Taranaki’s Best Businesses

Words by  Irena Brooks

It’s the showcase business award event of the year, and not even COVID could stop it.

More than 300 people packed out The Devon Hotel’s Grand Auditorium to celebrate the 2020 TSB Taranaki Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards held on the 14th November.

“Initially we thought the awards may not happen,” Taranaki Chamber of Commerce CEO Arun Chaudhari recalls. “The country had just come out of lockdown and we thought realistically entry numbers could be down because businesses were focusing on recovery from Covid lockdowns. 

“After talking with our main sponsor, TSB, we came to the decision we would go ahead and deal with any issues as they came along,” he says. “We found that businesses were relieved we were going ahead with the awards as they were looking for a reason to celebrate and lift business confidence.”

A range of local businesses were recognised over seventeen categories, with the 2020 Taranaki Mayoral Award going to Richard Krogh, Port Taranaki chairman, chair of PKW Farms, a director of First Gas Ltd and former CE of Powerco.

Taranaki Instrument Services had a massive evening, first taking out the Health & Safety Excellence Award, and then Service Excellence.

It was no surprise to see the business win the Large Business Excellence Award next, before being called to the stage one final time to be declared the Supreme Winner for the evening.

General Manager, Chris Watson, admitted in his acceptance speech he wasn’t expecting it. “I must thank our bank manager, our accountant and really, our staff — without all of them this wouldn’t have been achievable.”

The Awards were presented in three sections throughout the evening, with MC Mark Hadlow keeping proceedings rolling.

LIVE’s twelve page feature on the awards presents stories on most of the category winners, outlining what these successful businesses do — and why they won.

RESULTS

Supreme Award: Taranaki Instrument Services

Large Business: Taranaki Instrument Services

Medium Business: Safe Business Solutions

Small Business: Wai Comply Ltd

Manufacturing or Engineering: Whitaker Civil Engineering

Technology: New Wave Ultrasound

Service: Taranaki Instrument Services 

Trades: New Plymouth Auto Electrical

New and Emerging Business: New Wave Ultrasound

Brand & Marketing: The HTL Group

Innovation: Job Hop

Employer of Choice: Safe Business Solutions

Hospitality: Nice Hotel

Not for profit: Central Taranaki Blue Light

Business Continuity: Coronation Lodge Rest Home

Environmental: InCafé Organic Coffee

Health & Safety: Taranaki Instrument Services

ENTRIES FOR 2021 will open in early July

To register your expression of interest

Contact: michelle@taranakichamber.co.nz

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