Commerce Comment — Summer 2022

COMMERCE COMMENT

SUMMER 2022

For all enquiries please contact:

Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce

Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology 322 Hardy Street, Nelson PO Box 1121, Nelson 7040 Phone: 03 548 1363 Email: britt@commerce.org.nz Web: www.commerce.org.nz

Chamber Board: President: Peter Pattullo Vice President: Manoli Aerakis Board Members: Chris McGeown, Nigel Andrews, Aaron Shields, Lees Seymour, Venus Guy, and Sharon McGuire.

Publication Design: Tizza Design

From the CEO

Last week, we hosted our final Westpac Smarts event of 2022 with a presentation from senior economist Satish Ranchhod. Unless you have been living in a cave, you will be very aware of the economic pressures bearing down on us. It was, however, good to hear it put into context and definitely with a forecast of light at the end of the tunnel. We are thrilled to announce that we will be continuing with the Westpac Smarts Series through 2023 and into 2024 and will publish the programme of speakers early next year.

In contrast to the somewhat sobering economic outlook, I also had the pleasure of attending two very uplifting sessions. Year 10 students from Nelson College have been working on a project to ‘reimagine the Nelson CBD’ and were keen to present to members of the business community. It is an understatement to say that these young men were impressive and the energy and perspective they brought to the session was inspiring. A good reminder that we need to hear a youthful viewpoint when making long-term plans.

The second session was judging the 2022 Nelson Pine Industries Chamber of Commerce Business Awards. This is the day when the judges meet, discuss the entries, compare marks and decide on the winners. The calibre of the entrants made for some intense discussion with one section alone taking over 90

minutes of (sometimes heated) debate, to get to a result. The awards are a great opportunity to get an insight into the innovation and entrepreneurship that is alive and kicking in the region. Clearly the results are now under lock and key, not to be revealed until the gala dinner on February 24th and we look forward to seeing you there.

As we hurtle towards the end of the year it is easy to feel a tad overwhelmed thinking about everything we ‘need’ to do before Christmas. I say need because I know from talking to others that we sometimes set ourselves unachievable goals and then feel disappointed when we don’t reach our self-imposed deadline. So my last piece of advice for 2022 is to give yourself a break, work out what actually needs to be done and what can easily be left until the new year. It is amazing how much easier it is to tackle challenges after some decent device-free rest, coupled with a good dose of vitamin D. And if there is one thing that this region can deliver it’s a good summer – just remember to slip, slop, slap and wrap.

Ngā mihi,

Chief Executive Chamber of Commerce

“Our ultimate ambition is for Aotearoa New Zealand to be revered as a climate positive economy, where our global customers are proud that they are doing good for the world when they buy from us.”

No better time for science

Science and innovation are key to helping Aotearoa New Zealand thrive, by seizing the opportunities in front of us as well as tackling our most pressing issues.

Cawthron’s mission-driven research is focused on the restoration, protection and value enhancement potential of Aotearoa’s freshwater and marine environments and the communities interacting with these. Building on ki uta ki tai, ki tai ki uta (from the mountains to the sea, from the sea to the mountains) we apply a holistic approach involving mātauranga Māori and western science to improve our natural environment and deliver innovative solutions. Our rivers and lakes require urgent attention to stop further degradation, while our estuaries and oceans have vast, untapped potential to mitigate climate change and create sustainable products that enhance the wellbeing of our people.

With the ocean making up 96 percent of Aotearoa New Zealand’s territory, there is significant opportunity for our waters to protect and provide for us, now and into the future. Our ultimate ambition is for Aotearoa New Zealand to be revered as a climate positive economy, where our global customers are proud that they are doing good for the world when they buy a product or service from us. A greater sense of urgency is needed to realise the pivotal role the oceans play in mitigating climate change and stimulating socioeconomic development. We believe the next decade must be a period of radical transformation because what we do in the ocean will be crucial to our country’s entire economic transition to a climate positive economy by 2050. We cannot go green without blue.

We are excited about and thankful for the capabilities our team of 280 scientists and technicians from over 30 countries has assembled through local, national and international collaboration, to offer research into improved land and ocean management, more equitable social outcomes, and resilience against climate change and biodiversity loss.

Cawthron’s expertise is focused on aquaculture and blue technology, food safety and marine bioactives, biosecurity and ocean health, freshwater ecology and social science. Our research in these areas is helping to ensure Aotearoa New Zealand thrives through an intergenerational approach to taiao, moana and whenua, as well as contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

With an overarching focus on delivering healthy ecosystems, a prosperous blue economy and thriving people and communities, Cawthron’s activities

are centred on creating economic, environmental, social and cultural value. Our location, Nelson, is home to a large and diverse ecosystem of marine related stakeholders, offering the ability to create an exemplary blue economy with a healthy natural environment as the basis and circularity as the ultimate ambition. We look forward to playing a committed role in developing a blue economy in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our research helped to revolutionise the mussel industry through selective breeding and sustainable aquaculture farming methods, and we are now looking at the vast potential of seaweed. Cawthron is collaborating on several seaweed research programmes underway which could signal the establishment of an exciting new industry for our country.

Continued interruptions through Covid-19 has made the past year a challenging one, and we are grateful to our team for the hard work and commitment to Cawthron. The inability to visit family and friends in our home countries, the need for many team members to work long hours as essential workers and organisational change we underwent during the course of the year have taken their toll on our Cawthron whanau. We thank you all for your support!

It is our purpose to be good ancestors and create a better future. We are excited about the possibilities at hand, and Cawthron’s ability to make a meaningful difference.

Volker Kuntzsch, Chief Executive Cawthron Institute www.cawthron.org.nz

What’s the difference between sales and marketing?

Ever wondered what the difference between sales and marketing is?

They are often confused because they seem similar as both try to increase revenues. They have a common goal but different ways of achieving it and since both functions are important, it’s critical to understand the differences between them. This will help you make better decisions on how to allocate resources within your team.

Current focus versus future focus

Sales deals with present customers and has a more immediate focus. Marketing deals with potential customers or prospects and often has a future focus. Salespeople are more about immediate results. The focus of sales is converting prospects into customers in a limited time frame. Marketing is more strategic and takes a longer-term approach. Sales deals with existing clients while marketing deals with developing potential customers.

Side note: historically, the sales function in a business has been embodied in a salesperson. In some businesses, the sales function has recently been

automated with online services such as e-commerce. In these businesses, it is still important to understand the difference between sales and marketing because both functions need to work together seamlessly. The focus here is on businesses that have salespeople.

Results and expectations

Sales and marketing goals are different. Sales goals are short-term and focused on quarterly sales budgets. Marketing goals are long-term and focus on brand awareness and customer retention. Sales goals are measured in dollars. Marketing goals are measured in less quantifiable ways such as engagement, impressions, recall, awareness and brand loyalty. If sales create instant demand, marketing creates future demand. The goal of marketing is to plant your brand in a customer’s mind so that when they are ready to buy, they think of you first.

Strategic approach

Sales and marketing often have different strategies to build revenue. Marketing focuses on building brand awareness and attracting a defined group of people to the product or service. Sales focus on

closing deals and making sales on a more direct individual basis. A sales strategy may involve cold calling, door-to-door sales, discounts and other tactics.

Marketing focuses on connecting with prospects through mass media, social channels and more publicly visible aspects of the business.

Customer journey focus

Sales and marketing focus on different areas of a customer’s buyer journey. Salespeople focus on prospects when they are ready to buy and guide them through the process of buying a product or service. Sales activities can include prospecting, connecting, qualifying and converting. Marketing focuses on the whole buyer journey from understanding a customer’s need, providing products that meet that need, making the prospect aware of the product, connecting the prospect with a way of buying the product and then building the customer relationship for future sales or support.

Communication tools

Sales and marketing use different communication tools. Salespeople talk to individual prospects on a one-to-one basis. They can build deeper, personal, face-to-face relationships in real time. Marketing can communicate to larger groups with mass messages that can influence far bigger audiences than an individual salesperson.

Integrating sales and marketing

Sales and marketing teams should work in tandem to help achieve each other’s goals. Sales needs to understand the marketing strategy and the value it provides. Marketing needs to understand what sales will require so they can deliver optimum results. If both areas communicate well and work together, they can maximise resources and build an even better business.

