All 23 finalists, representing 22 companies in this years Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award have had to display an exceptional combination of qualities. Creativity, courage, innovation, integrity, leadership, passion and of course hard work and focus it takes to build a successful business. The Company's growth and development has been steady and innovative with a primary focus on quality and meeting the individual needs of a diverse client base, including the New Zealand Police and other emergency services.
Andrew’s vision is to continue as New Zealand’s leader in contract manufacturing and total vehicle fit out while retaining excellence in quality, service and attitude. Lighting Direct is New Zealand’s largest lighting retail chain store and has been servicing the New Zealand market for almost 30 years. With 20 stores throughout the country Lighting Direct's buying power has enabled the company to negotiate the best prices through buying direct from overseas manufacturers.
Bill Fulford founded Lighting Direct in 1974. He owns 100% of the company, and now employs around 160 staff nationwide. PayGlobal Ltd is the fastest growing people management software company in Australasia. It develops and markets a suite of innovative HRMIS tools including human resources, rostering, time & attendance, labour scheduling, payroll, HR self-service, and WebRecruit deliverables.
On a visit to Japan in 1990, PayGlobal founder Donald Hastie noticed widespread use of computerised time clocks and saw an opportunity to market time and attendance job costing software in New Zealand. Hillside Building Supplies Ltd is a ‘bricks and mortar’ company that provides a core range of building materials to the building trade.
Steve McNally, the Director of Hillside Building Supplies, established the company in 2001 after recognising an opportunity to establish his own independent building supplies operation based on his 23 years industry experience.
Andrew Turner - Nautech Electronics Ltd
Andy Carruthers - Leisurerite Products NZ Ltd
Avis Nelson - HouseHold Linens & Co Ltd
Bede Ashby - Momentum Consulting Group
Bill Fulford- Lighting Direct
Bob McMillan - Team McMillan BMW
Daniel Buckley - Huffer Direct Ltd
David Charlesworth - Comworth Group
David Renwick - Guardian Healthcare Group Ltd
Donald Hastie - PayGlobal Ltd
Earl Hagaman - Scenic Circle Hotels
Jim Delegat - Delegat’s Group Ltd
John Ritchies - Ritchies Coachlines Limited
Karim Hussona- Compass Communications Ltd
Mario Wynands - Sidhe Interactive
Phillip Mills - Les Mills International Ltd
Roger Dold & Chris Jacobs - Marine Tourism Holdings Ltd
Ross MacKenzie - Old Fashioned Foods Ltd
Seeby Woodhouse - Orcon Internet Ltd
Simon Hill - Allied Work Force Group
Steve McNally - Hillside Building Supplies Ltd
Tony Falkenstein - Just Water International Ltd
Andrew Turner, Managing DirectorNautech Electronics Ltd
Nautech Electronics Ltd is one of New Zealand's largest locally owned contract electronic manufacturing companies. Started in 1989 by Andrew & Alison Turner, Nautech Electronics Ltd was primarily involved in marine electronics as well as sales, installation and service of vehicle security and cellular products.
Andrew Turner established Nautech Electronics in 1989 operating from home, initially selling and servicing marine electronics. Now Nautech Electronics operates from 30,000 square foot premises in East Tamaki, employing 70 staff that design, manufacture and install emergency warning equipment, plus provide contract electronic design and manufacturing services.
Andy Carruthers, Managing Director
Leisurerite Products NZ Ltd
Leisurerite Products NZ Ltd, commonly known as Leisurerite Spa Pools, is a privately owned New Zealand Company. Established in 1985, Leisurerite Products was set up to manufacture portable and inground spa pools, as well as bathroom products to sell to the trade and retail.
In 1984, Andy foundered Leisurerite Products with a work colleague and commenced manufacturing spa pools using plant and moulds from a liquidation sale. The stakes were high as they were creating a new market in the leisure industry. Andy acquired full ownership of the business in 1995.
The first major changes implemented with Leisurerite were to cease selling direct to the public, and form and alliance with trade pool & spa shops. Andy also set up a dealership network and looked at improving quality and production times.
Since Andy took full ownership of Lesiurerite Products in 1985, the business has grown by over 25% and market share of 33% has been maintained.
