Stella Awards 2024: Taupō businesses celebrate success at business awards

Cheal Consultants of Taupō won the Westerman Dream Team category at the 2024 Stella Awards. Photo / Abby Dance

The Stella Awards judges have found, recognised and honoured local businesses that have shown resilience over the past two years, in the Taupō district.

The “Great Gatsby” was the theme for the awards night of September 27, filling the Great Lake Centre with 1920′s outfits, feathers and pearls, floating candle centrepieces, and a chaise lounge for photos.

The event, sponsored by Livingstone Building, brought in over 80 business entries across 10 categories, and 49 finalists.

Ken Harris, one of the project coordinators, said the awards offered a chance for business owners to reflect on their achievements through hardships, and one purpose of the event was “therapy”.

He said people worked day in and day out “despite the fact the daily grind can really get someone down”.

“It’s part therapy I’d say where you can talk honestly about, ‘Hey these are the struggles we’ve had and this is what we’ve tried to do to overcome it’, or ‘These are things we have accomplished’.

The table setup at the Stella Awards as the first course for the night was dished out. Photo / Abby Dance

“Even on those small days where you’re looking at your business like, ‘Why am I doing this and putting myself through this pain?’, they still count as accomplishments.

“You have done great things and run a great business and with these opportunities to sit down with somebody, it helps in reinforcing why these people are in business and do what they do.

“It’s therapy for these hardworking people who often go unnoticed, and they should be noticed.”

One of the judges said, “Judging this year was incredibly difficult, tempered only by the amazing stories that we were privileged to hear.

“The strength of our business community is overwhelming. I was humbled and inspired to be involved.”

Cheal Consultants won the Westerman Dream Team category.

The judges said; “Others look at your team and wonder how you did it. How did you all manage to build such amazing camaraderie and stick together considering what you and your team have been through.”

The team did “what needed to be done to get through the worst of times”, capitalising on good times and team-building initiatives, and they “came out the other side a strong and more formidable team”.

House of Travel Taupō won the CAMEX Civil Stella Survivors category, with judges saying all category finalists showed incredible resilience, and are “not just survivors, but thrivers.”

House of Travel kicked off 2022 with debt and no staff, still struggling from the effects of Covid-19, and challenges in an industry that was changed forever. They overcame the difficulty and now run a successful business.

The Cozy Corner, a team described by judges as “true angels” won the MORE FM Community Angels, and in the newly created Not-for-profit category, Greening Taupō took first place.

Judges said the “energy and passion of Greening Taupō is totally overwhelming”.

“Everywhere you look they are in our community teaching, training, digging, planting, working tirelessly with all ages from pre-school to retired ... The team seize every opportunity to do good for our environment and are seen by others as leaders in their field.”

Graft Joinery took out the Love Taupō Customer Experience Masters category, having customer experience “at the heart of everything they do”, while Lake Taupō Hospice took out the Virtual Legend category.

The organisers of Stella Awards, the Town Centre Taupō team, Alice Thompson (left), Ken Harris and Julie McLeod. Photo / Abby Dance

Judges said the Hospice team transformed its marketing approach over the past year, “evolving from ad hoc efforts to a comprehensive, strategic plan”.

The Huka Falls River Cruise team won the Taupō District Council Sustainability Stars award, running its business at near zero-waste and looking after the Waikato River over the past 20 years with pest trapping, planting native trees along the riverbank, an annual river clean up and keeping the area litter-free.

In the Amplify categories, Vivek Maini of Café Lacus won Team Titan, being a business owner with a “personal drive to grow his skillset”, while Mike Later from Ultra AV won Customer Service Maestro for his “dedication and drive for creating exceptional customer experiences”, and Holly Houndstooth of Houndstooth Interiors won Solo Superstars.

Judges said Houndstooth Interiors is a great example of a business built on a diverse range of experience, passion, and creative focus, with her colourful approach giving the impression of effortless work.

To find the Stella Awards winners, judges read the entries, create a finalist list, interview each finalist team or individual, and then decide the winner.

Harris said all the winners and runner-ups were deserving of their titles.

“Plenty of people didn’t have their name called to win something, but they were also deserving, and they should be proud of what they do in their day-to-day world.”

Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined the Waikato Herald in 2023 after working for Radio 1XX in Whakatāne.