Manukau's top businesses awarded

Manukau businesses gathered at the Telstra Clear Pacific Events Centre last week to award business achievers and celebrate the success of their outstanding excellence.

Years of business development and weeks of intensive judging were distilled into one exceptional night for finalists in the 2010 Westpac Manukau Business Excellence Awards.

Two companies walked away with three Awards each, the first being Bluebird Foods Ltd. Besides winning the Brookfield Lawyers Employer of Choice Award and the EMA Excellence in Manufacturing Award, the well-known snack brand also won the sought-after 2010 Westpac Business of the Year Supreme Award.

Bluebird Foods’ vision is to be New Zealand’s fastest growing and favourite convenience food company. This is supported by an organisational commitment to deliver sustained growth through empowered people acting with responsibility and trust.

The other company to scoop three Awards was Boardertown Ltd, a Botany Town-based retailer of snowboards, wakeboards and skateboards as well as clothing and accessories.

Boardertown won The New Zealand Herald Small Business of the Year for the second year running, plus the Wiri Licensing Trust Excellence in Emerging Business Award. Co-founder Tim Guy was also named as the Manukau City Council Young Business Person of the Year.

<!--page-->
Other winners:

The International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC) was presented with two Awards: the RSM Prince Excellence in Service Delivery Award, and the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Award.

Providing full time and distance learning training programmes to the airline, travel and tourism industries, The International Travel College of New Zealand promotes itself as the premium travel and tourism college in the Auckland and Manukau Region. It has placed more than 2,000 students during its 14 years of operation.