Avis Nelson, CEO
HouseHold Linens & Co Ltd
HouseHold Linens & Co Ltd is a retailer of exclusively designed and created 100% natural , top quality bed linen.
Avis Nelson established her business 35 years ago as a wife and mother of two working from home. Her school holiday job in a department store gave Avis the opportunity to learn about the linen trade, along with the finer points of department store retailing. Her retail contacts in the trade and her passion for linen, gave Avis the confidence to establish a manufacturing business from her home in 1968.
Licensing and Duty Regime Law changes in the early 1990’s soon saw the demise of manufacturing and growth potential in the retail industry. It became evident to Avis that retail was where the future was going, so wholesaling was ceased and HouseHold Linens became a retail operation.
Over the years Avis has opened stores throughout Auckland, Wellington, Sydney and Melbourne. A steady increase over the last five years has also given Avis a solid platform to expand her business in New Zealand and Australia and introduce e-shopping for national and international customers.
Bede Ashby, Managing Director
Momentum Consulting Group
Momentum Consulting Group is an established recruitment practice that provides human resource consultancy services including recruitment, executive leasing, leadership development and organisation development services to public/private sector clients and candidates nationwide.
Bede Ashby and three others founded Momentum Consulting Group, in July 1996. At the time they were working in the recruitment industry and identified an opportunity to bring new energy and fresh ideas to the industry.
Momentum began operating with four people based in Wellington and rapidly grew to fifty staff in both Auckland and Wellington. In November 2003, Bede purchased the company with two external shareholders. Momentum has since developed the coaching, IT and office recruitment areas of the business.
Since December 2003, turnover has increased by over 10%. Future plans for Momentum include developing and extending their presence in New Zealand. There are also numerous discussions for partnership alignments and opportunities to create joint ventures with other consulting entities.
Bill Fulford, Managing Director
Lighting Direct
Bill introduced a number of key initiatives to change the face of domestic lighting in New Zealand. This included the development of larger, more prominent stores plus aggressive advertising. Bill also introduced Fabbiaan, a stand-alone lighting company that specialises in top-end residential lighting.
Expansion plans are now underway to increase the number of stores in New Zealand.
Bob McMillan, Director
Team McMillan BMW
Team McMillan BMW is the largest retailer of BMW and MINI vehicles in New Zealand, providing the best selection of New and Approved Used vehicles.
Bob McMillan purchased the Team McMillan BMW business in 1985 with a total of 17 staff, and subsequently focused his business on the luxury car market.
After purchasing the business 1985, the share market crash in 1997 practically made the luxury car market non-existent. Bob had to cut back on salaries and look at innovative practices such as marketing and service programmes, to help grow and expand the business.
In the past ten years Team McMillan has seen a steady growth in sales, and now has a total of 92 staff. Bob McMillan is about to embark on an expansion upgrade in Newmarket, and is setting up a new dealership in the Eastern Corridor.
Daniel Buckley, Director
Huffer Direct Ltd
Huffer Direct Ltd is an outdoor clothing design label, distributed through a mix of fashion, design and retail sports stores.
Dan Buckley started the Huffer label as part of his clothing and textiles course at AUT in 1996. He later joined forces with Steven Dunstan, a snow boarding personality, who had retail sales experience. Together they started a company and built the Huffer clothing label.
Huffer is now distributed in 40 outlets in New Zealand, 10 in Australia and is slowly growing in Japan. Dan and Steve are now focusing on consolidating their New Zealand sales through more stores, improved product range, and growth in the Australian and Japanese market.
In response to business growth, Dan has moved away from clothing design and is now focusing on developing the clothing range and marketing the business, including building the Huffer brand in the Australian market.
David Charlesworth, Managing Director
Comworth Systems Ltd
Comworth Systems Ltd is the sole distributor for OKI (Japan) in New Zealand. OKI specialises in producing high quality dot matrix, digital mono and colour page computer printers and fax machines.
David Charlesworth began Comworth Systems in Mairangi Bay in 1983. With the support of his wife Bronwen, they acquired the distribution rights for OKI telecommunication products.
David started Comworth Systems with very little capital and an IBM Personal Computer. Initially he had an informal agreement with OKI Japan to see if he could sell their fax machines in New Zealand, with the idea that OKI would give him a distribution agreement if successful. The agreement was successful, so OKI offered Comworth Systems their printer business as well as cellular phonesl.
