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NGÄ ROHETE TAITOKERAUKAIKOHE BUSINESSTAKES TOP HONOURSFrom left: Carol Berghan representing Cavalier Wholesalers, Wayne & Francis Stokes of Kia Tüpato Security and Gavin and Tahu Robertson ofKaikohe Scrap Dealers that received awards at the inaugural Te Hiringa Tai Tokerau Mäori Business Awards 2012. Photo Credit: Suzie Clark.Focusing on whänau and their localcommunity has seen Kaikohe Scrap Dealerstake out the prestigious Mäori Business of theYear Award at the inaugural Te Hiringa TaiTokerau Mäori Business Awards 2012.Gavin Robertson’s and Tahu whänau businessalso won the Excellence in EnvironmentalAwareness and Management Award for theirrespectful management and sustainable carefor the environment.Tahu says it’s been important to make everyeffort to be sustainable and to have a longterm presence for the sake of their whänauand their Tai Tokerau community. Seven oftheir nine staff members are over sixty andmost are whänau members.Convenor of the judges’ panel, Steve Bennettof Steve Bennett Associates, says thecompany is a regional market leader, withexcellent business systems, that contributedgreatly to its returns.“Gavin and Tahu have developed awinning formula based on manaakitanga,whanaungatanga and aroha ki te tangata.They embrace values of integrity, respect andhonour in the way they do business whichhas won the admiration of its peers andconfidence of the Tai Tokerau hapori.”“Along with the love of people, they haveachieved a level of financial success that isparticularly commendable given the currenteconomic climate – in six months thebusiness was already achieving their yearthree business plan goals. Their significantgrowth is fantastic for any Mäori or non-Mäori based enterprise,” Mr Bennett says.Other award recipients included directorsof Kaitaia-based Kaitaia Food DistributorsLtd trading as Cavalier Wholesalers, CarolBerghan, Rachelle Spanhake and ChristineSnelling which won the Best Emerging andNewly-created Mäori Enterprise Award.Wayne and Frances Stokes of Kia TüpatoSecurity received the award for MostOutstanding Mäori Enterprise.“Te Hiringa Trust, in collaboration with2012 sponsors Te Puni Kökiri, Mai FMand MediaWorks Radio, Poutama Trust,Whangärei District Council, BNZ, SteveBennett Associates Ltd, BDO Bay of Islandsand the Indigenous NZ Cuisine Cluster,celebrates and recognises the huge impactthat Mäori small and medium businessowners and Mäori collective asset holdersmake to our regional economy, communitiesand whänau,” says Te Puni Kökiri RegionalDirector Walter Wells.30TE PUNI KÖKIRI | KÖKIRI | KÖANGA / SPRING 2012