Which is the Bay’s most sustainable business?

Which is the Bay of Plenty’s most sustainable business?

The hunt for Bay of Plenty’s most sustainable business has heated up with this year’s finalists now selected.

Entries for the Sustainable Business Network’s (SBN) Bay of Plenty Regional Awards, which closed on 13th August, were received from businesses of all sizes operating in diverse industries across the Bay of Plenty.

Jo Wills, SBN’s Bay of Plenty/Waikato Regional Manager and National Events Manager, is delighted with the quality of entries to the awards.

“The calibre of entrants is extremely high, and it’s heartening to see the dedication to environmentally and socially responsible activities within these businesses, all of which has also been supporting financial stability” says Wills.

To enter the awards, businesses participated in the Sustainable Business Network’s ‘Get Sustainable Challenge’. The assessment looks at the whole business, from strategy and policies, to operations and performance monitoring. Participants receive a report and ongoing support from SBN designed to assist the business in setting its sustainability focus throughout 2010 and beyond.

The finalists for the 2010 Bay of Plenty Regional awards are:

Category Finalists
Small Business, Trailblazer • Powersmart Solar, (Tauranga)
• P .L. Gas and Solar, (Rotorua)
• Intalok, (Tauranga)
Large Business, Emerging • SCA Hygiene Australasia (Kawerau)
• Kajavala Forestry Limited, (Kawerau)
• Earlybirds Educare, (Rotorua)
Small Business, Emerging • Kiss IT, (Tauranga)
• Lyon O’Neale Arnold, (Tauranga)
• NappyDays, (Katikati)
Productivity Award • DMS (Tauranga, Te Puna, Te Puke)
• La Nuova Apparelmaster (Inglewood, Taranaki)
The Bay of Plenty region has one more category for the 2010 Awards. Entries received for the Not for Profit award were extremely diverse, making judging challenging. Due to this, no finalists have been chosen for this category. The winner will be announced on the night of the awards. The four entries for this category were; Whakatane District Council, Rotorua District Council, Energy Options (based in Whakatane) and Waiariki Institute of Technology, Rotorua.
Bruce Fraser, Chairperson for the (SBN) Bay of Plenty Regional Advisory Board says “The Bay of Plenty has a proud record when it comes to sustainable business and this year is no exception.”

“We have some great entries and congratulations to all those businesses who are working to improve their sustainable business practices.”
The Productivity award is a special addition to the Bay of Plenty regional awards due to a partnership between SBN and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) and this year has been extended to the (SBN) Waikato Region as well (including Taranaki).
Bay of Plenty Regional Council is the principal sponsor of the Sustainable Business Network Awards in the region. Miles McConway, Group Manager Technology and Economic Development, says, “Bay of Plenty Regional Council is pleased to be a cornerstone sponsor of SBN BOP. The wider definition of business sustainability being promoted fits well with the role of the regional council, what it does, and what it wants to achieve.

Category sponsors for the BOP Awards include Rotorua District Council, Tauranga City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Opus and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

The awards will be presented at a gala evening scheduled to take place between 6pm and 11.30pm on Thursday, 30 September 2010, at the Distinction Hotel, Rotorua.

Winners of the regional awards automatically progress to the 2010 NZI National Sustainable Business Network Awards to be announced in Auckland on 16th November.

Tickets for the BOP Awards are limited and cost $130 per person, or, $1200 for a table of ten. To book, please email bop@sustainable.org.nz by 22nd September.

ENDS

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