Judges for the 2017 NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards have announced the line-up of finalists after a record year of entries.

CEO of the Sustainable Business Network (SBN) Rachel Brown says these organisations and individuals are leading the transformation to a more sustainable New Zealand.

“This year we have had the highest number of entries in the 15 years of the Awards, reflecting the growth in sustainability initiatives across New Zealand businesses.

“These Awards recognise outstanding achievement in making New Zealand a more sustainable nation. Over the years we have seen a movement from efficient resource management into real system shifts, responding to critical themes like restoring nature, renewable transport and good food.

“The quality of entries has been extremely high, so making the final round of judging is a considerable achievement.

“The finalists include small businesses, corporates and not for profits, showing that all types of organisations can make a success out of sustainability. Recognising progress is vital, and the Awards are our way of celebrating together.”

Travis Atkinson, Executive General Manager of NZI, the Principal Sponsor of the Awards, says, “We’ve been proud supporters of the Sustainable Business Network and national Awards for the last 10 years.

“As an organisation that provides business insurance for a growing New Zealand, being sustainable is really important to us - it’s fundamental to the way we do business. We’re strong believers in the SBN’s mission to inspire change and we look forward to meeting the new sustainability leaders of 2017.”

The Award winners will be announced at a black tie ceremony on 30 November at Shed 10 on Auckland’s waterfront. Tickets are now on sale.

The finalists for the 2017 NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards are: Sustainability Superstar AwardSponsored by Westpac Geoff Bold, Fisher & Paykel HealthcareBob Burnett, Bob Burnett ArchitectureGary Dalton, Te Whangai TrustJosie Evans, Excelso CoffeeAndrew Fisher, EcoStock Supplies LtdToni Hogg, Green CabsAnton Hutton, Z EnergyIan G. McLean, Toi Ohomai Institute of TechnologyJulia Milne, Common Unity Project AotearoaDee and Steve West, ChargeNet New Zealand Communicating for Change AwardSponsored by Cadence Communications Conscious ConsumersEcotricityGreen CabsMeridian EnergySustainable Winegrowing NZ / NZ Sustainability DashboardSuperhome MovementThe Better NZ TrustTrade MeWasteMINZBayfair Shopping CentreClean EventKiwi Community Assistance Charitable TrustLittle Yellow BirdMy Car Your RentalThankyou PayrollTROW GroupVerisafeWestpac Partnering for Good Award Akina FoundationAuckland Whale & Dolphin SafariBNZ and Good Shepherd NZChargeNet New ZealandDementia Auckland / WestpacFonterra / KickStart Breakfast ProgrammeKiwibank and BanqerMevo LimitedNew Zealand PostSeagull Centre TrustTake My Hands Charitable TrustThree Kings Salvage and Recovery Project Going Circular AwardSponsored by Auckland Council Auckland District Health BoardClearsite Demolition LtdEcoStock Supplies LtdEthiqueGlobal Action Plan OceaniaInnocent PackagingMashbone Dog TreatsReclaimReseneThe FormaryTrademeTROW GroupWishbone Design StudioWoolchemy NZ Ltd Efficiency Champion AwardSponsored by RicohAuckland District Health BoardChristchurch Airport Clearsite Demolition LtdFisher & Paykel HealthcareFoodstuffsKiwi Property GroupT&G Global Smarter Transport AwardSponsored by Opus International Consultants Auckland TransportBoltra LtdChargeNet New ZealandEcotricityFlip the FleetMercuryMevo LimitedNew Zealand PostWaste Management NZ LimitedYourDrive Revolutionising Energy AwardSponsored by EECA BusinessBayfair Shopping CentreChargeNet New ZealandECOLight / Kiwi Property GroupEcoStock Supplies LtdHR Cement LimitedPakaraka PermacultureReid Technology Ltd & TEAM Power LtdVector Transforming Food AwardSponsored by Yealands Family WinesCommon Unity Project AotearoaDung Beetle InnovationsEcoStock Supplies LtdGreen Spot Technologies LtdOtago LocustsPakaraka PermaculturePurebread Restoring Nature AwardSponsored by Department of Conservation Agrissentials NZ LtdAuckland Whale & Dolphin SafariGreen CabsLittle Brown Kiwi New ZealandMaungatautari Ecological Island Trust (MEIT) Real JourneysTe Whangai TrustZealandia

| A Sustainable Busness Network release  ||  August 31,  2017   |||

The Power Farming Euro Tour saw 63 New Zealand farmers, contractors and dealers hit Italy and Germany to see the latest tractor technologies from the SDF Group including production of the series 6, 7 and 9 Deutz Fahr. The Power Farming Euro Tour saw 63 New Zealand farmers, contractors and dealers hit Italy and Germany to see the latest tractor technologies from the SDF Group including production of the series 6, 7 and 9 Deutz Fahr.