Today Comworth Group of three main companies has a strong presence supplying products from Oki, Avaya, and other manufacturers for both office automation and telecommunication solutions to leading New Zealand companies. David’s vision is to maintain private ownership of the group involving key staff equity, offering leading edge products and services to the business sector.
David Renwick, Managing Director
Guardian Healthcare Group
Guardian Healthcare Group provides continuing care to older New Zealanders with products and services to help them get the most out of life whether they’re living in their own homes or in residential care.
In March 1990, David purchased his first rest home in Gisborne where he quickly learned that selling rest home beds is vastly different from consumer products. The availability and cost of finance were major constraints, however David was supported by a small group of shareholders who believed in his ability to accumulate and operate aged care facilities. Over the next six years David acquired a number of facilities, and in 2000, Harbourside Group Holdings Ltd was formed that was later renamed as Guardian Healthcare Group Ltd.
In recent years, the company has grown from a small group of shareholders to 250, and is reviewing listing on the stock exchange over the next few months. Future plans include acquiring additional rest homes and or hospitals in populated areas that do not currently have aged care facilities.
Donald Hastie, CEO
PayGlobal Ltd
In 1991 Donald Hastie formed TimeMaster (renamed PayGlobal) with the intent to develop time and attendance software for computerised time clocks that interface with payroll systems.
Over the years PayGlobal implemented successful solutions to large complex employers and raised equity to fund the further development of the PayGlobal people management suite. In 2001 they expanded the business into Australia and established offices in Hong Kong and London.
PayGlobal will continue to build it’s future in a variety of ways, namely, expanding it’s GlobalPay product offering, launching web based SME services, and growing it’s channel partnerships.
Earl Hagaman, Executive Chairman
Scenic Circle Hotels
Scenic Circle Hotels provides an extensive network of comfortable hotels strategically situated throughout New Zealand.
Earl Hagaman and Ralph Brown established the privately owned company in the early 1980’s, however Earl took 100% ownership in 1995 at which time Scenic had four hotels.
Earl embarked on a significant growth and expansion strategy, positioning Scenic Circle Hotels as one of the major hotel groups operating in New Zealand. This has involved expansion of the Hotel Chain throughout New Zealand’s major business centres and key resort areas.
Over the years Earl has built the business from 4 hotels in the 1980’s to 18, with additional properties planned for the future. Under Earl’s management, Scenic Circle now has approximately 1200 staff and is the largest hotel chain in New Zealand.
John Ritchies, Managing Director
Ritchies Transport Holdings Limited
Ritchies Transport Holdings Ltd is New Zealand's largest privately owned Bus and Coach operator in New Zealand.
Established in 1937 by John Ritchie, John Ritchie Junior and his brother Don took over the business in 1967.
Over the years John and his brother have acquired several other bus companies to grow their fleet, including New Zealand Railway Road Services, Intercity and Newmans Route Services. They also won several school services in Southland enabling them to become a national operation.
In 2001 Ritchie’s tendered for the purchase of the Yellow Bus Company in Auckland. Although unsuccessful, they did manage to secure a deal with Stagecoach that would enable them to operate the Western Districts and Whenuapai Bus Company. A year later, John and Don opened new depots in Rotorua and Dargaville, making Ritchie’s the largest private bus and coach company in New Zealand.
Ritchie’s Coachlines is still in expansion with emphasis on the Bus and Coach Industry along with FIT tourist routes run by Intercity/Newmans. This year the company is also expanding its service by building two paraplegic touring coaches for domestic and international travellers touring New Zealand.
Jim Delegat, Managing Director
Delegat’s Group Ltd
Delegat's Group Ltd is a leading winemaker and brand marketer of Super Premium wines achieving exceptional sales growth in international markets. Established in 1947, Delegat's is today one of New Zealand's top 4 wine companies and remains family owned and managed.
In 1973, at aged 24, Jim assumed leadership of Delegat's and throughout the 1970's he focused on building the business in the domestic market with a product range consisting of fortified wines that were key products in the industry at the time. In the 1980's Jim focused the company's direction exclusively on producing world-class table wines for the domestic and potential international wine markets. This meant selling the company's West Auckland vineyards and purchasing land and establishing vineyards in the renowned Hawke's Bay and Marlborough regions. The company soon went on to win 'World's Best' trophies for its Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay and received ten years of consecutive gold medals for its Hawkes Bay Chardonnays.