Tony Downing Owner and Director Downing Creative Marketing www.downing.nz

Digital transformation

Has your business or organisation considered:

• How much it costs your business on all levels to keep performing manual administrative tasks the way you have always done?

• How many administrative tasks in your business can be fully automated?

Better business results enabled by digital transformation and automation is no longer just for big businesses with big budgets. We can all benefit from this!

In the previous edition, we talked about the productivity challenges faced by New Zealand businesses and that digital transformation and automation can increase productivity outcomes for your staff and organisation.

A typical organisation’s digital approach is one that has grown organically. They may operate from several application suites and platforms to run their business with the assumption this is all they need to run optimally.

The reality is, they continue to work dayto-day with significant operational gaps

and inefficiencies between their separate systems that require a lot of manual administration. These gaps and inefficiencies are normally filled by “throwing people at a problem” to perform manual, repeatable processes. We all know it is not only difficult to secure new staff in the current climate, but it is also very costly, inefficient and limits the growth of an organisation.

Our own business has been no different. Historically, we experienced this same problem with very useful yet disparate systems that required manual data entry, repetitive administrative tasks and checking, and of course also came with the downstream effects of human error.

We took this problem and seized the opportunity to embark on our digital transformation and automation journey. This has produced significant business productivity gains and increased scalability in-house, enabling our team to do more with less, learn from this experience and increase the value we deliver to clients as we take them forward on their unique digital transformation journey.

We are seeing businesses who have progressed their digital transformation and automation strategy and workstreams clearly gaining from the many unique benefits it can deliver as well as developing a brand-new perspective on their business. They start to look at what they do internally and externally quite differently. Achieving greater business efficiency and productivity, will free up people to spend more time focussing on creating better and more dynamic services and products for their customers, providing a genuine point of difference.

BlueBerryIT is the local team to help unleash the Digital Transformation and Automation potential in your business. We will work with your business to analyse problems, develop, implement and support your business on this exciting journey. Contact us today.

(03) 548 4923 contact@ blueberryit.co.nz www.blueberryit.co.nz

Counselling through Kapa Haka

Kapa Haumanu is a programme developing in partnership with kura across Te Tauihu to provide rangatahi with an emotional outlet and support.

Estella Davis and her husband Te Haupai founded the programme in response to youth suicide rates in Aotearoa.

“We wanted to provide a safe space for whānau to navigate te ao Māori and reconnect. When you belong, you build resilience,” said Estella.

In 2019, both Estella and Te Haupai started Bachelor of Counselling degrees at NMIT—with Estella due to finish her degree soon after taking a year off to give birth to a little girl.

“I wish everyone did the first year of counselling,” said Estella. “There was definitely a huge lightbulb moment for me and that’s when I noticed a transformational change within myself.”

Estella is grateful for the support she and Te Haupai have received from the NMIT team, especially during the developmental stages of their kaupapa.

“It has been a bit tricky navigating study as an autistic, ADHD, Māori student whose first language is not English,” she said, “but I have made some amazing friendships through my studies, who have had my back and helped me to accomplish what I have.”

Soon Estella walks away with her degree and the experience of studying alongside her husband.

“A lot of people told us that it wasn’t wise, but it has actually been the coolest experience ever. I am super excited to walk across the graduation stage with my darling,” Estella said.

Kapa Haumanu currently has about 500 tamariki and rangatahi participating through several schools in the region.

Thanks to several scholarships and funding opportunities from NMIT, Ministry of Health –Hauora Māori and local businesses, Estella and Te Haupai can continue their mahi as counsellors in an authentic and engaging way through Kapa Haka.

“It helps to have people in your corner to push you to achieve your dreams and aspirations.”

See nmit.ac.nz/socialsciences for more information, or book a free 15 - 30 minute career chat at nmit.ac.nz/career-chat

“When you belong, you build resilience.”

More affordable homes coming to Nelson Tasman

Habitat for Humanity Nelson has received a much-needed funding boost thanks to a new sponsorship with forestry company, OneFortyOne.

The sponsorships funds will help Habitat for Humanity Nelson build more affordable homes in the Top of the South.

OneFortyOne manages 80,000 hectares of forest in Nelson and Marlborough, as well as the Kaituna Sawmill, near Blenheim.

Speaking at the sponsorship announcement, Tracy Goss, General Manager of OneFortyOne’s Kaituna Sawmill said that this sponsorship is a natural fit for his company.

“Our timber is being used as internal timber framing, fencing and other hard landscaping, all provided by our local customer ITM,” she says.

“There’s a great connection knowing the trees grown to make the timber, have been grown locally for the last 28 years in the Golden Downs Forest and can now be enjoyed by families for decades to come,” said Tracy.

Habitat Nelson’s GM Nick Clarke said, “We are excited to be partnering with

OneFortyOne. Affordable housing is one of our region’s biggest issues and it requires collaboration and investment from strong partners. Having crucial partners like OneFortyOne supports us in the access of affordable materials through ITM, thus helping to make these decent homes affordable. Habitat Nelson has been supported by ITM for almost 30 years and were instrumental in instigating this partnership.

“We currently have 14 houses being built, with over 30 more homes to be completed by 2025, and other projects to follow, he said.

“These are life-changing projects for families in need; building selfreliance, families’ self-worth, increasing their hope for the future, enhancing community inclusion, and providing young children the stability and safety they need in order to succeed at school and life in general,” said Nick.

“For many families in the Nelson Tasman region, decent and affordable housing is becoming difficult to find.

This is having a negative impact on the mental and emotional health and wellbeing of whānau and tamariki.”

Research shows that beyond causing severe emotional and mental strain, unaffordable and substandard housing influences the quality and quantity of interactions within neighbourhoods, affecting social cohesion, trust and a collective sense of community.

Besides Habitat Nelson’s focus on affordable housing initiatives, it promotes community wellbeing, inclusion and connection.

“By partnering with like-minded partners such as OnefortyOne we are able to provide decent, affordable and healthy homes, and subsequently we are able to better support our community and its growth, and provide hope and security for whānau and tamariki,” Nick said.

“These are lifechanging projects for families in need.”

Next steps for Nelson Airport’s runway extension

PROJECT 2-ZERO

In April this year the airport began a community conversation around our plans for a future runway extension needed to better cater for existing aircraft, improve safety, and provide for future low-emission flights.

The airport has signalled the need for a longer runway for many years through our annual reports, master plan and other public documents. While the development is still 10-15 years away, planning needs to begin in earnest now to give the airport, our neighbours and the wider Nelson community certainty for the future.

Since the public letter drop and information session for neighbouring residents earlier this year, the airport’s consultants have been working on documentation to lodge a Notice of Requirement and Plan Change application with the Nelson City Council.

We expect to lodge our application before the end of 2022, kicking off the formal process required to change the airport’s zoning and provide planning protections for the runway extension. The changes we’re seeking will protect future airport operations while managing its effects, including controls on airport noise. Included in our proposal is a bestpractice noise mitigation package for neighbouring homes, with acoustic insulation and/or ventilation funded by the airport if airport noise reaches a certain level at a residential property.

Nelson Airport’s current runway is one of the shortest in the world servicing the type of aircraft that travel to and from Nelson. That limits the weight, both passengers and freight, that airlines can carry, particularly in certain weather conditions.

The runway is also likely to be too short to cater for the type of low-emission aircraft operators will transition to as the aviation industry works towards a more environmentally-sustainable future. The

expert advice we have received is that lower-emissions planes are likely to be heavier on a seat for seat basis and require longer runway lengths to operate with economically viable payloads.

Extending the runway to 1510m will allow us to remove the current weight restrictions for airlines, cater for future low-emissions planes and further enhance safety with the introduction of obstacle-free buffer zones at each end of the runway (known as Runway End Safety Areas or RESAs).

Hence the name of the runway extension project – Project 2-Zero. This is a reference both to the current runway designation (2-0) and our journey to a zero-emissions future for aviation. Nelson Airport’s vision is to be a world class airport where zeroemissions aircraft operate – and an extended runway is an important piece of the work we must do to achieve this vision.