While the All Blacks were well into planning their end-of-year tour, another group of Kiwis headed to the northern hemisphere in the middle of July during the European summer.

The Power Farming Euro Tour saw 63 New Zealand farmers, contractors and dealers hit Italy and Germany to see the latest tractor technologies from the SDF Group, which recently commissioned the most modern tractor factory in the world.

First stop was at the SDF headquarters in Treviglio, east of Milan in northern Italy.

This is the home of Deutz Fahr tractors up to 130hp and the capable and versatile Series 5 tractors. Guests could take in the heritage of a business that saw the Cassani brothers build their first diesel tractor in 1927, and the SAME DA, the world’s first 4WD tractor, launched in 1952.

On the production lines an upgrade is underway to produce automated guided vehicles (AGV) that carry the emerging tractors around the site and allow the factory to build up to 100 tractors each day.

Following a trip to a local dairy farm, which supplemented milk production with a large biogas plant, the party headed over the Alps to Munich and on to Lauingen, the home of Deutz Fahr.

Said to be the fastest growing brand in Europe, Deutz Fahr has recently commissioned a state-of-the art tractor assembly plant aptly named Deutz Fahr Land. In a building of 42,000sq.m on a site of 160,000sq.m and built at a cost of NZ$145 million, the mission is to build tractors right first time (RTF). A completed tractor leaves the production line every 12 minutes; the factory is said to be capable of producing up to 6000 units per annum on a one-shift basis.

Continue to read the full article here   | A Rural News release  ||  August 28, 2017   |||

Tim Flannery is one of the world’s leading environmentalists and a former Australian of the Year. He is travelling to Auckland on 29 August to speak to businesses about what they should be doing to restore the nation’s waterways.

Flannery will be a keynote speaker at The Inconvenient Conference, organised by the Sustainable Business Network. The award-winning author will speak on the Vitality of Water, one of four key trends that are creating massive change – and opportunity – for business.

Tim Flannery was appointed Australia’s first Climate Commissioner. He has named 25 living species and 50 fossil mammal species.

Rachel Brown, CEO of the Sustainable Business Network, says: “Tim Flannery is one of the world’s top authorities on climate change and the environment. The disastrous state of New Zealand’s freshwater is just one way in which the world is changing at an unprecedented rate.

“It’s vital we understand how to adapt and respond. The implications are for New Zealand’s major sectors, particularly agriculture, viticulture and tourism, but it really affects us all. With the election around the corner, this conference is an important time for businesses to grapple with these issues.”

The other three trends the conference will address, in addition to the Vitality of Water, are Smarter Transport, Millennials and the Circular Economy. The conference also includes a showing of the sequel to Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, An Inconvenient Sequel.

Other speakers include Lewis Perkins, President of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, USA (by video); Rod Oram, business journalist; Paul Young, founder of Generation Zero; Shruthi Vijayakumar, head of learning and development at Inspiring Stories; and Dorenda Britten, founder of The Britten Institute. For more information go to: sustainable.org.nz | A sustainableBusinessNetwork release  ||  August 23,  2017   |||

New Zealand will host APEC in 2021, with Leaders’ Week to be held in Auckland from November 8 to 14, Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee says.

“With Auckland also set to host the America’s Cup, 2021 will be a big year for the country’s biggest city,” Mr Brownlee says.

“We are announcing the dates as early as possible to provide some clarity for planning, which is already under way.

“APEC 2021 will be the largest event ever hosted by the New Zealand government and is a wonderful opportunity for New Zealand to shine on the international stage.

“APEC will bring world leaders to New Zealand and create significant opportunities to promote our economic interests with trading nations including China, the US and Japan.

“The Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing economic region in the world and APEC is its leading economic forum.

“APEC member economies account for almost half of all global trade, and more than 70 per cent of New Zealand’s goods and services are exported to APEC economies.

“It is expected that APEC will attract up to 22,000 international attendees to the 12 significant APEC-related events held throughout the year, with around 10,000 attendees expected for Leaders’ Week.

“While Auckland is confirmed to host the Leaders’ Week, we intend to spread meetings and events across other large cities, including Christchurch, to showcase the very best of New Zealand’s capability, innovation, culture and amazing landscapes,” Mr Brownlee says

| A Beehive release  ||  August 15,  2017   |||

Christchurch’s Davinia Sutton and New Plymouth’s Glen Johns were the Supreme winners at the New Zealand’s kitchen and bathroom Excellence in Design Awards in Sydney tonight.

