We’re excited to announce this year’s finalists for the Westpac Champion Business Awards. Our diverse range of finalists are a fantastic representation of the highly adaptive, responsive and innovative businesses that Waitaha Canterbury has become known for.
See who's in the running for the 2021 Westpac Champion Business Awards.
See who's in the running for the 2021 Westpac Champion Business Awards.
OUR FINALISTS
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Champion Customer Experience - Small:
Akaroa Dolphins | Riverside Market | Shizoku martial arts Christchurch Casino Champion Customer Experience - Medium/Large: Catalyst Performance Agronomy | Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools & Spas | Mt Hutt Ski Area Champion Producer/Manufacturer - Small: Sabelle Skin & Body Care (Produced by Sheep Milk NZ) | Totalspan North Canterbury | Tuatara Structures Kordia Champion Producer/Manufacturer - Medium/Large: Link Engine Management | Tumblar Products Ltd | Wyma Solutions NZTE Champion Emerging Exporter: Banqer Ltd | Dawn Aerospace | Eagle Protect MFAT Champion Exporter - Medium/Large: Natural Pet Food Group | Seequent | Wyma Solutions ChristchurchNZ Champion Innovation: Dawn Aerospace | Medsalv | Natural Paint Co. Vertical Divider
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Rata Foundation Champion Community Impact - Small:
Foodbank Canterbury| The Hororata Community Trust | YWCA Christchurch The Press Champion Community Impact - Medium/Large: Aviva Charitable Trust| He Waka Tapu | The Champion Centre Christchurch City Council Business For Good: Foodbank Canterbury | Medsalv | Natural Paint Co. ACC Champion Workplace Injury Prevention: Active Refrigeration | GCH Aviation | HRS Construction Limited 2degrees Champion Workplace: Engeo Ltd | Home | Trimble Navigation NZ Ltd University of Canterbury Business School Champion Emerging Business: Connect Chiropractic | Noopii | Spritely Ltd Champion Emerging Leader: Matty Lovell | Rebecca Miller | Renee Walker |
FINALIST GALLERY
Champion Customer Experience - Small
AKAROA DOLPHINS
Akaroa Dolphins is a locally owned and operated family business. They offer two-hour nature cruises on a luxurious state-of-the-art, eco-friendly catamaran, accommodating small groups so passengers are able to enjoy a more personal experience.
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Riverside Market
Riverside Market is a vibrant seven-day-trading indoor farmers’ market, in the heart of the central city, overlooking the Ōtākaro/Avon River. The market includes a butcher, fishmonger, cheesery, greengrocer and market stalls and is linked by a vibrant network of boutique retail, restaurants, cafés and bars. Riverside is a unique inner-city shopping experience.
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Shizoku Martial Arts
Shizoku Martial Arts (SMA) was born out of a vision to use martial arts and personal life skill development to educate, inspire and empower people to develop positive outcomes in themselves, their families and communities.
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Christchurch Casino Champion Customer Experience - MedIUM/Large
Catalyst Performance Agronomy
What began in 2007 as a product supply company has evolved to become a business with a reputation for exceptional agronomy. In 2021, to meet customer demand for specialised advice and hands-on services, Wholesale Seeds made the decision to formalise their agronomy offering under its own name – Catalyst Performance Agronomy.
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HanMer Springs Thermal Pools & Spas
Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa (HSTPS) is a tourism operator located in North Canterbury, and is renowned for its 22 thermal pools, water slides and day spa.
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Champion Producer/Manufacturer - Small
Sabelle Skin & Body Care (Produced by Sheep Milk NZ)
Sabelle Skin and Body Care is produced by Sheep Milk New Zealand.
When one of Matt and Tracey’s children was diagnosed with gut and skin conditions, Tracey realised her years of discomfort bore similarities to her daughters. It sparked their search for alternative ways to heal both skin and gut. They found they had the answer on their doorstep – the healing benefits of sheep milk and mānuka honey.
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Kordia Champion Producer/Manufacturer - MedIUM/Large
Link Engine Management
Link are global leaders in engine management technology, and the brand has achieved a cult-like following in highly competitive performance markets. Customers demand excellence and reliability, and are fiercely loyal to the brands that deliver, and Link thrives on taking New Zealand’s expertise and business acumen to the world. The business exports 91% of production to 74 countries through a network of 2,000 resellers.
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Tumblar Products Ltd
From humble beginnings to a transformational industry champion, Tumblar Products’ pioneering spirit and unpretentious Kiwi ingenuity has been at the heart of their journey for over 40 years.
Tumblar is a dynamic, fast growing, New Zealand success story, manufacturing a diverse range of consumer goods, brands and solutions in homecare, hygiene, pest control, cleaning, garden, and agrichemical categories to customers domestically and internationally.