Anyone who would like to learn more about Project 2-Zero can visit our website or email enquiries@nelsonairport.co.nz .

credit: Steve Hussey

Mark Thompson CEO Nelson Airport www.nelsonairport.co.nz

Photo

“It will allow us to cater for future low-emissions planes and further enhance safety.”

With a high level of personal service, we use local initiative to make timely decisions. Our strong community allow us to build long term, sustainable relationships.

NBS provide business banking services to meet the needs of local trade and commerce.

With a high level of personal service, we use local knowledge and initiative to make timely decisions. Our strong community connections allow us to build long term, sustainable relationships.

NBS provide business banking services to meet the needs of local trade and commerce.

With a high level of personal service, we use local knowledge and initiative to make timely decisions. Our strong community connections allow us to build long term, sustainable relationships.

NBS is not a registered bank.

Chris Inglis and team Tasman Bay Plumbing

Sustainable Commute Initiative

Rachel Williams-Gaul Environmental Mgmt Leader Kūmānu Environmental www.kumanuenviro.co.nz

Committed to reducing our CO2 footprint, Nelmac Kūmānu has been focusing on how our staff commute to work. With close to 300 employees, this is quite some travel to influence. A little under half of our staff have a commute vehicle provided, whilst the remainder find their own way to and from work.

The Sustainability Committee, inspired by Alaron, have rolled out a three-month sustainable commute initiative which began 1 September.

To partake in the initiative, staff complete an agreement then begin recording their sustainable journeys in an online form. Biking, carpooling, walking, and busing to and from work constitute as sustainable transport. For staff living out of town, they can also park and bike, so long as their bike journey is at least 7 km.

The incentive to take part in the initiative are vouchers, depending on the number of return journeys made, i.e. $150 (for 40 or more return journeys), $100 (for 20 or more return journeys) or $50 (for 12 or more return journeys).

At the time of writing this article, we have around one month remaining. We have more than 750 return journeys recorded, covering around 10,910 km, which is equivalent to saving around 1.8 tonnes of CO2. Biking is by far the most popular, making up around 83% of the commutes. Our bike racks are full to overflowing and there is a lot of positivity amongst the staff taking part in the initiative.

In addition to being happy to be supporting the environment and reducing CO2 emissions, here is what some of the staff are saying about it:

“Better for my health, and also better for the pocket. Plus the cycle helps with some quiet time.”

“My reason for taking part in the initiative is that the constant noise and danger presented by traffic takes a toll

on people’s wellbeing, and I want to have faith that Nelson’s transport network will be planned in a way that is more conducive to quieter, more relaxing forms of travel as is the case in many cities in the Netherlands.”

We are hoping to keep the enthusiasm and momentum going through participation in the upcoming Bike Aoteroa Challenge and continuing with prizes in the ensuing months.

“The constant noise and danger presented by traffic takes a toll on people’s wellbeing, and I want to have faith that Nelson’s transport will be planned in a way that is more conducive to quieter, more relaxing forms of travel.”

INSPIRE STUDENTS. UNLEASH LEADERS.

Innovation Days a success across region

Year 10 students in our region were offered an amazing opportunity to develop their innovative skills and learn about local industries during two YES events run in Nelson and Marlborough.

The YES Innovation Challenge is a fast paced, one day event where students are given a real world problem from local industry. They brain storm a solution in teams, quickly create a basic prototype, then pitch to judges.

In Nelson, MPI sponsored the event bringing scientists and aquaculture experts on board to mentor and inform the students for the day. Stephanie Hopkins from Aquaculture New Zealand, Bailey Lovett and Jess Ericson from Cawthron Institute and Carol Jakob, Sarah Cumming and Finn Sumner from MPI were amazing.

Mark Unwin from Marlborough City Council was the driving force to bring the event to the Marlborough region and brought in local businesses Sanford, Indevin and Autoline. Students were mentored by Morgan Burkett, Sanford Innovation Project

Manager; Jason Cook, Indevin Production Winemaker, and Autoline engineer Hari Bejishkumar.

The highlights of the student feedback included how much they enjoyed meeting new people, working in teams and with the mentors, problem solving and learning about the different industries.

The teachers loved the format, summing up a shared sentiment saying, “This exercise built on students’ knowledge of science, technology, commerce and social studies from the classroom and then added industry knowledge and expertise which is a priceless experience for students.”

Student teams needed to develop an innovative idea using technology enablers to help the industries deal with real world problems such as adapting to climate change, deal with waste, water conservation and up and coming mega trends.

Watch the wrap-up of the Marlborough Innovation Day here.

Regional Winners: Olivae from Waimea College

The annual Young Enterprise Scheme Regional Awards night was held last month and after a year of challenges, the five teams from Te Tauihu made their final pitches to the judges before an audience of

business people and supporters. The YES judges watched, assessed and deliberated, ultimately announcing the 2022 Regional Champions as Olivea, from Waimea College.

Olivae created a loose-leaf, caffeine-free olive tea out of locally sourced leaves. The compound, oleuropein found in olive leaves has been scientifically proven to have many health benefits including strengthening your immune system, relieving cold symptoms, lowering blood sugar and preventing heart disease. The team’s olive leaves were handpicked at a grove in Upper Moutere. They then produced three teas, two blended (olive & boysenberry, olive & lime) plus a pure, olive leaf tea. The delicious, fruity ingredients came courtesy of Little Beauties, who supplied a combination of freeze-dried and dehydrated fruit.

Awards judge, Cam Burns from Shuttlerock says, “The winning team

Olivae created a unique and innovative tea brand that is well differentiated in the multi-billion dollar global tea market. The customer-centric product has strong branding, clear health benefits, and ultimately tastes great. The overall business model presented and the progress made to date are a testament to the group’s teamwork, resilience, and ability to embrace change.”

From left to right: Esther Gould, Jessica York, Lily-Rose Phorn, Alysha Mutch, Olivia Parsons, , Lily-Anne Watts, Lani Adamson. Credit: Tim Cuff.

“Olivae created a unique and innovative tea brand that is well differentiated in the multi-billion dollar global tea market.”

CELEBRATING YOUNG ENTERPRISE

Chris Williams of Burger Culture says, “It was a really hard conclusion to come to this year as the competition was so good. My vote eventually went to Olivae in the end as I just felt it was the most rounded, polished, and complete business proposal. All the ākonga should be very proud of the mahi they had done, and I wish Olivae all the best in the finals. Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui.” Judge, Sarah Derecourt of Mediaworks says, “Olivae scored well right across the board, however, I was particularly impressed by their understanding of the marketing mix. Olivae garnered lashings of free press and were able to grasp the relative strengths of different media, using each to their best. Something even seasoned marketers can struggle to do well.”

The Food Factory having food-grade kitchens is integral to the production process. Lou Smith General Manager of The Food Factory says, “’This programme empowers and inspires these young adults to truly discover their potential. The Food Factory is incredibly proud to play a big part in this journey”.

Olivae took home a trophy and each student in the team was awarded a $1000 dollar Massey University scholarship. Plus, Waimea College won “The NMIT/ Te Pukenga Winning School Award” this is a $5000 scholarship from NMIT/ Te Pukenga. Wayne Jackson from NMIT/Te Pukenga presented Waimea College Principal, Scott Haines, the prize. Haines says he’s very proud of the team and the college’s business studies department which supports and mentors all the students. “Olivae have worked consistently hard throughout the year, so it was a proud moment watching them present their pitch to the judges at the regional final, and go on to win.”

The Chamber’s Trina Zimmerman is the Young Enterprise Regional Coordinator and has observed the team in action throughout the year. “This group of determined young women created an innovative business that is simply a class act, they stood out from the start of the year and consistently demonstrated the ability to face challenges head on and go above and beyond what was required in creating and building their business skills. They have produced a delicious product and a business that is profitable and scalable.”

Young Enterprise Head, Ian Musson, was

impressed with the local teams that took part in the YES programme this year. “The community should be proud of the young entrepreneurial talent being developed in the Nelson Tasman region. These young people are unconventional thinkers which is exactly what the world needs, and although only one winner could be chosen, each team presented incredibly well and have set a great pace for next year.”