Johns won the National Kitchen and Bathroom Association (NKBA) best kitchen award and Sutton won best bathroom. The pair have led with outstanding NKBA awards between them in recent years.

Judges said Johns kitchen design offered sophisticated space with a juxtaposition of the warm wood and metal. They said the lighting provided an intimate feel and offered clever use of modern technology.

Johns says kitchens are such an integral part of the household, that it makes sense to also ensure they are a critical part of the architecture. Johns is renowned for his architectural approach to kitchen design.

He has been involved in the kitchen industry for 26 years. His company, Kitchens by Glen Johns, combines skills, passion and creativity of innovative design creating quality award winning kitchens, bathrooms, laundries and all other forms of cabinetry within a wide spectrum of briefs.

Supreme bathroom design winner Sutton found judges saying her design profiled ‘’a lovely composition of colours’’. They said her design was simple and stylish, minimal yet warm and comfortable. The design provided great storage and the detailing “is beautiful and elegant”.

Sutton, who won the same award last year, says she is passionate about interior architecture, from traditional to modern in style, my approach to each design is well thought out and highly considered.

Her company Detail by Davinia Sutton is a boutique design practice with a combined experience of over 25 years designing interiors, including kitchens, bathrooms, laundries, wardrobing, furniture, media rooms, storage solutions and outside living/BBQ zones.

In addition to the supreme kitchen and bathroom winners, there are over 30 other awards presented including regional awards and a student design award.

Winners came from Christchurch, Auckland, Wellington, Southland, Otago, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Taranaki and Hawke’s Bay.

Last year’s supreme kitchen design award winner Auckland designer Morgan Cronin was a judge this year. The awards are being held off shore for the first time so designers can attend the 2017 Sydney Indesign event this weekend.

As the country's top kitchen and bathroom designers presented the best of their work in the annual awards, it offered a litmus test of the latest trends, NKBA president Annemarie Mains says.

“We have been so excited about the beautiful and creative kitchen and bathroom designs of the New Zealand designers this year. NKBA designers are world class with such a high standard and quality manufacturing,” Mains says.

The awards are the longest standing kitchen and bathroom design Awards in New Zealand. This year’s awards are the 33rd for the NKBA, with Fisher & Paykel as the 2017 principal sponsor.

NKBA designers are leaders in the industry with many working not only within New Zealand but overseas as well, Mains says.

| A MakeLemonade release  ||  August 11,  2017   |||

Taking place in Brussels between 25-28 September, the printing specialist will display up to three narrow- mid-web in line UV flexo printing presses including the M5X, the M1 and the M6 lines.

Visitors to the stand will also learn about the range of web-fed solutions Bobst offers in the different segments of the label industry.

These include developments in CI flexo, gravure printing and lamination, which are suited for customers looking for efficiency in short run production.

As well as the inline flexo presses showing incremental innovations to continuously increase the equipment performance, Bobst also has a brand new development in store.

“It relates to packaging and we are keeping it under wraps,” said Matteo Cardinotti, managing director of Bobst Firenze and head of narrow & mid-web multi-process product line. “But mum’s the word until Labelexpo, when all will be unveiled during a dedicated event that will take place on the Bobst stand on the evening of the first show day, on 25th of September.”

| A Packaging World release  ||  July 19,  2017   |||

Port Denarau Marina general manager Cynthia Rasch said: “It is a great opportunity for industry partners, marine businesses, yachts and agents to network and discuss one on one the latest marine products and services with leading marine operators under one roof.”

This year marks the second year running for this event featuring New Zealand based companies.

“We are expecting over 100 transient vessels to be present to take advantage of this information sharing event to assist them with their on-ward travel to New Zealand.”

Furthermore Peter Busfield, executive director of NZ Marine said the recent win of the America’s Cup promises significant gains for the wider South Pacific “and we expect it to be a topic of discussion whilst we are in Fiji.

“The New Zealand victory in the America’s Cup is a catalyst for South Pacific Superyachting including Fiji,” he said.

“The America’s Cup win will be a big benefit to New Zealand boating industry and the wider South Pacific region.

“During the 2000 defence Auckland hosted 95 superyachts and we would expect this number to exceed 120 for the next event. As many of these vessels will arrive via Fiji or Tahiti, there will be economic gain for each country.

“During the lead up we also expect to see more superyachts and charter companies focusing on the South Pacific as a cruising destination,” he said.

Emirates Team NZ dominated the final stage of the 35th America’s Cup, winning easily against Oracle Team USA.

