The long-awaited results of the 2021 NorthChamber Northland Business Excellence Awards are out with Whangarei business Foreno Tapware voted Supreme Winner and Raewyn Tipene inducted into the Hall of Fame.
NorthChamber Chief Executive Steve Smith says he has immense respect for all finalists and winners of the 18 categories following multiple delays in reaching the finale of Northland’s pinnacle business event. The Awards were originally scheduled for October 29, 2021. “Every business who threw their hat in the ring for the awards stuck with it, despite the Covid challenges we had to contend with along the way and the judges were brilliant in the way they went about navigating the ever-changing landscape,” says Mr Smith. “The Foreno team were simply outstanding and thoroughly deserving of their award, as were all of the other category winners and finalists. For those who did not win their categories, I sincerely hope they have another go in the 2022 awards which are really only just around the corner. “Equally I can’t say enough about Raewyn’s addition to the Hall of Fame. What she has done for the community over the decades is simply amazing. We are truly blessed to have community and business leaders like Raewyn in our midst in Northland. The impact she has had on the community and in particularly Maoridom, is substantial, and she is showing no signs of slowing down.”
Mr Smith says the addition of Top Energy and Northpower as principal sponsors has added a lot of strength to the awards and he is looking forward to leveraging off that even more in the lead up to the 2022 awards later this year. “Having our two locally-owned electricity lines companies backing us has helped take the awards to a whole new level. They bring so much to the table – business acumen, humility and a real sense of community. They are passionate about giving back to their shareholder owners in every part of the communities that make up Northland. “We are equally grateful for the support of all of our sponsors, many of whom have supported the awards for a long time. And we look forward to working with them in the lead up to the 2022 awards later this year,” says Mr Smith.
Greg Atkins (Convenor of Judges, BDO), Belinda Peddie (Top Energy), Jon Doherty and Kerry Lord (Foreno Tapware NZ Ltd), Andrew McLeod (Northpower).
Principal Sponsors Top Energy and Northpower have joined NorthChamber in thanking the judging panel and congratulating all winners and entrants in the delayed awards. Chief Executives Russell Shaw and Andrew McLeod respectively, believe the efforts of entrants have been immense under extremely trying circumstances and the two principal sponsors are encouraging businesses to start preparing their entries for the 2022 awards.
On Friday 18th February, 2022, the Northpower and Top Energy Northland Business Excellence Supreme Award Winner & The Northern Advocate Hall of Fame Inductee were announced live on More FM Northland!
Congratulations to Foreno Tapware, winner of the Northpower and Top Energy Northland Business Excellence Supreme Award.
Click here to listen to the live audio announcement on More FM Northland, or go here to see the full list of winners and finalists.
Steve Smith (NorthChamber), Raewyn Tipene (Inductee), Rachel Ward (The Northern Advocate)
Judge’s comment: “Foreno is a small Northland business supplying tapware to the major distributors and trade outlets throughout New Zealand, for Tradies and DIY enthusiasts alike. The judges were impressed with their clear understanding of the customer needs, design process and their supply chain. Foreno Tapware is great success story for a Northland business.”
Congratulations to Raewyn Tipene, The Northern Advocate Hall of Fame Inductee.
The Northern Advocate and NorthChamber recognise that the efforts of individual business people are actually the fuel that keeps the economy running. Business people through their individual efforts risk capital, provide jobs, and oil the wheels of the economy.
The Northern Advocate Business Hall of Fame is designed to recognise those who have, during their business career, demonstrated service both to their industry and to the greater Northland community.
Judge’s comment: “Raewyn is clearly that kind of person and we are lucky to have her steadfast commitment to keep giving back to the community and making Northland a better place. NorthChamber recognises that the efforts of individual business people are actually the fuel that keeps the economy running. Her work has not only led to significant business success but transformational outcomes in housing, education, youth leadership and technology innovation.”
Full list of 2021 Business Excellence Awards Winners & Finalists!
Download the full list of 2021 winners and finalists here: Northland Business Excellence Awards 2021 Winners & Finalists.
Entries for the 2022 NorthChamber Northland Business Excellence Awards open in April. There is no cost to enter the awards, you do not need to be a member of NorthChamber and there are significant benefits for all businesses who enter, including free independent feedback and recommendations on building business capability.