The team will represent Te Tauihu in the YES National Final in Wellington this month.

Wayne Jackson and Scott Haines present Winning School Award to Waimea College. Credit: Tim Cuff.

ENTRANTS FOR 2022

SUPREME BUSINESS

All entries into the Start Up, Small, Medium and Large Business Awards automatically entered into the Supreme Business Award. This is an overall winner that scores highly in all aspects of the judging criteria and has an x-factor that inspires the Nelson/Tasman business community.

SMALL BUSINESS

A business that has an annual turnover of less than $1 million.

MEDIUM BUSINESS

A business that has an annual turnover between $1 million and $5 million.

LARGE BUSINESS

A business that has an annual turnover of over $5 million.

COMMUNITY IMPACT

A programme, project, campaign, or business that has had a positive impact on the Nelson Tasman community in a way that inspires others and makes a difference.

INNOVATIVE BUSINESS

A business that demonstrates an extraordinary business story as a result of pure grit and clever thinking. This could be an innovative approach to people, products or processes.

ENVIRONMENTAL

A programme, project, campaign or business that has had a positive, long term impact on the Nelson Tasman environment.

Special thanks to our event sponsors:

START UP BUSINESS

A business that has started trading within the last 2 years.

Helping injured Kiwis to get back on track in the Nelson region

TBI Health is a New Zealand-owned and operated company in Joint Venture with Southern Cross Healthcare. We opened our Nelson Clinic in 2013 and provide integrated rehabilitation services including Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Psychology, Hand Therapy and Exercise Therapy.

We understand that pain and injury can have a massive impact on all aspects of life, wellbeing, work and relationships. We have therefore built a team of trusted, registered health professionals who can help get you on the way to managing pain, recovering from injury, and preventing future injuries.

Our services include Community Rehabilitation, Well at Work Services and Clinic-based services as a complete wrap-around service tailored to your individual needs.

We are passionate about improving access to healthcare and reducing health disparity in the region. We have partnered with Te Whatu Ora Nelson Marlborough, Nelson Bays Primary Care, and Te Piki Oranga to codesign and deliver funded rehabilitation services in the Nelson/Tasman region.

START-UP BUSINESS AWARD ENTRANT

Amy Johnson discovered from firsthand experience that there was a gap in the current teaching framework for children with learning difficulties or who are lacking motivation for school.

“Both my children have had difficulties learning to read and write and I felt that their needs were a bit invisible in a busy class environment. There just wasn’t an option that would protect their mana and help them academically using evidence-based, teaching strategies. This made me completely reassess how I could best utilise my teaching skills to support other students whose needs may not be completely met in the school system. When I saw the success these one-on-one lessons were having I realised there were so many incredible teachers out there who could really make a lasting impact through our methods of one-on-one tuition. And so Boost Your Learning was born.”

Amy set up Boost Your Learning in October 2021 and was joined by her business partner, Jenny Hunter in January 2022. The business offers a tuition service that employs fully qualified teachers to provide one-onone, bespoke lessons to students across Aotearoa both online and in person. They conduct a diagnostic assessment to identify the learner’s strengths and needs then provide tailored lessons to each student. They employ a coordinated approach involving teachers, whanau and students so the benefits of the tuition can be instantly applied in the classroom. These lessons are designed to build confidence and accelerate

learning for students at a primary level through to NCEA and beyond in English, Maths and Science.

“We provide a service for all sorts of children. Those with learning difficulties, those who are lacking in confidence, or need extension, and students who lack inspiration or who want to be seen and are feeling a bit lost in the system.”

The entrepreneurs are already seeing transformation in their students that is having a life changing impact for young people who had convinced themselves they weren’t good at school.

“I have a student that I began working with last year who was in Year 10. She has dyslexia and was feeling really disengaged from school. She came to us for support in maths and when we started out, she was unable to multiply and divide with accuracy. These were quite serious gaps in her knowledge.

“After two months working with us she started to bloom in confidence and began to see herself for the capable learner she was. Mum then asked for additional tuition for Literacy, and she has now started tuition in Science with us. She has come to the end of Year 11 and she has all her credits and feels confident heading into her exams. She has gained entry to Level 2 Maths and has discovered she’s actually quite good at it. That’s the sort of level of impact that I feel we can have with our one-on-one tuition. We want all our learners to truly love learning.”

There is a flow of effect that goes way beyond the ability to do well in a subject that you dreaded.

“Even the way she holds herself, the relationship she has with her parents and the way she communicates with people, it’s a huge transformation. For me, in my previous role as a class teacher trying my very best, I was never able to make this level of impact on a student. We know that we are changing lives. We love that we are making a difference. We love that we are empowering students.”

Amy and Jenny entered the Business Awards for several reasons.

Amy says, “I am so proud of what we’ve achieved, not only the impact we’re having for our clients but also I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved as an empowered team. I love the culture we have grown within the business and I am really enjoying the process of creating a sustainable business model. I thought that was worth celebrating.”

Above photo credit: Virginia Woolf

“Selling online is easier than it’s ever been. Actually scaling your online sales - not so much,” says Danielle Martel, Founder and CEO at Keetrax.

“After a few great years, there have been serious headwinds for e-commerce merchants in 2022, and many are feeling the pinch. And now it’s becoming clear which strategies really pay off.”

Danielle is clear on what those winning strategies are.

“More than ever, marketing comes down to building an audience to talk to about stuff that interests them. This creates an ongoing conversation with opportunities to create customers. And eventually, raving fans and brand ambassadors. The companies consistently doing this have a huge advantage over their competition.” But what about businesses that are seeing

or expecting shrinking margins?

“I’ll tell you a secret: that’s practically everybody. With shipping costs still going up and COGS [cost of goods sold] growing faster than retail prices, all online businesses need to optimise their return on investment,” says Danielle.

With optimisation in mind, we asked Danielle for her top 3 tips to build an audience and capitalise on it for 2023:

1/ Publish short-form video content on social media. “Think Instagram reels and TikToks. The reach and engagement numbers for short-form videos are insane. Many companies are still sleeping on this, so there is a ton of opportunity.

“For example, a reel we did for Pomeroys reached 16.4x as many people as their image posts do.”

2/ Double down on email “Email is what we call an owned audience. You can get a lot of fine-grained information about your subscribers and send them super relevant marketing messages. And it costs you practically nothing. For leads, start with an abandoned cart and welcome series. For customers, send them an email that makes them feel validated and happy with their purchase — then sell them more.”

3/ Review your funnel

“This one sounds obvious, but we see a lot of companies with Google Ads or Facebook Ads that do not connect with the customer - or even with their own product page! One thing you can do today is check out your ‘middle

reviews’ (2-4 stars) to determine what benefits your customers are actually looking for, and what words they are using when they search. And while you’re at it, do the same with your competitors’ reviews! I guarantee, you will be inspired to update your copy.”

Danielle and her team at Keetrax work with big names like Essano and Edible Blooms Australia, as well as local established and growing companies like Dancing Sands Distillery and Petes Natural Lemonade.

“These tips apply to all sizes of businesses selling online,” says Danielle. “They’re the strategies we use with our clients, regardless of the size of their business.”

When asked why Keetrax is still tucked away in Mapua, Danielle laughs.

“I think a lot of people wonder that, but are afraid to ask. It’s actually a mark of prestige that big names trust us even though we’re not an Auckland or Wellington firm. And besides, I love living in the Nelson area too much to consider anywhere else!”

Keetrax partners with businesses on their journey from $20,000 to $20,000,000 online. They manage your social media, email marketing, paid online advertising and website development & optimisation.

They were Highly Commended in the Small Business category of the Nelson Business Awards in 2019, and have entered the Medium Business award category this year.

“Aroha means love, and that is exactly what we do... Love great chocolate.”

With a Nelson family history of confectionery and chocolatiering dating back to 1880, chocolate is in the blood of husband and wife team, Mike “Wobblie” Duke and Jo Logan. Together the couple operate a business handcrafting artisan chocolates, using premium Belgian chocolate and quality ingredients sourced locally and from around the world, with no added artificial preservatives.

