2021 Electra Business & Innovation Award Winners and Finalists
ELECTRA BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2021
Winner: Paulas Home & Living
Sponsor: Electra
Judges Comments: Congratulations to Paulas Home and Living as the Electra Business of the Year. Founding owner and Managing Director Paula, is determined to be a winner. Her application covered just about every eventuality for addressing how her innovative business model can satisfy customers and grow revenue while also being environmentally sustainable. Her business is well placed for current population growth. Paula’s impressive application also included detailed performance metrics.
Manufacturing, Production and Processing
Winner: Imagination Distilling
Sponsor: Steel-it Framing Ltd
Judges Comments: Imagination Distilling takes a very hands-on and enthusiastic approach to implementing its environmentally sustainable practices with an emphasis on local sourcing of key ingredients. Building on the lessons learnt from rebranding, the underlying values and the positivity of that process are inspirational, reflecting the pride taken in the distilling of quality gin.
Finalists: Imagination Distillery, Speedy Signs & EmbroidMe Kāpiti - Porirua
Hospitality, Entertainment and Tourism
Winner: Handmaid
Sponsor: Air Chatham
Judges Comments: Outfitting a caravan for weddings is one of the most unique innovations in the history of the Electra Awards. Wisely, this innovation was based on offshore examples which, along with Kiwi ingenuity, assisted in mitigating risk and the creation of a successful business opportunity.
Finalists: Handmaid, Prime Performance
Professional and Business Services, or Technology
Winner: Tall Poppy Real Estate
Sponsor: Graphic Press & Packaging
Judges Comments: Tall Poppy Real Estate is an inspiration. Smart, tech savvy and innovative, it has set out to challenge the status quo and is well on the way to being an industry disrupter. It has proved to be agile and resilient even before Covid lockdowns and benefitted from this when the tough times hit. Since then, making a deep and significant investment in personal and professional development has paid off, with a business culture that is authentic and enables everyone to bring their best selves to work
Finalists: Foxx & Filly Home Staging and Interior Design, Leith Consulting, Tall Poppy Real Estate
Not for Profit, Community and Public Services
Winner: Kāpiti Youth Support - KYS
Sponsor: Kapinua
Judges Comments: KYS shows awareness that retaining skilled, dedicated professionals in the region is critical to the successful delivery of its service. Developing a rock-solid set of values that permeate the service delivery model has ensured staff share the same strong vision and commitment. Recognising the need to be competitive on pay, conditions and professional development has enabled the organisation to attract an impressive team of professionals to work with vulnerable youth in the region. There is a real sense of dedication to youth support and a commitment to their cause.
Finalists: Horowhenua New Zealand Trust, Kapiti Youth Support, Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club
Retail
Winner: Paulas Home & Living
Sponsor: New World Foxton
Judges Comments: Paulas Home & Living has a deep and wide understanding of the power of a great people strategy. This business demonstrated a sound appreciation of the risks of not managing people well. Recognising that people are an organisation’s greatest asset and investing in their development has built a dedicated, professional team.
Finalists: We Love Local, Paulas Home & Living, The Hair Studio Kapiti
New/Emerging Award
Winner: Leith Consulting
Sponsor: Kāpiti Coast Chamber of Commerce
Judges Comments: As well as developing an innovative business model, Leith Consulting demonstrated a clear sense of its whanaungatanga through both in-kind and financial support, demonstrating a strong link into what it values and driving a connected community. The Judges loved the spirit of seeing all the project through to completion.
Finalists: Leith Consulting, The Hair Studio Kapiti, We Love Local
Small Business Award
Winner: Foxx and Filly Home Staging and Interior Design
Sponsor: NZME
Judges Comments: The feedback provided by clients surveyed by Foxx and Filly about its proposed new initiatives for design settings described it as an excellent service and value for money. Foxx and Filly demonstrated knowledge of the relationship between its activity and the outcomes for its customers. The impact of the business was further tested by entering international competitions with some winning results.
Finalists: Foxx & Filly Home Staging and Interior Design, The Hair Studio Kapiti, Handmaid
Sustainability Award
Winner: We Love Local
Sponsor: Recreational Services
Judges Comments: We Love Local has had great success building its business operations around sustainable business practices. It has made good use of like-minded eco-partners to help deliver on their goals. It has implemented both simple and complex measures, and taken an inclusive approach with their customers, such as offering them the opportunity to offset their carbon emissions.
Innovation Award
Winner: Paulas Home & Living
Sponsor: Templeton Group
Judges Comments: Paulas description of the costs of innovation it implemented is the most detailed of any of this year’s applicants. There is evidence of a serious commitment to a professional rebranding process supported by investment to enable it to succeed. It is clear that the rebranding was examined from several different perspectives. As such, it brought with it opportunities to present a new look at the company's value proposition, to gain increased attention from its existing and potential customers, to shape the redecoration of a nice, new look store, a way of keeping up with competitors, of adapting to the new expressway and airport plans AND opportunities to attract staff who wanted to work in an upmarket home store.
Kāpiti Top Shop
Winners: Kāpiti Youth Support (KYS)
Sponsor: Vodafone
Finalists: Relish Cafe - Waikanae, Kapiti Youth Support, STIHL Shop Kapiti, Seriously Pickled, Paulas Home & Living
Horowhenua Top Shop
Winner: Steeds Pharmacy
Sponsor: Vodafone
Finalists: Steeds Pharmacy, New World Foxton, Photo and Framed
Sponsor of - Electra Business of the Year 2021
Sponsor of - Hall of Fame - Kapiti
Sponsor of - Hall of Fame - Horowhenua
Sponsor of - Top Shop - Kāpiti & Horowhenua
Sponsor of - Small Business Award
Sponsor of - Hospitality, Entertainment and Tourism
Sponsor of - Professional and Business Services, or Technology
Sponsor of - Manufacturing, Production and Processing
Sponsor of - Innovation Award
Sponsor of - Retail (Includes hair and beauty services)
Sponsor of - Not for Profit, Community and Public Services
Sponsor of - Sustainability Award
Sponsor of - New / Emerging Award
Design Sponsor
AV Sponsor
Accounts Sponsor
Video Sponsor
