Westpac Southland Business Excellence Awards were held last night on Friday 27 September 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)

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