Mike says, “Our motto has always been “Flavour First” ensuring our chocolates have distinctive, lasting flavours for customers to thoroughly enjoy. Not only do we focus on the quality of the ingredients but also the packaging they are presented in, with the focus being on as ecologically friendly as possible, including the materials we ship orders in.”

Up until the first lockdown the couple ran the business as a side hustle, but when Jo was made redundant they saw it as the catalyst for her to commit to the business full time. And she’s “been going full noise” on it ever since. Mike’s role is to take care of the branding, marketing and accounts.

As far as challenges go, eating chocolate and making it are at the opposite ends of the spectrum. For most of us, consuming it provides absolutely no challenge whatsoever. But if we knew how difficult it was to make, we might savour the eating step a bit more.

“It is the most fickle food group ever. The slightest temperature or humidity change or anything just moves slightly, and the chocolate won’t temper, it will just be a pain. It’s a very manual process. “

In addition to the chocolate being a temperamental temperer, Jo is a perfectionist, though that’s good for the consumer. And that perfectionism has recently paid off. In October, the business received several medals in the National Chocolate Awards. A gold medal for their Whiskey Heart, silver medals for Boysenberry & Cream Heart, and Moroccan Heart (Filled Chocolates - Truffles and Bonbons category), and a bronze medal for their Chilli Hot Chocolate (Drinking Chocolate category). Their whiskey heart chocolates was judged the supreme winner of its section. A feat made more impressive because at 31, it had by far the

largest number of entries in any category. “We are so proud to have won these great awards. It has been a challenging time to grow our business, and to get this recognition from some of the best in the industry, showing us that our hard work is paying off, means so much and gives us further drive to accomplish our chocolate dream.”

The couple sell mostly online via their website. Because they don’t use preservatives, their chocolates don’t have a long shelf life and that’s a challenge for most outlets.

Recent successes prove they’ve got something special. Meanwhile, they’ve enjoyed the process of putting together a business plan and see Aroha Chocolate as a viable business that they look forward to growing.

SMALL BUSINESS AWARD ENTRANT

Mahitahi Project: Maitai River Restoration

The Maitai River catchment has undergone significant restoration work in the last couple of years, thanks in large part to a cash injection from the Government after the nationwide lockdown in 2020.

The Mahitahi Restoration Project was established by Nelson City Council, under the Kaimahi and Jobs for Nature programme, as part of the COVID-19 recovery package, and funded though Ministry for the Environment and Department of Conservation (DOC). It formed one of the first contracts between Kūmānu Environmental (Kūmānu) and NCC through this initiative. Kūmānu is a division of Nelmac, delivering conservation management, ecology, biosecurity and track building services. It is for this project that Kūmānu has entered the NBS Environmental Award category this year.

In early 2021, the project was extended with DOC funding to become a collaborative endeavour under Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance*, with NCC, Ngāti Koata Trust, Fulton Hogan Ltd, Easy Trails, Friends of the Maitai and the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary Trust.

The project has intensively managed a range of over 20 hectares, and Nelsonians who walk sections of the Maitai River from the Nile Street overbridge upstream to the golf course (and around the Maitai Dam) will have noticed the difference the conservation team has made to the area. Project Manager, Mike Orchard says there has been several stages to the restoration.

“Primarily we did weed control followed up by planting and aftercare, but we expanded it into rat, stoat and possum control in the Brook Conservation Reserve, the halo to the sanctuary. We’ve designed and put in place a bespoke trap network which the rangers are servicing to reduce predator pressure at the sanctuary fence.”

“We’ve planted an excess of 65,000 plants this winter and over the course of the project a total of 125,000, though the actual number is even more than that because things get added when funding is available.”

Mike says the hard work by the team has paid off with noticeable transformations.

“Some of the areas that we’ve attacked have been pretty chocka with weeds. For example, the Mahitahi wetland [Groom Creek] used to be 90-100% pest trees and climbers, now it’s

replanted and there’s weed control aftercare going on regularly. We’re pretty pumped about the difference the project has made. We have taken lots of before and after photos and that’s pretty energizing and rewarding for the participants.” As well as the difference the work has made to the area, Kūmānu has successfully increased the skillset of staff, which has a positive effect to land conservation.

“The massive gain for Kūmānu is the customised onthe-job training programme for rangers employed who were displaced by the pandemic or seeking meaningful conservation training. Kūmānu has effectively added capable resource to the Conservation sector.”

Mike says the success of the Mahitahi Project will stimulate meaningful decisions about further funding to complete restoration of the Maitai and similar local projects. That the collaboration between Kūmānu and the community and business partners in the project has magnified the environmental outcomes achieved, as well as strengthening local conservation network relationships and potential. They’ve also developed data collection tools which will help with further projects.

“We’ll share that data so that if council are funding anything in the future they’ve got an enduring record of the work we have done and that information will assist with project planning and budgeting.”

*Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance

The Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance is a collective of iwi and councils from Te Tauihu and northern Te Tai Poutini, as well as the Department of Conversation, and our global supporter, The Nature Conservancy. The Alliance is dedicated to environmental restoration across our rohe. As the Alliance vision grows, so will our whānau of partners, supporters, and collaborators. We look forward to working collectively to achieve the best possible environmental outcomes for people and nature.

‘Kia kotahi te hoe’ – further together.

“The success of the Mahitahi Project will stimuluate meaningful decisions about similar local projects.”

Five years ago, CNX was a much smaller IT provider than it is now. They had been in business for 17 years and had six employees, but in the last five years, they have quadrupled their team to 23.

What’s the secret to their growth at a time when finding staff and customers can be a challenge? CEO and owner Paul Burt puts their success down to three key areas: listening, employing, shaping.

He met with clients to understand exactly what they needed from an IT service provider. The company also took time to find the best staff they could from around New Zealand and internationally. People with the right skills and the right attitude. Finally, they created a business model that made sense. Shaping their managed services and ensuring they offered products and services that clients wanted, with “no surprises.”

“Our services now are a lot more mature. We’re very personalised and focused on the top of the South Island. We want to be the best IT provider across the Te Tauihu, and we think we’ve made some massive strides towards that.”

Despite their progress in the last few years, Paul admits there is still more success ahead.

“We feel like we’re at the start of a journey again, which is exciting and a great position to be in; we never stand still. We have to evolve, and we have to grow, and it’s in our blood now.

“Last June, we re-aligned our business with the help of advisors to strengthen our structure. We also redid our vision, mission and values and what was really important for me was actually getting the team involved. We didn’t want words on the wall that meant nothing. Now everybody is onboard with our ethos and holding each other accountable.”

The idea of entering the business awards required Paul to get over some initial awkward feelings of selfpromotion, but he acknowledged they do have a story to be proud of and that the staff deserved recognition from their peers and to feel further pride in the business they work for.

“If we’re doing a good enough job, then it’s a way for our people to get a bit of a

pat on the back, and for folks that don’t know much about CNX, to start seeing our story and journey. To see that we’ve got an excellent company with great people doing remarkable things here; you don’t have to go to Auckland, Wellington, or Christchurch. Outcomes that you may think you need a national provider for, we are delivering right here, with our people and the skills we’ve got.”

TET is a small group of conservation badasses currently managing 22 landscape restoration projects worth $7 million across Nelson Tasman. Our superpower lies in creating connections. We bring together communities, iwi, local government, central government agencies, landowners and businesses to transform the environment and make good stuff happen.

Macro and micro results

We’ve had 22 years to get our ducks (or whio) in a row, so we can confidently manage projects at scale—like Restoring the Moutere and the Onetahua Restoration. But we also support and celebrate the mahi of local microprojects, that so often fly under the radar—like the Rare Plants initiative.

TET-supported projects have planted halfa-million native plants since 2006. We’ve removed 10,800 pest animals from the evironment since 2017. We’re currently maintaining a network of 2,500 predator traps. And we’re getting encouraging environmental outcomes. But ...

Race against time Landscape restoration using native plants builds environmental resilience. But it’s also a long-term undertaking. “We won’t see the results of all our mahi

for years,” says Trust manager, Sky Davies. “And if there’s one thing that 2022 has highlighted, it’s that putting plants in the ground isn’t enough—we have to keep them alive as well.”

That was brought home in August when 31,000 plants at our Wakapuaka Mouri project (the biggest restoration of private land in Nelson Tasman) were buried in silt.