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Wyma Solutions
Wyma Solutions is a Canterbury-based agritech exporter. They design, manufacture, install, and service post-harvest equipment for packhouses around the world. Originally founded in 1962, Wyma was purchased by Andrew and Angela Barclay in 2001, who transformed it from a small and predominantly domestic supplier into a global company.
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NZTE Champion Emerging Exporter
BANQER LTD
Banqer is a financial education company on a mission to prepare the next generation for their financial future. Their online platforms – Banqer Primary, and Banqer High – are used throughout thousands of Australasian primary, intermediate, and secondary schools.
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DAWN AEROSPACE
Headquartered in Christchurch, Dawn Aerospace is a space transportation company providing in-space satellite propulsion to its customers globally and developing a same-day reusable spaceplane. Their propulsion technology often achieves superior performance to traditional systems by using a unique, green-propellant combination. Dawn satellite propulsion systems have now flown on Vega, SpaceX and Soyuz launchers.
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EAGLE PROTECT
Being New Zealand’s founding and the world’s only certified B Corporation supplier in its industry, Eagle Protect is on a mission to change the food industry one glove at a time, through ethical and transparent sourcing, environmental impact reduction and their proprietary Fingerprint Glove Analysis testing for improved glove food safety.
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MFAT Champion Exporter - Medium/Large
Natural pet food group
With their global headquarters based in Addington, the Natural Pet Food Group has been delivering premium, high meat nutrition to pets across the world since 2006. Their philosophy is simple – cats and dogs thrive on a high meat diet, just as nature intended.
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SEEQUENT
Seequent brings together industry-leading earth modelling, geo-data management, and team collaboration software, with a belief that when everyone can see the full picture, they can make better decisions that benefit people and the planet.
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WYMA SOLUTIONS
Wyma Solutions is a Canterbury-based agritech exporter. They design, manufacture, install, and service post-harvest equipment for packhouses around the world. Originally founded in 1962, Wyma was purchased by Andrew and Angela Barclay in 2001, who transformed it from a small and predominantly domestic supplier into a global company.
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ChristchurchNZ Champion Innovation
DAWN AEROSPACE
Headquartered in Christchurch, Dawn Aerospace is a space transportation company providing in-space satellite propulsion to its customers globally and developing a same-day reusable spaceplane. Their propulsion technology often achieves superior performance to traditional systems by using a unique, green-propellant combination. Dawn satellite propulsion systems have now flown on Vega, SpaceX and Soyuz launchers.
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MEDSALV
In 2017, recognising the healthcare system was built on a mountain of single-use trash, Medsalv decided to take change into its own hands.
Targeting single-use medical devices previously deemed waste by hospitals, Medsalv developed technologies and systems to make these items new again. The startup estimates 1,700 tonnes of potentially reusable waste is tossed out a year, equating to more than $100 million in healthcare dollars down the drain.
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NATURAL PAINT CO.
Natural Paint Co was started with an uncompromising mission; to make the world’s best paint that is better for people and the planet.
Natural Paint Co is pioneering New Zealand made Natural Paints and Oils that are free of harmful chemicals, by utilising natural ingredients and renewable resources to deliver quality finishes that outperform top chemical paints – all from an ecommerce platform.
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Rata Foundation Champion Community Impact - Small
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THE HORORATA COMMUNITY TRUST
Through dedication and determination, the Hororata Community Trust has positively impacted the wellbeing of its community which encompasses a large rural district in the heart of Canterbury, many parts of which are remote, spanning 280m2 from Hororata, Glentunnel to Lake Coleridge.
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The Press Champion Community Impact - MedIUM/Large
AVIVA CHARITABLE TRUST
Aviva is a Canterbury-based, specialist family and sexual violence agency. They offer an extensive range of integrated services to support all people to live free from violence. This includes 24-hour phone support, individual and group education and sexual assault support.
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THE CHAMPION CENTRE
The Champion Centre is a widely respected early intervention centre for babies and pre-school children with significant developmental challenges, such as children born prematurely, and those with Down syndrome, Autism and Cerebral Palsy.
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HE WAKA TAPU
He Waka Tapu is a not-for-profit kaupapa Māori organisation that has been providing a multipurpose health hub that increases the well-being of whānau and the community for over 23 years. This multipurpose health hub includes free support across whānau/family harm, Alcohol and Other Drug Services (AOD), whānau ora wraparound supports, community and primary health services, as well as suicide prevention and rangatahi mentoring at-risk youth.
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Christchurch City Council Business For Good
FOODBANK CANTERBURY
Foodbank is the pantry to the charity sector. In ‘normal’ times the organisation fights hunger by providing food for 200,000 New Zealanders each month and advocates for the almost one in five whānau who experience food insecurity in the Canterbury region and New Zealand each year.
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MEDSALV
In 2017, recognising the healthcare system was built on a mountain of single-use trash, Medsalv decided to take change into its own hands.
