Once again we photographed the Wellington Gold Awards. It was a great evening celebrating the top Wellington businesses on 30th June at TSB Bank Arena
The 2016 Wellington Gold Awards Winners
The Dominion Post Wellington Gold Award
~ the supreme award ~
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And the category winners are as follows….
CREATIVE GOLD
in association with Fullerton Markets
film, media & content
2016 FINALISTS:
Orchestra Wellington the oldest city-based orchestra in New Zealand, has wowed Wellingtonians for almost 70 years with a combination of great performances and great prices….
Storybox is a boutique production and design studio that feels being nimble and flexible is the best way to connect clients to their audiences, from videos, websites and apps, to installations and roadshows…..
The Conch Like the seashell used to summon people from all over, The Conch theatre company specialises in cross-cultural performances bringing Pacific culture to the fore….
The Random Group umbrella groups three of Wellington’s most creative companies – Random Films, Cuba Creative and Propeller Studios – which have the film sector covered….
CYBER GOLD
in association with PwC
technology creators
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2016 FINALISTS:
Dotlovesdata has been going just over two years, helping some big-name clients connect the dots and turn their data into something much more meaningful….
Flick Electric Co. gives customers genuine choice in what and who they pay for power, with a 19% average saving on what they were paying their old supplier….
Raygun makes software that tracks other software’s mistakes so successfully the company now has over 30,000 users, with revenue more than doubled in the past year…
Spotlight Reporting one of last year’s Deloitte Top 50 ‘One To Watch’ companies, offers a family of business intelligence tools designed by innovative accountants for use by other innovative accountants…
DISCOVERING GOLD
in association with Datacom
recent R&D projects
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2016 FINALISTS:
Organic Dynamic makes wooden surfboards from materials sourced from sustainably managed forests – now Hanging Ten leaves the tiniest carbon footprint….
SilverStripe Platform Open-source development company SilverStripe has evolved from a local services company into an international product-driven business challenging giants like Adobe and WordPress….
Wild Strait Performance Intelligence is a new software performance product that substantially reduces time and cost while making heads turn at places like Microsoft….
EMERGING GOLD – PRODUCTS
in association with Telesmart
10 or fewer full time employees
2016 WINNERS: BOOTLEGGERS CRAFT SODA
Bootleggers Craft Soda has, from humble beginnings, taken on the big boys one carbonated bubble at a time. With figures up 150% on last year, they’re certainly fizzing.
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2016 FINALISTS:
Higher Tea is a boutique organic tea company run from Island Bay with suppliers, and buyers, around the globe – including the 2016 Oscars. Their Detox Tea sells through the roof….
Justine’s low-carb gluten free hi-protein cookies started out in a Roseneath kitchen which got too small very quickly – they’re now turning out 100,000 a week from the Ngaraunga factory….
Mindkin produces ROAM – it’s an online car-sharing app that will make huge inroads into the transport market with online booking, keyless access, custom insurance, and even car-park sharing….
Schoc Chocolates brings a touch of class to the chocolate experience, with a Chocolate Library showcasing over 80 different examples of the art, and sales in seven figures annually….
The Olive Press is putting the squeeze on New Zealand’s growing olive industry – nearly half of all the medal winners at last year’s Olive NZ Awards were extracted by their huge Italian centrifugal press….
EMERGING GOLD – SERVICES
in association with Meredith Connell
10 or fewer full time employees
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2016 FINALISTS:
Dundas Street isn’t your traditional employment law firm. Their team collaborative approach has top lawyers queuing to join and after just three years the client base has grown by 40%….
IIF Chartered Accountants started 3 years ago with no staff, office or customers. Attention to Ideas, Innovation and Figures has led to lots of clients, great staff and a very nice office….
Litmus is New Zealand’s leading research and evaluation firm, driving innovation through their in-house R&D division. Last year’s 22 projects contributed significantly to better health and wellbeing both here and in the Pacific…
Rival Wealth opened for business in 2010 to help people become financially organised. Their own organisation has taken off and now has a portfolio of 2,300 clients nationwide….
Stiletto Studio is a bespoke cakery whose output has grown from a single order in 2010 to more than 1,000 cupcakes, cookies and cakes a week – from Johnsonville to Dubai….
