Waikato Business Awards 2023: wine company Invivo wins Supreme Award for nailing ‘art of standing out’

Waikato Herald

20 Nov, 2023 03:41 AM4 mins to read

Invivo co-founders Tim Lightbourne and Rob Cameron show off the Waikato Business Awards trophies. Photo / Invivo

Te Kauwhata wine company Invivo is in high spirits after being crowned the supreme winner at this year’s Waikato Business Awards.

The annual awards are run by the Waikato Chamber of Commerce with support from Hamilton developer Foster Construction and winners were crowned in 11 categories this year.

Invivo, which has collaborated on wine brands with celebrities including Graham Norton and Sarah Jessica Parker, and also produces vodka and gin, has clocked up a double-win at the Waikato awards: The company took out the Supreme Business Award and the International Trade Award.

Invivo was founded by partners in wine Tim Lightbourne and Rob Cameron in 2008 and has since been recognised numerous times on the national and international stage.

The award judges said Invivo impressed on several levels, including through its bold approach to marketing, business development and funding.

“The team understands the art of standing out in a crowded marketplace and this has clearly led to the positive results the company is delivering.

“For a winery that started in 2008 and saw its real expansion in 2016, delivering in excess of $20 million revenue last year and being profitable is a very commendable achievement, especially given the 700-plus wineries with much longer heritage in New Zealand.

“Their success can be boiled down to two things: Focusing on their customers’ needs and innovation.”

Invivo has a team of 15 and operates from two wineries in Te Kauwhata.

The property at 55 Te Kauwhata Rd is tenanted by Invivo Wines & Co.

The main winery has a special history: It was built in 1902 by the New Zealand Government as a research centre, to discover if New Zealand could make wine.

“Its rich history in the Waikato is incredibly important to us, as is our local community who support us here and enjoy drinking our wine. We’re thrilled with both awards, and it means a huge amount to our team ... [The awards] make us proud to be part of the Waikato,” Lightbourne said.

“When Invivo took over the winery, it had the capacity to produce 300,000 litres of wine. We now produce 3 million litres of wine from here, 80 per cent of which goes to export markets, so it’s pretty mind-blowing to us in terms of how far we’ve come. We’re not slowing down any time soon.”

Invivo is sourcing its wine from vineyards in Marlborough, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and Central Otago.

Waikato Chamber of Commerce chief executive Don Good said it was heartening to see a raft of small and medium-sized enterprises in this year’s line-up of finalists winners.

“The increased number of entries and the impressive diversity of participants demonstrates the flourishing entrepreneurial spirit within our region. We had 77 entries – an increase of 11 entries from last year – and of those they were predominantly SMEs.”

Lisbeth Jacobs of Gallagher Animal Management won CEO of the Year and Jenni Falconer of Emergency Consult won Emerging Leader of the Year at the recent Waikato Business Awards. Photos / Barker Photography

He also noted that the calibre of entries showed the region was thriving.

“The Waikato is making a name for itself as an economic powerhouse in this country. We have a strong farming foundation, a booming tech industry, strong construction and manufacturing sectors, an uptick in tourism post-Covid, and an efficient and well-located logistics industry,” Good said.

“Coupled with our proximity to Auckland opening up enhanced opportunities for trade and collaboration, it makes for a region that really is a terrific place to live, work and play.”

Head judge Dr Heather Connolly of the University of Waikato’s Management School said there were record entries for the People & Culture and Innovation Awards.

Gallagher Animal Management’s Lisbeth Jacobs won CEO of the Year while Emergency Consult’s Jenni Falconer was named Emerging Leader of the Year.