Since then, under Jim's direction, the company has continued to focus on building global distribution and is now a leading New Zealand winery in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the United States. Delegat's strategy is to lead New Zealand wine category growth and establish the Oyster Bay label as one of the world's great super premium brands.
Karim Hussona, Chief Executive Officer
Compass Communications Ltd
Compass Communications is a diversified business providing a broad range of cost effective telecommunications and internet services to business and residential customers throughout New Zealand.
Karim Hussona founded Compass Communications in May 1995 after migrating to New Zealand from the UK. By the end of 1995, the business had grown so quickly, a second office was opened in Wellington. In 1996 Compass Communications expanded the extent and capacity of the network, adding network points of presence in major centres throughout New Zealand, and opened a third office in Christchurch.
Since it’s inception Compass has experienced considerable growth and now provides a full range of fixed telecommunication and internet services to over 25,000 business and residential customers throughout New Zealand.
Each year, Karim continues to invest heavily in the development of the network, in order to extend their nation wide coverage and enhance the range of products and services they offer.
Mario Wynands, Managing Director
Sidhe Interactive
Sidhe Interactive is a videogame development studio based in Wellington. Sidhe provides services to and has products published by a range of world-class overseas partners and clients, including adidas International, Home Entertainment Suppliers, Vivendi Universal and Disney Interactive.
Mario Wynands co-founded Sidhe Interactive in 1997 with Tyrone McAuley and Stuart Middleton. Together they shared a vision for creating a game development company that would produce Top Ten gaming products for global markets.
With limited capital, unpredictable cash flow, lack of reputation, and technical complexities, Sidhe Interactive, together with Home Entertainment Suppliers, released ‘Stacey Jones Rugby League’ for PC, Sony Playstation 2, and Microsoft Xbox in New Zealand, Australia and Europe. The large financial investment in this project proved to be the catalyst to help Sidhe Interactive reach the next evolutionary stage.
Since this release Mario and his partners have built upon the success of this title, and have already secured multiple development projects with further ventures under negotiation.
Phillip Mills, Chairman
Les Mills Group
The Les Mills World of Fitness in central Auckland is one of the largest, most innovative and professionally run health and fitness clubs in the world.
Established by Les and Colleen Mills in 1968, the Les Mills gym business was publicly listed in 1987 but progressively re-purchased by Les’ son Phillip.
Graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles, Phillip Mills had developed a particular interest in the opportunities that lay ahead in the fitness industry, namely the aerobics’ exercise phenomenon. After briefly returning to New Zealand, Phillip moved to Australia where he set up and managed four successful fitness centres. Phillip sold these centres to finance the purchase of the New Zealand Les Mills gyms.
There are now nine Les Mills clubs in New Zealand with approximately 43,000 members and with plans to open a further six clubs in the future. Constant system upgrades, satisfying the needs of club members, and monitoring trends in the industry are regularly on Phillip’s agenda.
Developed by Phillip and initially trialled at the New Zealand clubs, the Les Mills group fitness programs are now supplied by Les Mills International to over 9,000 fitness clubs in 55 countries, with an estimated 3 million participants a week.
Roger Dold & Chris Jacobs, Executive Directors
Marine Tourism Holdings Ltd
Marine Tourism Holdings is a New Zealand based Tourism operation that owns Fullers Bay of Islands, South Sea Cruises Ltd, Cruise Whitsundays Pty Ltd and Awesome Adventures.
Roger and Chris, Executive Directors, were successful in purchasing the ‘Fullers Bay of Islands’ operations from receivers in 1989. Fullers held a key position in the region with excellent products and good staff, however it was very rundown. After an initial focus on consolidation of operations and improving plant, Fullers was in a position to expand which involved the purchase of South Sea Cruises in Fiji. They quickly turned the business around, increasing patronage by 60% in the first year, however the Fiji coup one year later bought the business to a halt. It was a crippling blow but Roger and Chris rode out the slow recovery and are now enjoying record levels of business. They also set up an entirely new brand ‘Awesome Adventures’ which has opened up a whole new market for Fiji Tourism.
