Waikato Business News July/August 2017

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS July/August 2017
9
Company-X claims export award
Waikato software specialist brings home trophy.
Company-X has been
named Services
Exporter of the Year.
“From the start, the company
has shown exemplary
strategic discipline, with clear
vision and carefully considered
plans for export,” said
ExportNZ Regional Director
Catherine Lye.
The award, open to businesses
with export revenue of
up to $10 million, was presented
to director Jeremy Hughes
at a gala dinner on June 29
at the Sky City Convention
Centre in Auckland.
Company-X is a creative
software developer with
an exciting future.
The awards recognise
excellence in businesses building
extraordinary and sustainable
export growth. Software
developed in Hamilton by
Company-X developers is
being used across the world
by international companies,
some based in New Zealand,
others in the United States of
America.
Catherine said the
judges enjoyed their visit to
Company-X’s headquarters
at Wintec House, Hamilton.
There they saw software
development in action.
“All the finalists were of
excellent quality but there
were a number of elements
that proved your entry to be
the winner,” Catherine told
Company-X.
“Company-X is a creative
software developer with an
exciting future. Five years
ago, two experienced consultants
(David Hallett and
Jeremy Hughes) brought
together complementary
skills in business and software
development to establish this
fast-growing enterprise,”
Catherine said.
“Agile project
development processes
have enabled
Company-X to
deliver staged results,
assuring customers of
progress and allowing
flexibility to meet
changing needs.
“The judges were unanimous
in complimenting the
company’s export growth
strategies, risk management
processes and ethical
approach. Particularly
impressive was the positive
and open culture and the
enthusiasm that pervaded all
operations. Now a multimillion-dollar
enterprise,
with an impressive client
base and an entrepreneurial
focus, Company-X is poised
for a bright future.”
Speaking at the awards
dinner, Jeremy said entering
the awards was a challenging,
but fun process. Their questions
were challenging, probing
deep into the company,
and causing great reflection.
“So, for us, just that,
itself, was hugely valuable,”
Jeremy said.
He thanked the
Company-X team of around
40 talented men and women.
“I want to thank you guys
for your savvy, and your
tenacity . . . without you it
just wouldn’t be possible.”
Business advisor Steve
Murray also received
thanks for his support of
Company-X.
“That’s really a take a
horse to water situation,”
Jeremy said. “It’s easy to take
someone to new ideas, but it’s
hard to change the way they
think, and Steve’s been able
to do that, so I’d like to thank
him here.”
Jeremy’s wife, Katherine,
and fellow director David
Hallett’s wife, Raewyn, also
received thanks for their support
of Company-X.
“I’d like to thank those two
for understanding when we’re
not there, when we are still in
the office when we shouldn’t
be.”
David backed his fellow
director.
“Being named Services
Exporter of the Year is the
AWARD WINNING: Company-X directors David Hallett (left) and Jeremy Hughes.
result of Company-X’s carefully
considered plans combined
with the hard work from
our team.
We don’t call them the X
men and X women for nothing!
“We would like to congratulate
every member of
the Company-X team for
their work over the last five
years which has got the company
to where it is today.”
The ExportNZ Award is
the fourth award Company-X
has been associated with in
the last year.
The One Network Road
Classification Performance
Measures Reporting Tool
(ONRC PMRT) Company-X
built won the Roading Asset
Management Innovation
Award at this year’s Road
Infrastructure Management
Forum in Auckland. Late last
year Jeremy was a finalist
in the 2016 New Zealand
Excellence in IT Awards and
Company-X was a finalist
in the Strategy and Planning
category of the Westpac
Waikato Business Awards
for 2016.