Targeting single-use medical devices previously deemed waste by hospitals, Medsalv developed technologies and systems to make these items new again. The startup estimates 1,700 tonnes of potentially reusable waste is tossed out a year, equating to more than $100 million in healthcare dollars down the drain.
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NATURAL PAINT CO.
Natural Paint Co was started with an uncompromising mission; to make the world’s best paint that is better for people and the planet.
Did you know that indoor air is up to five times more toxic than outside, even in the most polluted cities? A big contributor to this is paint. Traditional paints rely on the petroleum industry and are loaded with toxic chemicals.
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ACC Champion Workplace Injury Prevention
ACTIVE REFRIGERATION
Founded in 2000, Active Refrigeration has grown over the last 20 years to lead the way in the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and refrigeration sector, with a team of over 200 nationally. The team has been trained and evolved into arguably the most highly qualified and experienced refrigeration engineers in New Zealand, and it is clear they all love what they do.
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GCH AVIATION
GCH Aviation is the umbrella brand for a diverse range of aviation services including New Zealand Flying Doctors Service, rescue helicopter operations in Nelson, Greymouth and Christchurch; unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), flight training, tourism and commercial operations; and Canterbury’s first full-service corporate Jet Centre and jet aircraft charter operations.
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HRS CONSTRUCTION LTD
Started over 30 years ago, HRS is a commercial construction company, with one clear philosophy – to give it a go. The trickier the job, the better for this dedicated crew. What does this say about them as a business? They focus on the solution, not on the problem, and will tackle any task put in front of them.
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2degrees Champion Workplace
ENGEO LTD
ENGEO is an award-winning consultancy of geotechnical engineers, geologists, environmental scientists, and asbestos specialists. Their staff produce exceptional results for their clients, because they are passionate about engineering, geology science and technology.
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HOME
Home is a national construction and development company with a kaupapa to end homelessness by building homes. For more than 10 years, Home has partnered with a range of community organisations, public sector organisations and developers to build homes and communities. From its early days repairing and rebuilding homes during Christchurch’s earthquake recovery, Home has since expanded into construction and development projects across Aotearoa, specialising in social and affordable housing.
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TRIMBLE NAVIGATION NZ LTD
Trimble is an industrial technology company transforming the way the world works by delivering solutions that enable their customers to do their life’s work, better.
Core technologies in positioning, modelling, connectivity and data analytics connect the digital and physical worlds to improve productivity, quality, safety, transparency, and sustainability. From purpose-built products to enterprise lifecycle solutions, Trimble is transforming industries such as agriculture, construction, geospatial and transportation.
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University of Canterbury Business School Champion Emerging Business
CONNECT CHIROPRACTOR
Connect Chiropractic is a community-centred chiropractic practice that integrates the principles of koha throughout their entire operation. To help make a functional spine and healthy nervous system more accessible, they run a fee system where people simply pay what they can for the care that they need.
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noopii
Bridget Bodie-Healy identified the need for disposable eco nappies that were high performance, safer and kinder to the environment. In 2019 their distinctive 70% sustainable eco-luxe nappies Noopii, packaged in paper, were launched at a price-point ensuring they were accessible to all families regardless of salary or circumstance.
A global first innovation was achieved by infusing antibacterial mānuka hydrosol into all nappies.
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spritely ltd
Spritely has created an age-friendly touchscreen device that helps to Kiwi retirees feel healthier, safer, and more connected. Inspired by their founders' concern for his father, who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Spritely started life as a small prototype movement sensor and evolved into a comprehensive ecosystem of tablets, sensors, and medical devices which empower hundreds of Kiwi retirees to communicate with loved ones and keep track of their health.
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Champion Emerging Leader
matty lovell
Matty Lovell runs two businesses with his wife Sally. Anytime Fitness Cashmere and Electrify NZ (E-Bike company).
Driving the businesses is a simple mission of helping their communities live healthier lives in a more sustainable region.
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REBECCA MILLER
Rebecca farms with her husband Brent in their equity business Milk IQ, near Ashburton, milking 2600 cows. A high performing business, Milk IQ has won eight awards in the last two years, including Dairy Business of the year.
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RENEE WALKER
With over 20 years' leadership experience, Renée Walker is best known for her highly visible leadership style, strategic focus, and ability to transform corporate culture and reputation through timely, honest and authentic communication and engagement.
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**Our Export Categories (Award 5 and 6) are supported by ExportNZ Canterbury and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, who have collaborated with the Westpac Champion Business Awards to align their regional and national awards programmes.
Finalists in the Emerging and Established Export Categories will be shortlisted alongside the New Zealand International Business Awards (NZIBA’s), New Zealand’s premier business awards programme celebrating export success and international capability amongst New Zealand businesses.
Finalists in the Emerging and Established Export Categories will be shortlisted alongside the New Zealand International Business Awards (NZIBA’s), New Zealand’s premier business awards programme celebrating export success and international capability amongst New Zealand businesses.