In early 2003 Roger and Chris made a commitment to expand into the Whitsundays in Queensland, Australia. The region is the fastest growing in Australia and there was sufficient room for a new entrant into the market. Cruise Whitsundays will initially start with 2 vessels and a range of day cruises, plus they have set out to provide top of the line vessels and equipment to put them ahead of the competition.
Progressively Roger and Chris plan to build Marine Tourism Holdings into the most dominant player in its field in the South Pacific.
Ross MacKenzie, Managing Director
Old Fashioned Foods Ltd
Old Fashioned Foods Ltd is a successful food manufacturing and marketing company, the home of Aunt Betty’s 30 Second microwavable puddings.
The company was formed in 1995 to commercialise the manufacturing and marketing of Aunty Betty Cole’s “world famous” steamed puddings. In 1996, Ross MacKenzie invested in the company providing capital, technical expertise and his experience in the food manufacturing and grocery industries.
Further investment and a more active role in the day to day running of the firm as Managing Director, has spearheaded the growth of the business from a cottage industry to a significant FMCG industry player and exporter. Ross’s experience and passion for the business has seen an expansion of the product range and an increasing emphasis on the export market. This has culminated in Aunt Betty’s becoming a household name in both New Zealand and Australia, as well as the establishment of a strong base in the large UK market.
Seeby Woodhouse, Managing Director
Orcon Internet Ltd
Orcon Internet Ltd is the 4th largest Internet Service Provider (ISP) in New Zealand. Orcon is a wholesale provider servicing around a third of the ISP’s in New Zealand, as well as providing retail services to around 30,000 residential and business customers.
Seeby Woodhouse is the founder and Managing Director of Orcon Internet Ltd and has grown the company from its inception in 1997, to a company that now has 32 full time staff, and is the second largest provider or JetStream ADSL connections in the country.
Seeby initially started the company from home, using an old computer and three dial-in connections. The primary start up phase focused on the no frills end of the market, with pricing around half the price of the cheapest competitor, and targeted at technically minded customers in order to minimise the amount of customer support required. The business model today however, focuses on providing a premium level of service and support to residential, business and wholesale customers.
Orcon has achieved 50-200% growth each year since it’s inception, and has completed a total of 24 acquisitions of smaller ISP’s and web hosting companies since 1997.
Simon Hull, Director
Allied Work Force
Allied Work Force, a New Zealand owned Labour Hire Company, provides temporary industrial personnel to all blue-collar industries.
In 1988 Simon was in search of a business that suited his strengths and in his own words ‘not so deep’ pockets. He tripped over the concept of ‘Labour Hire’ in the form of a failing subsidiary of a construction company. After recognising that there was a market for labour in the construction field and across most industry sectors, Simon founded Allied Work Force in 1988
Today there are 18 branches nationally with a management team of 80 and over 3000 employees. Simon feels his biggest achievement in establishing the company has been to set the tone and attract a high calibre team.
Future plans include making a number of strategic acquisitions, including opening four more branches in the next 18 months and continuing to secure the large national supply contracts.
Steve McNally, Director
Hillside Building Supplies Ltd
For Hillside Building Supplies to stand out from the rest, McNally strongly believed there had to be a real point of difference. For HBS, the difference was having better people and providing better service.
Since it’s inception 3 years ago, Steve has experienced year on year growth in sales and profit. Future plans include expanding into other regions and growing their current store business, whilst not losing sight of their core values and business principles.
Tony Falkenstein, CEO
Just Water International Ltd
Just Water International Ltd is a bottled water and office water cooler company.
Founded in 1989 by Tony Falkenstein, Tony originally commenced operations as a fax rental company in 1987. The business boomed quickly then the market started to change when the prices of fax machines dropped as making them became more affordable to smaller companies.
In response to the changing market, Tony added water coolers to his product mix. The business model remained the same and before long, Tony had rented all of his initial stock. Just Water became a household name and has grown to achieve distribution of more than 35,000 water coolers in organisations throughout New Zealand.
Successfully floated in June this year, Falkenstein is happy with a 75% stake in his bottled water and office cooler company and 90% stake in Bartercard New Zealand.