Voting now open for Business Excellence Awards
Thirty-five local businesses will compete to win the supreme title at the 2016 Business Excellence Awards.
The businesses from across the South Canterbury region are finalists in four awards categories: the emerging business award, and the small, medium, and large business awards.
There are also five additional awards: awards for excellence in retail, community organisation, and innovation and technology; the the people’s choice; and the supreme award for the overall winner, selected from all the category winners.
The awards are organised by the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce and finalists were announced on July 22.
‘‘This year we are especially pleased with diversity of the businesses entering the awards and the extremely high level of professionalism in the entries,’’ South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce chief executive Wendy Smith said.
Finalists were judged on business plans submitted to seven independent judges who made up two panels to judge the various categories.
‘‘A good business plan sets out where each business is now, where the business owners want to take it, and the steps in place to achieve those goals,’’ Smith said.
‘‘For each section, businesses could supply graphs and pictures to illustrate business growth and success,’’ she said.
Voting for the people’s choice award is open now too, and this closes at 5pm on August 19. Voting can be done online at southcanterbury.org.nz or at any ANZ branch in South Canterbury. All winners will be announced at the gala awards function to be held at the Caroline Bay Hall on Friday, August 26. The category finalists are:
Emerging Business Award: Adventure Horse Trekking, Harding Construction, Impressive Events, Ranger Specialist Coatings, Saikou, and The Running Duck.
Small Business Award: Driving Miss Daisy, Palazzo Kitchens, and Restate Ltd.
Medium Business Award: Aoraki Funeral Services, High Country Salmon, Pro Med (NZ), Hunting and Fishing NZ – Timaru, Mainland Minerals, and Timaru Dental Care.
Large Business Award: Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail, Bernie’s Bakery HQ, Heartland Technology, Tekapo Springs, and Z Mid/South Canterbury.
Community Organisation Award: Central South Island Charity Bike Ride, Geraldine District Free Kindergarten Association, Hospice South Canterbury, Mackenzie Agricultural and Pastoral Society, Twizel Early Learning Centre, and YMCA South and Mid Canterbury.
Innovation and Technology Award: Aoraki Funeral Services, Tekapo Springs, and Timaru Dental Care.
Retail Award: Acquisitions, Bernie’s Bakery HQ, Z South Canterbury, Hunting and Fishing NZ – Timaru, The Hospice Shop, High Country Salmon.