The NZ marine industry built both finalists’ vessels – Oracle Team USA by Core Builders and ETNZ by Southern Spars.

Key suppliers to both teams have shown once again the capability of the New Zealand marine industry which is the country’s largest manufacturing sector outside of the primary producers.

Feedback: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. SonOnline release  ||  July 17,  2017   |||

Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee has today announced three senior appointments to oversee New Zealand’s involvement in Expo 2020, being held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Ex-Chairman of Kensington Swan lawyers, Clayton Kimpton, has been appointed as New Zealand’s Commissioner-General to Expo 2020 and prominent business leaders, Dame Julie Christie and Christopher Luxon, have been appointed to a wider steering group.

“Expo 2020 presents a huge opportunity for New Zealand businesses to promote their goods and services into a region that has become one of New Zealand's fastest-growing markets outside China,” Mr Brownlee says.

“The value of our trade with the Gulf States region currently stands at $3.8 billion a year.

“Participating at Expo 2020 gives us a platform to increase this substantially, by positioning New Zealand businesses at the heart of where relationships are made, perceptions are formed and deals get done.

“Bringing Clayton Kimpton, Dame Julie Christie and Christopher Luxon into the fold will bring a wealth of real-world commercial experience.

“This experience will help guide the planning and direction we take with Expo 2020, ensuring decisions are made through a business lens, focused on what New Zealand companies need to maximise the significant economic and entrepreneurial opportunities on offer,” Mr Brownlee says.

| A Beehive release  ||  June 20,  2017   |||

A new industrial manufacturing facility has won the Supreme Award in the prestigious Property Council New Zealand Rider Levett Bucknall Property Industry Awards 2017.

The Sistema manufacturing facility received the Rider Levett Bucknall Supreme Award, after being awarded the ‘Best in Category’ for the Yardi – Industrial Property Award at the annual black-tie gala dinner at Spark Arena in Auckland on 16 June.

The state-of-the-art 55,000-square meter manufacturing facility, located in Mangere, Auckland, is also home to Sistema’s international headquarters.

Featuring a strong operational focus, the buildings design was a stand-out for Chief Judge Andrew Evans due to the attention given to all aspects of work flow, future flexibility, divisibility, and expansion.

“The functionality of the design ensures a smooth and logical flow of materials, people, and resources through the production process, facilitating the efficient operation of a world-class business,” he said.

These standout attributes were also recognised by Newell Brands, a US Fortune 500 company that recently acquired the Sistema plastics business, and in the process signed a long-term lease for the continued occupation of the building.

Mr Evans added, “The project is world class and demonstrated a high level of consultation and collaboration between the design teams, builder, and occupier.

“I am also delighted to see the Supreme Award go to an industrial development that is pushing the boundaries in design and functionality, delivering the most significant industrial building in New Zealand.

“This building displays the innovation and attitude that has made Sistema Plastics a world leader.”

Over 1,500 property professionals from around New Zealand attended the Rider Levett Bucknall Property Industry Awards.

Continue here to original article on NZPC . . .

Once again CADPRO Systems participated in the South Island’s Premier Technology Trade Show, SouthMACH17

Run over two days (24-25 May) the show provided a great opportunity for the manufacturing community to come together under one roof to see all that’s new in the industry.

Our stand at SouthMACH was busy throughout the two days, with plenty of existing customer visiting and potential new customers looking at the technology on display. It’s interesting to stand back sometimes at these events and watch generations of engineers and designers absorbed in discussions about engineering. Gone are the days of talking about software and features. These people think far more about design and manufacturing issues than picks & clicks in a CAD system. And that’s exactly how it should be.

Autodesk HSM / Inventor and Fusion 360 were hot topics this year. We put particular emphasis on the “art to part” workflow – the CAD model to the machining centre – in many cases bypassing the 2d drawing altogether, with tolerancing & probing featuring heavily in the discussions.

Data Management also came up in many conversations with customers and prospects looking for better tools to manage and protect their growing volumes of digital intellectual property. Data management tools like Autodesk Vault and cloud storage tools like Fusion Team were conversations customers wanted to have this year. On one occasion, we even discussed hosting Autodesk Vault on a cloud server.

This year, the show really demonstrated the readiness of the manufacturing community to embrace the considerable benefits some of these technologies can bring to geographically distributed teams.

SouthMACH this year was particularly enjoyable because we had several occasions where existing customers started conversations with new prospects. Often the conversations included comments about why they’ve remained a customer for ten years or more, so thank you to all those existing customers for your support!

| A CADPRO Systems release   || Thursday 8 June 2017   |||