Blue River Dairy big winner at Southland Export Awards
Blue River Dairy’s expansive growth and its plans for Southland resulted in it scooping a major win at the Export Southland Recognition Awards last night.
Export Southland chairman Graham Dick said a record number of entries for all categories at the awards was evidence of the intense interest and enthusiasm in the export sector.
The awards, which were attended by Minister for Trade and Export Growth Hon. David Parker, are a biennial event alternating with the Westpac Southland Business Excellence Awards.
Blue River Dairy’s contribution to the Southland economy earned the company the HSBC Corporate Recognition Award.
The company exports sheep milk infant formula to China and in August announced plans to double sales next year by building a new production line, targeting production of 15 million cans of formula in 2019.
Former Southport chief executive Mark O’Connor was awarded the Individual Recognition Award for his decades of contribution to the export sector with the development of South Port and of freight logistics.
O’Connor left the company in October 2017 after South Port achieved a record cargo and profit, with volumes lifting by 50 per cent or about 1 million tonnes since 2009.
O’Connor oversaw a refocus of the business on the core freight delivery element, to ensure appropriate infrastructure existed to support bulk cargo growth.
He also saw the establishment of the Intermodal Freight Centre in Invercargill.
FI Innovations, which specialises in fibreglass and carbon fibre manufacturing, won the Export Southland Innovation in Export Recognition Award. The company won the Westpac Supreme Award at the Southland Business Excellence Awards in 2017.
Wild venison salami producers Chris and Sally Thorn, of Gathered Game, were awarded a $5000 HSBC Export Southland Trust Grant. The company, which has a head office in Te Anau and produces its product in Lumsden, was awarded artisan producer of the year at the 2017 New Zealand Food Awards.
Miriam McKenzie, of speech training company Say It Clearly, was also awarded a HSBC Export Southland Trust Grant, worth $9000.
McKenzie creates customised training programmes for novice to experienced public speakers, speakers for whom English is a second language, children and young people.
The grants are to assist the businesses to aspire towards a sustainable environment which supports the employment of a skilled workforce through training, promotion, and education upskilling, as well as research and development.
‘‘The awards are a fantastic night to recognise significant export contribution from Southland and encourage new and potential exporters which aligns with the theme for this year – Taking Southland to the World,’’ Dick said.
‘‘My congratulations to all recipients of awards and to the two recipients of cash grants from the Export Southland Trust and HSBC, good luck as you move onto the international stage.’’