30 September 2019

Westpac Southland Business Excellence Awards

The Winners

Westpac Southland Business Excellence Awards were held on Friday 27 September 2019 at the Ascot Park Hotel. Southland Chamber of Commerce hosted a sold out crowd of over 400 business people at the prestigious awards dinner. The awards were introduced in 2013 and are held bi-annually and this year a record number of businesses applied with 109 applications received over the 10 categories.

Winners were announced in 10 categories with a supreme winner chosen from these finalists.

Blue Sky Meats have taken home the Westpac Supreme Award along with winning the Findex Primary and Primary Services Sector Awards and were also finalists in the Invercargill City Council Construction, Trades, Manufacturing & Distribution Sector Award.

Proudly and uniquely Southland based, Blue Sky Meats is a public company that procures sheep exclusively from the lower South Island, processes at its Morton Mains plant and markets their products to over 50 countries.

The company has been completely overhauled after several years of underperformance and a plant closure with the new governance and management structure ensuring continued growth and success with a strong strategic vision and emphasis on its 375 employees, Innovation and Health, Safety and Environment.

Awards judge Westpac Commercial Manager Dave Anderson said “The Blue Sky Meats entry into this year’s awards stood out in what was a very difficult group to shine in.

In what has been a challenging sector of late, their professionalism in the quality of entry alongside their clear goals and excellent performance in all facets of their business gave them the edge to take out the 2019 Supreme Business Excellence Award”


The Westpac Southland Business Excellence Awards 2019 winners are:

Westpac Supreme Award

Recognising a winner in one or more of the other award categories that has demonstrated the highest overall level of business excellence.

  • Blue Sky Meats


Findex Primary & Primary Services Sector Award

Recognising any enterprise in the primary and primary service sector that provides outstanding products or services.

  • Blue Sky Meats


Invercargill City Council Construction, Trades, Manufacturing & Distribution Sector Award

Recognising any enterprise in the construction, trades, manufacturing & distribution sector that provides outstanding products or services.

  • New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter


Powernet New and Emerging Award

For private sector enterprises that have been in operation for less than two years as at 31 March 2017 and have demonstrated business excellence.

  • WM Compliance Solutions


The Southland Times Consumer Service Sector Award

Recognising any enterprises in the hospitality, tourism or retail sector that provides outstanding products or services.

  • McCallums Group


Invercargill Licensing Trust Not for Profit Award

Recognising excellence in performance by a Southland not-for-profit organisation.

  • Habitat for Humanity Invercargill


Market South Innovation Award

Recognising innovative enterprises that have invested in developing innovative thinking, products, services, initiatives, processes, or a business model that have been integral to their success.

  • EIS


Southland Chamber of Commerce Professional Service Sector Award

Recognising any enterprise in the professional service sector that provides outstanding products or services.

  • Market South


ACC Workplace Safety Award

For all enterprises that demonstrates excellent safety in the workplace.

  • FI Innovations


Healthy Families Workplace Wellbeing Award

Recognising enterprises that have created successful initiatives designed to embed a culture of wellness in their organisations

  • Blue River Dairy


Southern Institute of Technology Business Personality Award

Recognising an established leader of the business community who has done exemplary work throughout their career and has made a significant contribution to the business and wider community

  • Paul Adams (Stabicraft)

Other Past Events