How do we celebrate hard work, the Hawke’s Bay way?
Tough times need a number 8 wire solution that only Kiwis know how to master, so what did our brilliant businesses do? They dusted themselves off, put their heads together, and worked through problems that resulted in success.
Brands.co.nz
Winner of Excellence in Innovation (sponsored by EIT)
Winner of Supreme Award (sponsored by Pan Pac)
Brands.co.nz thought ahead and leaped into action, moving from pop-up physical shops to online brilliance.
Co-founder Damien Green is powered by his instinctive problem-solving nature, “It makes me tick! There are always things that can be done better”.
Many of the tools used in e-commerce businesses aren’t designed for the New Zealand market. As a result, Brands seek out innovative and creative ways to make existing tools work for their business.
PAK’nSAVE Tamatea
Winner of Outstanding Community Contribution (sponsored by NZME)
Being a business in a community is a huge responsibility. How you recruit, who you employ, and who you purchase from all make a difference to the wellbeing of our region.
PAK’nSAVE Tamatea feels a responsibility to serve its local community. The business gives back through a range of initiatives, including sponsorship of children’s sport, local schools, and supplying food to the Napier Community Foodbank.
The return on investment for this community focus is clear. Their workforce is happier, they have strong employee engagement and a loyal customer base who recognise their efforts.
The team at PAK’nSAVE Tamatea are deserving recipients of the Community Contribution award for 2021, living up to their vision of “enriching our people, feeding our community.”
Birdwoods Café, Gallery & Sweet Shop
Winner of Ultimate Visitor Experience (sponsored by Hawke’s Bay Tourism)
New Zealanders are inherently team workers. We look after our own, support each other, and are always eager to help.
When receiving the award for Ultimate Visitor Experience, Louise and Bruce of Birdwoods Café and Gallery recognised their team’s excellent, sustained customer service and teamwork.
This customer-centric approach makes it easy for customers to understand the business, and with them, we begin to fall in love with the business as well – proven by diehard fans across New Zealand making special visits to Hawke’s Bay, especially to visit Birdwoods.
Te Wai Mauri
Winner of Best Emerging Business (sponsored by Hastings, Like a Big City But Better)
Te Wai Mauri have built a fantastic organisation dedicated to restoring wetlands and natural resources in Hawke’s Bay. Kaitiaki Rangers complete contract work involving planting, pest control, restoration work, and fencing.
This organisation pours value back into the local Waiohiki community, Ngāti Pārau iwi, and Waiohiki Marae through employment, enrichment of natural resources, and empowering communities to shape change. All this change-making led to Te Wai Mauri being recognised as the Best Emerging Business for 2021.
Hapī Ora
Winner of Excellence in Sustainability (sponsored by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council)
Hapī Ora have a robust community-driven approach to running their café. Owner-operator Gretta Carney focuses on serving healthy, clean kai and creating a community that is passionate about sustainability.
Gretta found the idea of creating mountains of waste through food production frightening. As a result, sustainability has become a core part of Hapī’s daily practice.
Hapī works directly with local suppliers to create closed-loop supply chains and only generates recyclable or compostable waste. In addition, Hapī has established a maara kai (food garden) to secure their organic, locally grown produce supply.
Hawke’s Bay Chamber of Commerce invites you to congratulate all the businesses who were brave enough to take a deep dive into their businesses to understand where their strengths and pain points lie.
So you see, these businesses have approached their challenges with classic kiwi ingenuity and have come out the other side stronger, braver, and better for it.
Join us in congratulating these exceptional members of our local community. Next time you visit one of these businesses, give them a pat on the back – they deserve it!
Karla Lee is CEO of Hawke’s Bay Chamber of Commerce.
Photo: Pan Pac Hawke’s Bay Business Awards Celebration Dinner at Functions on Hastings – Toitoi. By Kirsten Simcox
Thank you for acknowledging the Pan Pac HB Business Awards – Birdwoods was thrilled to receive the Ultimate Visitor Destination Award and look forward to safely and considerately hosting many visitors throughout the coming summer, however, challenging it may be – we are ready to welcome you!