo / Supplied

Huka Prawn Park marketing manager Jemma Gregory says the company entered the tourism survival award when a team member felt a connection with the category.

"We have an amazing core staff and they have supported us through hard times and we have supported our staff the whole way.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Our staff are a huge part of why we are still open after the disruption caused by the pandemic."

In the past two years they have had to reduce their opening hours, but have never had to make anyone redundant.

Jemma says making it to the finals is a cause for celebration and a real boost to the team who always go the extra mile.

Service Survivor finalists Tūrangi manufacturers Damel Kennels Runs Trailers and Portable Buildings is owned by Karen and Michael Stuart. The pair bought the business in the first week of the first Covid-19 lockdown.

Discover more

Geothermal showcase bringing power to the people

22 Aug 05:00 PM

Elections 2022 bring co-governance at hapū and iwi level for Tūrangi

24 Aug 05:00 PM

Taupō set to celebrate National Poetry Day

16 Aug 05:46 AM

New principal humbled by pōwhiri

24 Aug 05:00 PM
In the workshop at Damel Kennels, Runs, Trailers and Portable Buildings. The Tūrangi-based business is a finalist in the award for Service Stella Survivor. Photo / Supplied
In the workshop at Damel Kennels, Runs, Trailers and Portable Buildings. The Tūrangi-based business is a finalist in the award for Service Stella Survivor. Photo / Supplied

In the past two years they have gone from being a one-man band to employing nine people from Tūrangi.

Karen says the business is thriving, with expansion plans that will ultimately allow them to employ 40 people.

"Our employees are wonderful, wonderful guys.

"We have come to love the Tūrangi area very much and want to create something positive," Karen says.

She says it was a shock to be a finalist, and is looking forward to going along on the night and sitting with others "who are just as deserving".

"Everyone who went through the hardship in Covid, what they went through was just as much as what we did."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Business Survivor finalist Get Set Event Hire owner Tracey Thompson says she lost all her business overnight when the country went into the first lockdown.

Get Set Event Hire are finalists in the award for Business Stella Survivor. Photo / Supplied
Get Set Event Hire are finalists in the award for Business Stella Survivor. Photo / Supplied

She says the pandemic was an opportunity to reposition their street presence, and she spent lockdown negotiating with the landlord of their new business premises on Titiraupenga St, on the fringes of Taupō town centre.

Before the pandemic, Tracey says they were an event hire company in the industrial area. Now they have a street frontage and a showroom.

"Some would say we were crazy to do this, but it was the best thing we could have done and the work is flowing in."

Tracey says her team of 10 were super excited to be finalists in the Stella Awards, saying they have often supplied event material to the awards but never dreamed they would be in them.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Tribesmen's alleged 'hotbox' murder after gang member's unauthorised online shopping

16 Jun 07:30 AM
Premium
Opinion

Why Rotorua's First XV victory over Hamilton is one for the ages

16 Jun 05:01 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

'Do what's right': Shaken witness' call after hit-and-run

16 Jun 01:59 AM

How one volunteer makes people feel seen

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
'Lots of frost': NZ braces for sub-zero chill, possible 'heavy rain' before Matariki
New Zealand

'Lots of frost': NZ braces for sub-zero chill, possible 'heavy rain' before Matariki

16 Jun 08:21 AM
'Sharp instincts': $7.5m meth haul intercepted by Customs
New Zealand

'Sharp instincts': $7.5m meth haul intercepted by Customs

16 Jun 08:19 AM
'Good Samaritan': Off-duty officer sucker-punched while trying to stop shoplifters
Crime

'Good Samaritan': Off-duty officer sucker-punched while trying to stop shoplifters

16 Jun 08:00 AM
Air attack on Israeli cities after strikes in central Iran
World

Air attack on Israeli cities after strikes in central Iran

16 Jun 07:59 AM
Tribesmen's alleged 'hotbox' murder after gang member's unauthorised online shopping
New Zealand

Tribesmen's alleged 'hotbox' murder after gang member's unauthorised online shopping

16 Jun 07:30 AM

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Tribesmen's alleged 'hotbox' murder after gang member's unauthorised online shopping

Tribesmen's alleged 'hotbox' murder after gang member's unauthorised online shopping

16 Jun 07:30 AM

Mark Hohua, known as Shark, was allegedly beaten to death by fellow gang members in 2022.

Premium
Why Rotorua's First XV victory over Hamilton is one for the ages

Why Rotorua's First XV victory over Hamilton is one for the ages

16 Jun 05:01 AM
'Do what's right': Shaken witness' call after hit-and-run

'Do what's right': Shaken witness' call after hit-and-run

16 Jun 01:59 AM
BoP dairy targeted by armed robbers

BoP dairy targeted by armed robbers

16 Jun 01:00 AM
Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka
sponsored

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search