Rockit CEO Mark O'Donnell and Sue Aldersley toast success at the Exporter of the Year awards. Photo Paul Taylor
Rockit CEO Mark O'Donnell and Sue Aldersley toast success at the Exporter of the Year awards. Photo Paul Taylor
Rockit Global has been named ExportNZ Hawke's Bay ASB Exporter of the Year for 2022, the second time it has won the award.
The Hastings apple business was presented with the award on Thursday night at a sold-out awards dinner at the Toitoi Hawke's Bay Arts and Events Centre.
Judgesdecided Rockit's commitment to excellence across their entire operations stood out, and had laid a solid platform for strong future growth.
"Taking a small apple to the globe in record numbers is not an easy task, but Rockit has evolved into a stunning company that exceeded expectations," the judges' citation noted.
"From the newly-built packhouse showing efficiency through automation, to innovative and targeted marketing, generating record returns for growers, all within a well-managed and focused organisation."
Rockit apples on the trees. Photo / NZME
Earlier in the evening, Rockit won the T&G Global Best Established Award, which allowed it to go head-to-head with the other category winners for the top award – Starboard Bio, producer and supplier of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical ingredients (winner of the ContainerCo Best Emerging Exporter Award), and Pultron Composites from Gisborne (winner of the Southeast Asia Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence in Innovation Award).
The judges were amazed by Starboard Bio's results which have been generated from years of sound business planning.
The judges praised Pultron Composites for their maturity around innovation processes as well as their overall ecosystem. The other 2022 finalists were – Rare New Zealand (Hastings); 3sixty2 (Havelock North); PSI Brand (Napier); Freshmax NZ (Hastings); The New Zealand Casings Company – for two categories – (Whakatu); and Scottsdale Construction Systems (Napier).
The Unsung Heroes Award, which recognises work behind the scenes in exporting companies, was shared by Jade Elstone from Pan Pac, Ross Howard of Freshmax and Damien Corbett from Hawke's Bay Airport.
The judges said they couldn't single out one person, so decided to recognise all three businesses and individuals "who, in their own way, each make a significant difference to exporting in the region."
The Judges' Choice Award, a discretionary category, was won by The New Zealand Casings Company. The judges loved their passion and vision, and the approach of using Amazon to not only sell sausage casings, but total food solutions.
ExportNZ Hawke's Bay executive officer Amanda Liddle said the innovation and hard work on display from the entries was inspiring, given the relentlessly difficult trading environment exporters have been facing.
The judges this year were NZTE director Wayne Norrie, ASB head of international trade Fergus Lee, Napier Port chairman Alasdair Macleod and NZTE regional manager James Medina.
ExportNZ Hawke's Bay 2022 Award Winners:
ASB Hawke's Bay Exporter of the Year: Rockit Global
