31 Finalists From Timaru To Auckland

22 March 2006

31 Finalists From Timaru To Auckland Star In Vero Excellence In Business Support Awards

Auckland, 22 March 2006 - Sarah Trotman & Associates, the organisers of the Vero Excellence In Business Support Awards today announced that 31 finalists from Timaru to Auckland had been selected in the ten categories.

The New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation which evaluates the Vero Excellence In Business Support Awards noted that the standard and number of entries and the calibre of the 2006 entrants were particularly high. This was especially pleasing as the Vero Awards were in their second year and gaining in popularity.

Roger Bell, Chief Executive of Vero and foundation sponsor of the Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards says that the company is delighted that so many entries from around New Zealand were made.

"It is very encouraging that individual business people, for example Murray Cleverley from Timaru through to Te Puni Kokiri in Wellington, the Canterbury Development Corporation in Christchurch and to Vision Manawatu to Westpac in Auckland have been chosen as finalists in the Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards," says Bell.

Bell also says that it is encouraging to see such a competitively contested field across all ten categories in the Vero Excellence In Business Support Awards which raises the bar by which all business benchmark themselves.

"All the entrants and finalists should feel very proud because they have taken part in a rigorous process that benchmarks New Zealand businesses against global best practice. Only by striving to achieve excellence and competitiveness that can match anything on the world stage, can New Zealand businesses truly succeed. We are sure that the Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards go a long way to encouraging that."

Bell says that there are many standouts in this year's 31 finalists which bodes well for a very hotly contested awards process and gala black tie night to announce the winners on 11 May at the Small Business Expo at the Auckland Showgrounds.

"We have no doubt that the evaluation panel on the New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation had a very difficult job picking this year's finalists. This has to be very good for the Awards dinner as everyone will be on the edge of their seats."

Sarah Trotman, Small Business Sector Specialist, founder of both the Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards and the Small Business Expo - the largest event ever held for business in New Zealand - says that the Awards do provide an important occasion to recognise all the businesses and individuals that provide services and products to the SME sector.

"The SME sector underpins the New Zealand economy as do the many companies and individuals that provide support services and products that keep the many thousands of small business owners afloat. We can see from the 31 award finalists that the diversity of geographic spread and sector type in New Zealand is rich and in good health," says Trotman.

Trotman also says that having the likes of Kiwibank, multimedia designers like Arcad and Te Puni Kokiri gives the Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards a growing credibility and recognition as the external standard by which businesses are now benchmarking themselves.

"Excellence is the overriding criteria uniting all the finalists whether the not-for-profits like Timaru's Aoraki Trust to Women in Technology in Auckland."

ENDS

Notes to editors - a full list of the 31 finalists is below. Photos of finalists will be available from the week of 20 March on request.

For more information please contact:

Sarah Trotman, Small Business Sector Business Specialist, Ph +64 (0)21 487 583

Roseanne Zigliani, Vero Communications Manager, Ph +64 (0)21 543 549.

About the Vero Business In Excellence Support Awards: www.excellenceinbusinesssupport.co.nz

About the Small Business Expo: www.businessexpo.co.nz

Business < $10m T/O One to one Offering

1
Arcad
3D animation and multimedia design
Auckland
2
Future Mobile Ltd.
Mobile phone solutions
Auckland
3
Design Industry
Design Strategy consultancy
Christchurch
4
Comteq Solutions Ltd
Customised Business & IT solutions
Christchurch

Business < $10m T/O One to many Offering

5
Home Business New Zealand Ltd
Home Business Website
Auckland
6
The Knowledge Gym
Knowledge workout - speaker series
Auckland
7
Business to Business Newspaper
Business Newspaper
Auckland

Large Business > $10m T/O

8
MYOB
Business Accounting software solutions
Christchurch
9
Gosling Chapman
Accounting & consultancy
Auckland
10
KiwiBank
Banking Services
Wellington
11
National Bank
Banking Services
Wellington

Not-for-Profit

12
The Workchoice Trust
Youth Development / employment experience
Auckland
13
Poutama Trust
Business Development Services
Wellington
14
Methodist Employment Generation Fund
Funding agency for job growth
Auckland
15
Aoraki Development Trust - not-for-profit
Economic development unit
Christchurch

Local Government body

16
South Waikato Development Trust
Economic development unit
Waikato
17
Vision Manuwatu
Economic development unit
Manawatu

18
Destination Rotorua Economic Development
Economic development unit
Rotorua

19
Canterbury Development Corporation
Economic development unit
Christchurch

Government Department

20

Escalator Service
Business Investment service
Wellington

21

Te Puni Kokiri
Business Mentoring Service
Wellington

Education provider

22

Westpac
Banking / Business Education
Auckland

23

Open Polytechnic
Education provider
Auckland

24

EMA Learning (division of EMA Northern)
Business Association
Auckland

Individual

25

Roger Lampen
Roger Lampen
Auckland

26
Carol Lee Anderson
Carol Lee Anderson
Auckland

27
Murray Cleverley
Murray Cleverley
Timaru

Public-private sector partnership

Te Puni Kokiri
Business Mentoring Service
Wellington

28
Venture Taranaki
Economic development unit
Taranaki

High growth sector

29

AUT Technology Park
Technology Park
Auckland

Poutama Trust
Business Development Services
Wellington

30
Women In Technology
Technology training & networking
Auckland

31
Upstart Business Incubation Trust
Business Incubator
Christchurch

ENDS

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