Exporters honoured at Export NZ Auckland Awards

MEDIA RELEASE 18 June, 2005

Export champions honoured at Export New Zealand Auckland Awards

Over 250 members of the export community celebrated the Air New Zealand Cargo Auckland Export Awards at a Dinner held in the Hyatt Ballroom on Thursday 16 June, 2005, where The Governor–General, Her Excellency Dame Silvia Cartwright was guest speaker.

42 Below Ltd, a company designed with export in mind, received the Bax Global Auckland Emerging Exporter of the Year Award and will go forward as a finalist to the National Export New Zealand Emerging Exporter of the Year 2005 to be presented at the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Export Awards 2005 in Christchurch on 11 August.

42 Below refers to a latitude through New Zealand and the name celebrates the brand’s place in the world, accentuating the sense of ‘cool’ and ‘pristine’ central to the core value of vodka – purity.

The bottle is inspired by a rare olive oil bottle and made in France. There are a total of five variants of 42 Below – the pure vodka, passionfruit flavoured vodka, feijoa flavoured vodka, Manuka honey flavoured vodka and kiwifruit flavoured vodka. 42 Below won a gold medal at the 2004 Monde World Selection in Brussels for 42 Below Pure Vodka and a gold for 42 Below Manuka Honey Vodka at the Salon Internationale award in Paris.

Judge Carol Patton, General Manager, The Lawlink Group Ltd, said, “42 Below, have a very innovative approach to marketing and have been highly awarded for their products. They demonstrate a planned approach to entering new export markets and their sales growth is impressive”.

The company first started to export to Australia in early 2003 - now the biggest percentage of their exports at 39% - closely followed by the USA at 30%. Other markets include Singapore, UK, Canada, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand and Mexico.

Runner-up was Optimal Decision Technologies Ltd, a company that helps clients solve their resource scheduling problems using advanced optimisation and simulation technology solutions. Their Siren product is used by emergency services to ensure they have the right level of resources where they are needed to respond to emergencies – saving time, money and lives.

The Atradius Auckland Exporter of the Year Award is open to all established exporters and this year was won by Glide Path Ltd. Glidepath is a complete systems-integrator of software, electrical and mechanical systems for baggage handling, cargo handling and express parcel sortation.

Since its establishment in 1972, Glidepath has grown to become a world leader in the field of airport baggage handling and sortation systems.

Glidepath have completed over 350 projects in more than 30 countries around the world, ranging from small manual systems to large fully automated software-driven baggage sortation systems for some of the world’s busiest international airports.

They provide fully integrated turnkey solutions from initial feasibility studies, design, manufacture and installation through to operations and continuing maintenance.

The ‘value engineered’ modular design of their systems, allows customers to expand as their needs grow, whether they operate a small domestic terminal, busy international hub or an airline, airfreight or courier service.

The judges said the company met all the award criteria – outstanding foreign exchange growth, excellence in marketing, commitment to quality management, export strategy and business planning, as well as leadership and direction. “Recognition of Glidepath’s success, includes their recent winning of the Waitakere Business Awards”.

Glidepath has its head office is in Auckland, New Zealand, with subsidiary companies in North America, Latin America and Australia and is represented globally by a worldwide network of agents, associates and strategic alliance partners.

Other finalists for this award were Criterion Furniture, exporters of ready to assemble home, electronic and office furniture to Australia and flat panel and micro device rear projection TV stands to the USA and Autex Industries Ltd, manufacturers and exporters of commercial and marine carpets, insulation, wall coverings and bedware, with a dedicated Export Division set up in 2001.

ENDS

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