Record level of interest in business awards

The finalists for the 2019 Westpac Southland Business Excellence Awards have been announced.

Chamber of Commerce chief executive Sheree Carey said they were thrilled a record number of businesses had applied with 109 applications received over the 10 categories.

‘‘The companies should be commended for the time and effort spent on putting together top-class applications,’’ she said.

The Awards Gala Dinner will be held at Ascot Park Hotel, Invercargill on Friday, September 27.

Finalists.– Findex (NZ) Ltd Primary and Primary Services Sector Award: Aquila Sustainable Farming, Blue Sky Meats, WM Compliance Solutions. Invercargill City Council Construction, Trade, Manufacturing and Distribution Award: Blue Sky Meats, FI Innovations, New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter, PowerNet. Powernet New and Emerging Award: Miss Stage, Solve it and Escape, Southern Optical, The Awareness Project, WM Compliance Solutions. The Southland Times Consumer Award: KNL Travel, McCallums Group, Ray White Invercargill, Shoe Clinic Invercargill, Southern Optical. Invercargill Licensing Trust Not for Profit Award: Habitat for Humanity Invercargill, Koha Kai, Nga Kete Matauranga Pounamu Charitable Trust.

Southland Chamber of Commerce Professional Services Award: Back9 Creative Studio, KNL Travel, Market South, Mrs Tradie, Occ Health South, Market South Innovation Award: Better by Bar, EIS, McCallums Group, New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter, Source Development. ACC Workplace Safety Award: Aquila Sustainable Farming, EIS, FI Innovations. Healthy Families Invercargill Workplace Wellbeing Award: Aquila Sustainable Farming, Blue River Dairy, Environment Southland, McIntyre Dick. Southern Institute of Technology Business Personality Award: Carla Forbes (Market South), Janice Lee (Koha Kai), Paul Adams (Stabicraft)