A team of volunteers and contractors had the plants upright and restaked in a matter of days. “So we’re cautiously optimistic,” says Sky.

“But with extreme weather weather events, particuarly flooding, becoming increasingly common, we’re racing against time in trying to mitigate their effects.”

Not just about the plants

A healthy landscape doesn’t just need plants; it needs insects and animals too. Each supports the other.

Trapping and disposing of predator animals might not make for Insta-worthy images but without the amazing volunteers who do this important work, the habitat we’re working to create would be empty.

TET-supported trapping projects like Battle for the Banded Rail, Farmers for Whio, Mapua Dawn Chorus, Mārahau Halo, Kina Bird Song and others, are

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD ENTRANT

making a real difference in supporting manu Māori (native bird populations) across 175 restoration sites.

There are increased sightings of banded rail/moho pererū recorded in the Waimea Inlet, and whio/blue duck are moving further down the Motueka River tributaries from the Kahurangi National Park, thanks to community trapping efforts.

Conservation feels good

If you want to see people at their best, come to a volunteer planting day. Elders, young families, rangatahi, couples, mingle and chat. People smile and get their hands dirty.

Afterwards, you get to have a cuppa and munch on something yummy that someone else made and brought along out of the goodness of their heart. Everyone glows.

If you’re a business owner, consider organising a planting/weeding day for your team. Get in touch. Partner up with us. You’ll do so much good and people love it.

“Community conservation has the power to transform—not just landscapes, but people too,” says Sky. “And I hold to that belief as we continue to plant, protect and nurture those things that matter.”

Faye Aromatherapy was established in 2021 by Mikayla Bovey, built on childhood memories and a love for her mother. Kayla makes organic skincare products including lip balms, bath salts, massage oils, soaps and body butters and uses high-quality engraved bamboo packaging. The decision to begin it all started with an inner voice.

“When I was a child my mum used to run an aromatherapy business and she passed away when I was a teenager. I was cleaning out some of her stuff and I found amongst it her recipe book and something told me, you just need to be doing this. So, I started off just doing it as a hobby and it’s now turned into more.”

Kayla believes the right aromas promote a sense of well-being and tranquility depending upon the emotions you are currently experiencing. The business has been going for just over a year, qualifying in the Top South Media Start Up Business category.

What customer feedback do you get about your products?

“They love the packaging —it is one of the biggest things they comment on. It’s high-quality bamboo, fully engraved with no labels. So, they absolutely love the aesthetics of the packaging, as well as the fact that it’s refillable, reusable and recyclable. I offer refills on all my products and they like that idea that they’re buying something that isn’t a onetime thing, that they can buy a refill at a cheaper price and have packaging for life.”

Kayla sees one of the biggest challenges not in creating the products but marketing them. She began by selling her products at local markets, and still does. While she acknowledges that a consistent presence helps build trust the brand (and sales), it has been compromised by both Covid-19 and a string of wet weekend weather. Her answer to this has been to focus on building a website with an emphasis on e-commerce for online sales. Not that she has any intention of giving up the market stalls for a while yet. It’s a great way to get customer feedback but she likes the sociability of it too.

“I’m a real people-person and it’s cool to meet people with like minds. I find out a lot of things just from talking to people. I really enjoy the making of the product too, the craft; it’s quite a lot of fun and I feel accomplished when I do that.” The making happens in her spare time as Kayla juggles work on her skincare business with a full-time retail role. “I work as a manager at Kmart 40 hours a week-plus, and then I do my business when I get home almost every night, bar one, and attend two markets a week.”

The passion for her business keeps her going. It doesn’t feel quite so much like hard work if you love it.

“I really do enjoy it and I think the cool part about it is when I do everything myself from building my own website

to taking my own photos, I learn a lot of things by doing that and I’m quite creative. I quite like overcoming those challenges. There’s a lot that goes into building websites, but it’s quite fun. I want it to be a full-time job eventually, that’s what I’m working towards. I’d like to be able to do this as my passion.”

Now that the website is finished, her focus is on online sales and business contacts.

“I’m really hoping to gain more traction with my online website I’ve been working very hard on that at the moment. Currently most of my sales are face to face which is great, but I really want to try get more overseas buyers - and build up more business relationships with likeminded people.”

deliver homes on a tiny footprint, but the business itself is not tiny. Last year they entered the business awards as a Start Up, having been in business for a few months. This year, they have entered the Large business category (minimum $5million turnover) and have just signed a contract for their 82nd home build. That’s a lot of growth for a business that started by accident, less than two years ago.

Fran Huelsmeyer, Owner and Managing Director explains. “We were running accommodation for tourists and that flatlined with Covid obviously, and then we built a tiny house to rent it out as an Airbnb more for the domestic market of self-contained accommodation and we put it on Trade Me, then someone came along and bought it. Their friends

by accident, a market of huge demand.”

The business now employs 50 people in Motueka and another dozen in Whangarei with requests for their homes from up and down the country. What’s their secret?

“We believe in the personal approach. A fixed value of ours is on good customer service and we build our tiny houses not like caravans, but like homes, so they are fully insulated, timber framed, double glazed and all of our materials are New Zealand made. So that’s what customers really enjoy. Lots of tiny houses are more built like a caravan with a thinner steel framing and just for temporary use, but we know that most of our clients use them full time and live in there permanently, so we build them like a home.”

LARGE BUSINESS AWARD ENTRANT

Ruru are also matchmakers. Offering a free service as a go-between for those people looking for land to park their tiny homes and those landowners looking for people with tiny homes. They’ve already matched 30 people since they began this service.

An upside for Fran and husband, Daniel is that they know that unaffordable housing is a real situation for many and that a ruru tiny home has allowed a lot of people to become homeowners. “It has been incredibly exhausting if you consider the speed of the growth, but it is also very rewarding. The stories from people moving into the tiny house are really, really nice. Lots of people who come from emergency housing or due to a separation situation, who want to get rid of their mortgage to just have a bit more freedom and downsize…All sorts of stories and especially people who have separated, they make a lot of use of tiny homes because they can actually afford a tiny house on lease land. So yeah, there’s lots of nice stories.”

The couple still make adjustments to their designs, acknowledging the evolutionary nature of building, and incorporating good ideas from buyer requests.

“I think we’ve got some good solid designs that work for most people but we also offer customization so there’s a lot of ideas for clients that we then take over for most of our designs as well. I think it would be dangerous to say we’ve sorted it and we don’t need to learn anymore. I think it’s going to be a learning journey forever.”

Nelson Provincial Museum:

200,000 pieces of regional history

The idea of a Nelson Provincial Museum first arose 181 years ago. Early UK settlers began discussing the establishment of an institute (The Literary and Scientific Institution of Nelson) before they had even reached sight of the shore. This forward planning has contributed not only to it being the oldest museum collection in the country, but also to the depth of it’s regionally, nationally and even internationally significant collections. It holds 200,000 objects across social and natural history, taonga Māori, and fine and decorative arts, as well as 1.2 million photographs, and 150,000 original documents.

The Tyree Studio photographic collection takes pride of place on the mantel. This highly lauded collection stretches from the 1860s to the 1940s and is significant enough to have been included in the prestigious UNESCO Memory of the World New Zealand documentary heritage register. Most of these historic photographs can be viewed via their website catalogue.

The majority of the museum’s collection of taonga, artefacts and archives is stored at the Research Facility in Isel Park while

the public facing Museum is located in the heart of Nelson. This central location contributes to high attendance numbers though ultimately, the real lure is a dynamic programme of major touring exhibitions each year alongside a series of public talks, an educational programme, outreach activities and various exhibition-related workshops.

It is the regional museum of Nelson Tasman and is operated by the CCO Tasman Bays Heritage Trust (TBHT). The museum is jointly funded by Nelson City and Tasman District Councils. Tasman Bays Heritage Trust is guided by the six manawhenua iwi of the marae of Whakatū, Motueka and Mohua via the Te Tai Ao Komiti, who advise on matters pertaining to taonga, tikanga and matauranga Māori.

