China General Interest
Dairy farms owner and milk products manufacturer, Synlait Milk Ltd based in Dunsandel, South Canterbury, has won the supreme award at the HSBC NZCTA China Business Awards 2013 announced at a special event in Auckland on 30 May.
Synlait is an innovative dairy company combining farming in New Zealand that provides on-farm specialised milks, with state-of-the-art processing facilities to produce milk products such as nutraceuticals, infant formulations and a dairy milk-based formula to meet the nutritional needs of breastfeeding women,and colostrum products.
All its milk supply farms have a Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry approved Risk Management Programme that ensures the quality of its milk is protected.
Bright Dairy of China became a significant partner and shareholder in 2010, and construction began on the largest and most sophisticated purpose built infant formula facility in the Southern Hemisphere – in Canterbury.
The Supreme Award was decided from all categories listed below, of which Synlait also won the DLA Phillips Fox - Successful Investment with China, Inward or Outward Award.This award is for an organisation that demonstrates innovative and successful NZ/China cross-border investment - inward or outward.
The supreme winner receives a prize valued at more than $25,000, which includes two return business-class airline tickets to China plus accommodation at a five-star hotel, the use of a BMW vehicle in New Zealand for three months, and a trophy.
Graham Kearns, executive director of the New Zealand China Trade Association Inc. (NZCTA) that organised the awards, said: “Tonight we are thrilled to acknowledge those companies with a significant presence in New Zealand that also have profitable and sustained relationships with businesses and government agencies in China.
“There are plenty of challenges in trading with and investing in China, as we constantly hear in the media. But many firms are just getting on with it – after all, many country markets have huge differences in language, cultural norms and regulation.”
“The companies awarded tonight, and indeed all our finalists and entrants, show they can manage these barriers. We congratulate them all.”
The category winners are:
• Award: KPMG - Creating leverage opportunities through Chinese/NZ business to benefit of NZ Inc
This award recognises organisations whose Chinese/NZ business relationships have created leverage opportunities for others.
Winner: UMF Honey Association
• Award: DLA Phillips Fox - Successful investment with China, Inward or Outward
This award is for an organisation that demonstrates innovative and successful NZ/China cross-border investment - inward or outward.
Winner: Synlait Milk Ltd
• Award: HSBC - Excellence in NZ/China Trade
This award is for companies excelling in growing their product or service sales in China, or increasing their importing and distribution of Chinese-sourced products or services in New Zealand.
Winner: Alliance Group Ltd
• Award: Cathay Pacific Airways - Innovation in the Supply Chain
This award recognises significant investment and innovation in developing a supply chain to increase China/NZ business flows.
Winner: GMP Pharmaceuticals Ltd
• Award: Hong Kong New Zealand Business Association - Best use of Hong Kong by a New Zealand company for its business
This award recognises a New Zealand registered company that has a business history with Hong Kong and is growing their business from Hong Kong – preferably but not necessarily into China or wider Asia.
Winner: KVB Kunlun NZ Ltd
Guests at the gala dinner awards ceremony included the Prime Minister John Key (recently returned from leading a mission to China), the Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand His Excellency Mr Xu Jianguo, and senior business people involved in trade and investment between NZ and China and other diplomatic staff.
Special Category: The Victor Percival Award
This award is the highest honour bestowed by The New Zealand China Trade Association. The Victor Percival Award recipients are honoured for their work in promoting friendship, understanding and cooperation between New Zealand and China.
The award is made for an exemplary and outstanding contribution over a period of time and will particularly take into account commercial benefits to the two countries.
Individuals may have operated behind the scenes or outside the business sector. They might have been business people, politicians, diplomats, artists, educators, journalists, or others.
It is open to all persons that have made a continual and outstanding contribution to the development of China New Zealand relations.
The following guidelines may be used in considering eligibility for this award but are not exclusive.
• LONGEVITY: Candidates should have been active in promoting links with China for a period of years.( Judges discretion on duration where outstanding contributions are clearly evident)
• UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION: The creation, development or advancement of a specific aspect or segment of bilateral relations
• LEGACY: The contribution should have ongoing relevance
• COMMERCE: Particular weight will be given to candidates whose contribution has added cross border trade or investment value.
• INTEGRITY: Candidates should display ethics and principles that provide a model for others.
Secondary desirable considerations:
-- a stature that will reflect well on NZCTA in the long-term.
-- “enabling” the relationship to flourish perhaps by promoting NZ values in China or Chinese values in NZ.
First Recipient: David Mahon, Managing Director, Mahon China Investment Management Ltd.
The festivities were hosted by Oscar Kightley, TV presenter, writer and actor from Sione’s Wedding, Sione’s 2 and his new TV cop series Harry.
We have a full selection of hi-res photos of the Awards Night now up on our main website at: http://www.nzcta.co.nz/gallery/
Also there are all the Finalists videos to view at: http://www.nzcta.co.nz/awards-videos/
Jun 26, 2013