The Ashburton District’s Business of the Year Awards 2024 is preparing for take-off.

Winners in the biennial awards will be celebrated at the Ashburton Aviation Museum in February next year, but right now organisers are busy finalising the categories ahead of the awards launch on Thursday 3 August.

The launch will be at the Ashburton Event Centre, from 6pm, and is a chance for potential entrants to hear more about what’s involved and what they will gain from taking part. Everyone is welcome.

ANZ is back as the main sponsor and the bank’s senior manager for Mid Canterbury Michael Royston said the organisation was looking forward to once again celebrating excellence in the district’s business community.

“We have a very diverse business community here, from agribusiness to engineering, manufacturing and technology, tourism and hospitality. We support a lot of those businesses and this is a prime opportunity to recognise and celebrate all those doing well in the business sector.

“It’s also great to recognise the young people coming through who will be leading our businesses of the future.”

The Ashburton District Council is teaming up again with Ri Ra Events to run the awards. Entries will open mid-August with finalists announced in December.

Category winners and a supreme winner will be announced at the gala dinner on Friday 23 February, at the aviation museum’s huge superhangar. The aviation museum was a winner in the 2022 awards, taking top spot in the tourism category.

Treasurer Owen Moore said it was a privilege for the not-for-profit group to host the big gala dinner.

“Publicity from the 2022 awards resulted in a lot more visitors at our aviation museum. We have some really unique and interesting airplanes and aviation history in our hangars, and it’s great our volunteers can share these flying stories with a wider audience.”

The museum is planning to build another big $2.8 million hangar to expand and better display its aviation collection.

The 2022 supreme winner was NZ Sock Co, an Ashburton company that has turned sock-making into a science. It manufactures socks for sport, endurance, extreme and everyday use. During covid, the company also made reusable masks.

Managing director Euan Sparrow said the awards were a chance to reflect on the company in a holistic sense, and recognise that it had achieved a lot, while dealing with challenges big and small along the way.

“We have so many fans of our socks and it’s a team effort to produce them. It was great to see all layers of our company, from management to the technicians operating the hosiery machines and packaging the socks, being recognised for their good work.

“As a district, we need to be proud of all our local businesses.”

The award categories have been expanded for 2024, following feedback from the 70 entrants in the inaugural awards. Some categories break down into small or medium/large businesses.

The categories are: Primary industries, technology and innovation, environmental sustainability, export, customer experience, and workplace culture.

There are other awards for excellence in emerging new business, community impact, emerging business leader, business leadership, manufacturing, retail and hospitality, and tourism.

Mayor Neil Brown said the awards were a great opportunity for Council to recognise and offer encouragement to the district’s businesses.

“We have some terrific performers right here and many are people quietly getting on with running a successful operation. I know we’re a modest crew in Mid Canterbury, so these awards are a perfect way to collectively celebrate the people who add to our economic success.”

Thank you to our category and service partners who have come on board so far. A full list of our event partners will be announced at the event launch in August.

Category Partners: Catalyst Performance Agronomy, Ashburton Toyota, Croys, Naylor Love, Kaipak, Mt Hutt, Experience Mid Canterbury, Talley’s Group Ashburton.

Service Partners: TranzAlpine Honey New Zealand, Lushingtons Garden Centre, Electraserve Ashburton, Jones Family Farm, Sabelle Skin and Body Care, Twelfth Hour Distillery, Ashburton Toyota, DB Breweries.

For more information, go to businessoftheyear.nz