This summer, the museum will be hosting ‘Curious Contraptions’. This exhibition, on tour from London, explores small, surreal worlds through fantastical, often amusing mechanical sculptures known as automata. This vibrant, funfilled exhibition is the kind to captivate all ages. It opens to the

public on Friday 16 December with entry by donation for Nelson Tasman residents.

Nelson is the first South Island venue for this touring exhibition. “Nelson Museum has a proud history of bringing international shows to our rohe,” says Chief Executive Lucinda Jimson. “We were thrilled that we were able to secure this fun and interactive exhibition for summer.”

The museum has made a significant contribution to the community for many years and is proud to enter the Bowater Hyundai Community Impact Award.

Weka Peckers: Reducing waste through deconstruction

Weka Peckers Recycling has just celebrated their second anniversary after Ricarda and Merv embarked on their journey to offer sustainable recycling and re-use options for Tasman in October 2020.

While the previous business had already established a re-use shop with treasures of all sorts, Ricarda and Merv concentrate their efforts to establish different sustainable recycling streams which have not been or are so far not available for Tasman residents. Two of these are well-underway now: e-waste recycling and the deconstruction of houses.

Deconstructing houses has a huge impact on the reduction of waste to landfill as the building is taken apart carefully so that many materials, like roofing iron, cladding and timber, windows, doors and all the metals right down to the nails and screws can be reused or recycled and saved from landfill – their sad fate if the house was simply demolished.

How does reducing waste look like at Weka Peckers Recycling

on a day-to-day basis?

Let us tell you, it is a lot of work! We are manually sorting through boot and trailer-loads of, often not-soclean, boxes of bric-a-brac, shed and garage clear-outs, cleaning items for the shop or we take items apart so customers can buy spare parts or components can be properly recycled.

A lot of time also goes into advising and educating customers of other options, like e-waste recycling, keeping batteries out of landfill to reduce the risk of fires, sorting items into plastics and metal.

Why do we do it?

There is no question that things need to happen so Aotearoa’s tamariki can enjoy this land and the world. We offer our passion, commit and our time to build a more sustainable reuse and recycling infrastructure for the Tasman area. As a team, we can achieve a lot together. With different skill sets and interests we see potential in the reusing and repurposing of different items – a perfect start to work

one item at a time to reduce and make a difference in today’s throw-away-society.

With all efforts combined, Weka Peckers has diverted nearly 500 tonnes of landfill this year and we plan to increase this by 20% for the next year!

We are planning to achieve this by completing the construction of a processing plant for adding value to the rimu and other timber from our deconstruction of houses.

In addition, we will be able to refurbish furniture that is dropped off at Weka Peckers ready for its new home. The projects are endless in reducing waste as a way to improve our local environment and offering sustainable solutions to our community.

Before: house for demolition

After: Beautifully refurbished rimu flooring

Imagine a world where you knew exactly where the fish on your plate was caught? And when? Maybe even who caught it? And most importantly, that it was all done ethically.

Nelson company Snap Group is on a mission to turn this into a reality.

From sunny Nelson, Snap Group manufactures cameras for fishing boats that weather the toughest conditions, and solar powered satellite tracking devices that can track almost anything on the planet.

Snap Group is changing transparency and sustainability as we know it.

Snap Group CEO Chris Rodley says, “We’re doing this because we know we need change.

“Back in the day, our ancestors shook hands and breathed the same air as the person who caught their dinner. And while things have moved on since then, our technology can help plug the gaps

that have been missing for so long in our supply chains.

“That was our ‘why’ behind starting Snap Group back in 2007, and we are on track and raring to make our mission of full sustainability and transparency a reality,” says Chris.

Chris, his brother, and father were tinkering with an old webcam in his dad’s Nelson garage when dreams for Snap Group began.

“It’s surreal thinking about how we started out. And now our cameras and tracking units are on hundreds of fishing boats around the world — one of them even went on a mission to the Antarctic.”

At its core, Snap Group builds and grows innovative local and international companies in the heart of Nelson. Its work covers research and development, manufacturing, technology hardware and software solutions for fisheries, meat, food and other industries. Snap Group is parent company to Snap Information Technologies (SnapIT), PinPoint Earth, and Teem Fish Monitoring.

Chris says, “Each of the companies that now make up Snap Group are all set on seeing a supply chain with full transparency and sustainability from beginning to end.”

Teem Fish Monitoring’s camera technology helps ensure compliance on large fishing boats, whether that’s fair

treatment of staff or following fishing regulations.

The cameras also help companies monitor the movement and location of their boats when out at sea.

PinPoint Earth’s solar powered technology has almost endless opportunities and is currently being used to track things like a truck of cattle being shipped from the North to the South Island. There is also scope for the technology to track things like kayaks and boats for hire, in the tourism industry.

The Snap IT arm of Snap Group is made up of highly-skilled and dedicated people that make it all happen. They are specialist software developers, electronic and mechanical engineers who develop and manufacture the cameras, AI hardware and satellite technology from the ground up.

A Nelson local, Chris says Snap Group is committed to keeping the town as its homebase.

“For me, and many of our people at Snap Group, it’s great being able to live and work from our hometown - and still be a puzzle piece in a global movement.

“Right now, our cameras are on hundreds of fishing boats and our tracking technology is being used across NZ, with trials in the US and Asia. Making that happen from right here in Nelson is pretty epic, I have to say.”

what would our region be like without the cultural vibe we get from our ethnic communities? How easy would it be to settle here if you didn’t speak the language or understand the New Zealand culture?

An organisation that has been instrumental in assisting people from different cultures integrate into our region since 1994 has been Multicultural Nelson Tasman (MNT). MNT is a nongovernment organisation which supports migrants, former refugees and people from minority ethnicities in the Nelson/ Tasman region with their settlement process. It also promotes positive race relations through community education, ensuring people of all ethnicities feel empowered so that they can actively contribute to the wider community.

MNT is behind the very successful Multicultural Festival (next held 19 March 2023). This is their flagship event and is attended by 4000-5000 thousand people every year.

They have since added to that, the Tasman Asian Night Food Fair (11 February 2023) to provide something in the Tasman District for their growing ethnic communities.

If it wasn’t for the existence of a support organisation like MNT there is no doubt that people settling here from other countries and cultures would find it more of a challenge.

Acting Chair and founding organiser,

Marie Lindaya says, “It would be harder for them to find to find that sense of belonging, they’ll be isolated in their groups and I don’t think they’ll be a community as such if we weren’t there to advocate for them, to support and encourage them. We’ve helped them apply for grants because they need that funding to be able to hold their culture activities. So now they know how to apply for funding, they’ve been empowered to do that and also continue to advocate for their own their communities, but also to try to integrate with the wider community here.”

Multicultural Nelson Tasman operates with just two paid staff, a manager and a project coordinator, as well as a volunteer membership of around 200 which is a mix of individuals, corporate and ethnic organisations.

Marie knows first-hand exactly what it is like to settle here. Originally from the Philippines, she arrived in Nelson in 1990 and was instrumental

COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD ENTRANT

in setting up the organisation in 1994.

“Personally, coming here from another culture I know how hard it is if you’re not engaged with the community, if you don’t have that sense of belonging, or find it difficult to integrate. It feels worthwhile, bringing them out of their comfort zone. There’s another world out here that you can appreciate, and that can appreciate you in return.”

There is no doubt that cultural diversity in the Nelson/Tasman region enriches our society and provides opportunities for economic growth, community development and international relationships.

Even though we may have different ways of expressing ourselves through music, dance, food, celebration and worship, we have more in common as people than not.

The organisation’s motto is: Unity in Diversity - kotahitanga i roto i te kanorau.

Kimer Med: Eliminating viral disease

Kimer Med is on a mission to end viral disease. Founded in August 2020, Nelson biotech company Kimer Med is on a mission that could change the world. Their success would mean an end to the suffering of potentially billions of humans and animals currently afflicted by viral disease.

Viruses are one of the oldest and deadliest threats to human life and cause immeasurable sickness, suffering and death around the world.

Dengue, Ebola, Hepatitis, HIV and Zika wreak havoc and ruin lives, particularly in developing countries. The ‘flu’ is associated with 500,000 deaths every year, and viruses like Covid-19 can appear suddenly, killing millions and devastating economies.