GLOBAL GOLD
in association with ANZ
exporters
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2016 FINALISTS:
Archer McRae Beverages is bringing JOIY to the world, in 250ml bottles of 100% natural sparkling wine, revolutionising the traditional wine business….
Packaworld International From goalposts to bocce courts, Packaworld’s range of portable sports gear is scoring big in international sporting circles, as well as in local town squares….
Totarol – Mende Biotech Mende is turning old totara logs into gold in the shape of Totarol, a highly effective antibiotic and antiseptic used by international cosmetic companies like L’Oreal.
SUPPORTING GOLD
in association with Beca
services & infrastructure
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2016 FINALISTS:
Downer specialises in infrastructure – from broadband to railway maintenance and roading, the company not only shapes Wellington but contributes around $60 million to the local economy….
Griffiths Drilling has been digging deep since 1971 – the firm is recognised as geotechnical drilling specialists and has invested deep with over a million dollars in recent years for equipment and training….
Lightning Lab Manufacturing is New Zealand’s first-ever accelerator for hardware and physical products assisting startups with a combination of seed funding, world-class mentoring, mind-expanding workshops and intensive business development…
Student Job Search Aotearoa has been finding jobs for students since 1982. Last year’s figures were the best ever – 27,643 students found employment nationally, nearly 6,000 of those in Wellington….
Uprise Digital are specialist digital marketers, working with clients to demystify digital processes and create new and better ways to do business. Their business has grown 400% in the last year….
VIBRANT GOLD
in association with Wellington Airport
events & hospitality
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2016 FINALISTS:
Chameleon Event Management delivers unique, large-scale public events – like the Hobbit premieres. With just 2 fulltime staff, the company can often employ 2,500 more to make occasions even more memorable….
Garage Project is a brewery craftily combining hops, yeast and water with a hefty dollop of marketing nous – last year alone they produced 36 new beers, to loud cheers…
Pukeahu National War Memorial Park is a place for people to reflect on war and contemplate peace. Since opening on ANZAC weekend 2015, visitor numbers to the National War Memorial have increased by 1000%….
Wellington Hospitality Group is the fastest growing independently-owned hospitality company in the country with 18 different venues serving 380,000 meals, 2.5 million drinks and paying $7.5 million in wages a year….
Wellington Zoo – Meet the Locals He Tuku Aroha The Zoo’s newest experience, Meet the Locals He Tuku Aroha, is proving to be a hit with zoo visitors – since opening in October, attendance numbers are up by 10%…..
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BEST PRACTICES
ACC WORKPLACE SAFETY AWARD
workplace safety
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2016 FINALISTS:
McKee Fehl Constructors
At Civil Engineering firm McKee Fehl all staff and contractors are involved in the development of robust health and safety systems that look to ensure the safety of everyone on all sites….
MSD Animal Health
Every meeting at MSD Animal Health starts with the Safety Minute where the first 60 seconds is spent talking about safety and the rest of the day doing it….
Meridian Energy
With around 800 employees Meridian Energy set up the Safety Matters to make sure everyone stays safe at work and goes home safe at the end of the day….
GREEN GOLD
in association with Greater Wellington Regional Council
sustainability
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2016 FINALISTS:
BRANZ the independent building organisation has, by going green in-house, reduced landfill waste by 63% in just 12 months and energy bills by 15% with a new passive ventilation system….
Kiwi Connect promotes entrepreneurship and innovation in sustainability. At their New Frontiers 2016 event, more than 200 people from around the world networked around the themes of Planet, Story and Economy….
Peoples Coffee believes that sustainability isn’t something to adopt, it’s something to build your business on. Organic beans, 100% compostable bags and 100% recyclable cups are just part of that…..
Space Between – Massey University is a new green business model for fashion design at Massey’s College of Creative Arts to find lots of ways to reduce waste – like recycling obsolete corporate uniforms for one….
TEAM GOLD
in association with Southern Cross Health Society
HR & wellness programmes
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2016 FINALISTS:
Delaware North operates seven food and beverage outlets at Wellington Airport, where a workplace qualifications programme and incentive strategy have seen staff attrition rates almost halve in the past year….
Fulton Hogan has given staff a glimpse into their future and an opportunity to change for good with Passport to Wellness, a unique and ground-breaking health intervention programme…..
Willis Street Physiotherapy believes it’s important for everyone involved with the business to be involved in the business, through team meetings, structured career paths, bonuses and a wellness programme….
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