In spite of the billions spent on medical research, there are registered antiviral drugs for only a handful of viruses. Most target a specific virus and only slow down its ability to multiply. They tend to be relatively toxic and vulnerable to drug resistance as viruses

can mutate, leaving the drug ineffectual.

To overcome these problems, Kimer Med is developing a broad-spectrum antiviral drug using existing large molecule recombinant protein technology. This is not a vaccine, but a treatment intended to eliminate a virus once it has infected a host body. Their antiviral technology is called “VTose®.”

Kimer Med’s innovative business model, research process and product development path takes them on an unconventional journey compared to the traditional “big pharma” model. They call this approach “small pharma” – and with it Kimer Med intends to make a lasting, positive impact on the world.

A broad-spectrum antiviral drug will revolutionise medicine, save countless lives and greatly reduce global suffering. Along the way they plan to build a sustainable business that will generate intellectual property, create highly skilled jobs, and have a significant positive impact on economic activity in this region.

START-UP BUSINESS AWARD ENTRANT

It was late 2019 and Dani Ferrier was living in the Netherlands when the pandemic hit. Dani had spent her life travelling up until that point gathering vital life experience including learning four languages and working as a mountain guide. While in isolation in the remote Dutch forest, she decided the lockdown was the perfect opportunity to start studying again.

“The decision to study something academic was a big step for me. It meant I had to get over my fear that I wasn’t smart enough and step into my true potential. I was able to read people and situations well, but the conventional schooling system just didn’t work for me. When I found out about leadership coaching, the fire inside me was lit. There was no turning back from that point.”

Dani had always loved a good challenge, so the idea of becoming a public speaker and team trainer was scary, but exciting. She knew she could use her enthusiasm and energy to create change. It was very important to her to get the best coaching education possible so that she could have the biggest impact on her future clients. The Coaching Institute resonated. “With swearing and spelling mistakes in their manuals, and a mission that reads “live your dream”, I felt I was a great match for a school that clearly does not follow the norm!”

With her qualifications completed, Dani decided it was time to move back to her hometown of Nelson to start her business. She is the only accredited Meta Dynamics Pro Coach in Nelson. Now with over 300 hours of coaching

under her belt, she notices patterns that business owners struggle with including the self-limiting beliefs that are preventing them from becoming a great leader for their team.

“One of the common things I’ve noticed compared to business in the Netherlands is that the Kiwi culture is not supporting people who strive to succeed. The Tall Poppy Syndrome means that if you are doing well then you get cut down and there is a cultural stigma around making money. I coach business owners to break free of these cultural limits, as well as the limits that they put on themselves to be a more effective business owner.”

She says she is currently working on a programme that helps business owners to move from ambition to meaning in their business and build their leadership confidence so they can have a thriving culture with a team and customers they love.

She says that as they work with her, their business grows and more importantly, they become much more relaxed. “I love seeing them have deeper connections with their team, more joy in their faces and a greater sense of fulfilment as a result of stepping into their potential.”

Dani says she has a really strong vision and mission and since starting her business has enjoyed working with some incredible local business leaders who are causing ripples in the Nelson community.

Helping your business succeed.

Many owners, managers, and team leaders require better skills and knowledge in certain areas to enable them to be effective, responsive and confident to lead the business into the future.

That’s

Thank you so much for all the assistance provided. I am excited to start working my way through this action plan. I came away from our meeting buzzing, optimistic and excited for next steps.

The Green Collective

Upcoming Events

DEC 13

DEC 14

Findex Business After Five & Chamber Xmas Event

When: 17:30 - 19:00

Where: Cawthron Institute 98 Halifax Street East

Leadership & Communication

When: 09:00 - 10:00

Where: Mahitahi Colab

FEB 24

2022 Business Awards Gala Dinner

When: 17:00 - 22:00 Where: Rutherford Hotel

FEB 28

Findex Business After Five When: 17:30 - 19:00 Where: Nelson Environment Centre, 6 Vivian Place, Nelson

Meet our Members

Introducing some of the newest members to our community.

TSA Management is a project management and advisory consultancy specialising in providing independent, tailored solutions for projects across the property and infrastructure sector for government, private and not-for-profit clients. For TSA, it’s not just about the things we build, but the positive legacy we help generate for the communities in which we work, and the beneficial role we play in creating places to live, learn, work and enjoy. Our people offer a depth of experience drawn from a variety of professional backgrounds such as civil engineering; architecture; surveying; quantity surveying; planning; and design to provide best for project outcomes.

E: lincoln.blair@tsamgt.com

T: 021 2456 837 W: tsamgt.com

At Prime Strategies, we provide business advice to mostly small and medium businesses across NZ, including many family-owned businesses.

We understand what goes on and how these businesses are different to the big corporates. We understand your everyday challenges.

Evelyn Davis is your local Prime Advisor and is available to work with you now.

Get in touch with her today to see why working with her will benefit you and your business.

E: evelyn.davis@primestrategies.com

T: 021 619 919 W: primestrategies.co.nz

The Grape Escape Cafe is nestled in a beautiful country garden in the Old Factory Corner complex.

A perfect spot to relax and enjoy great food, superb coffee or a glass of wine. Whether you fancy brunch, lunch or afternoon tea, enjoy the ambience of our cosy, friendly café.

Meet with friends on the covered deck, outdoors in our garden, visit the bunnies, or the playground.

Get in touch today for a booking, special occasion cakes, catering or a private event – at your place or ours.

E: grapeescape@outlook.co.nz

T: 03 544 4341 W: thegrapeescapecafe.co.nz

Common Ground is a consultancy to enable resilient communities with housing that is socially connected, culturally responsive, ecologically restorative, and longterm affordable. We support government, developers, housing providers, and community-led housing groups with strategic direction, training in best practices, facilitation of community engagement and research to achieve better housing and community outcomes.

We also create bespoke in-house assessment and training for your team/business to increase workplace wellbeing. We can creatively use conflict to bring about team harmony, cooperation, interpersonal communication, increased trust and productivity.

E: kiaora@commonground.net.nz

T: 027 449 0422 W: commonground.net.nz

Established back in 2014, we have been providing clients with exceptional accountancy services and business advice for many years now. We work with clients all over the country, specialising in business advice, tax compliance, financial reporting, and cloud accounting solutions, but we offer many more valuable services.

We understand the varied needs of our clients and focus on giving advice that’s easy to understand and implement as well as simplifying systems and processes.

You only pay for what you need, so you don’t have to worry about big monthly bills and not seeing any tangible outcome for months on end.

E: glen@kingstonrobinson.co.nz

T: 021 366 937 W: kingstonrobinson.co.nz

Founders Café is situated in the heart of Founders Heritage Park and serves a large range of local and national craft beers, a full range of Iwi-owned Kono wine, barista specialty coffee and a delectable cafe style menu. To keep the kids happy, we have plenty of seating near the playground which happens to overlook the Bristol Freighter and the train tracks. If outside in the hop garden or exploring the historic park isn’t your scene, then never fear, we have a character filled indoor lounge fitted with a cosy fireplace and books you’re welcome to borrow. On Friday nights throughout the summer, we keep things humming with live music. We also love hosting private events.

E: nelson.founders.cafe@gmail.com

T: 03-548 4638 W: founderscafe.co.nz

Ratanui Lodge is situated in the heart of Pohara in the hidden gem known as Golden Bay in the northwest corner of Nelson Tasman. The beachside location makes our Lodge the perfect destination for a relaxing and refreshing break away.

Our newly refurbished Lodge is contemporary, stylish, and comfortable and includes a welcoming restaurant and lounge bar which is open to the public 7 days for breakfast, cocktails and dinner.

We welcome Exclusive Use bookings for private events or conferences; take all 10 rooms and enjoy the perfect Ratanui Retreat!

E: stay@ratanuilodge.com

T: 03 525 7998 W: ratanuilodge.com

Are you making the most of your membership?

You and your staff can access big savings with our national partners.

There are plenty of special member-to-member offers from local businesses too!

Don’t forget about the Stocard app!

The Chamber has now gone digital. With just a few simple steps, your membership card can be loaded into Stocard and taken with you, or your staff, anywhere.