Waikato Business News November/December 2018

The spice of success
for young inventor
A Waikato secondary school student and
serial entrepreneur who invented a kitchen
spice rack took home top honours at the
Waikato-King Country Lion Foundation
Young Enterprise Scheme Awards in
November.
Spice Mate, founded by
Matamata College student
Patrick Roskam, was
named Wintec Company of the
Year at the awards, managed in
the region by Smart Waikato
Trust.
Patrick is no stranger to
entrepreneurial success – in
2013, aged 11, he made national
headlines when he launched his
invention the Gudgeon Pro, a
tool used to drill holes for gates,
and he has since won multiple
awards for entrepreneurship.
Now in year 13, Patrick’s
Spice Mate solution to a messy
kitchen drawer caught the eye
of awards judges as a “practical
concept, which can be used in
conjunction with popular global
plastics brands”.
Patrick will fly to Wellington
for the YES National Finals
on December 6.
Other winners on the night
were:
• Stafford Industries runner-up
- Think Bottle, Rototuna
High School.
• Te Wānanga o Aotearoa
third place - Big Sis and Co,
Waikato Diocesan School
for Girls.
• Foster Construction Innovation
Award - Hurban Oasis,
St Peter’s of Cambridge and
Spice Mate, of Matamata
College.
• University of Waikato Leadership
Award and CEO of
the Year - Bianca Rayner, St
Peter’s School Cambridge.
• EMA Waikato Excellence
in Financial Management -
Spice Mate.
• Waikato Business News
Excellence in Communications
- Big Sis n Co, Waikato
Diocesan School for Girls.
• Waikato Chamber of Commerce
Sales and Marketing
Award - Think Bottle, Rototuna
High School.
• Chamber of Commerce
Commitment to Business
Award - Jenna Beauty, Fairfield
College.
• Gallagher Sustainability
Award - Think Bottle (Rototuna
High School).
More than 200 Year 12
and 13 students participating
in YES, managed by Smart
Waikato Trust in the region, set
up and operate their own businesses,
creating, promoting,
and selling a product or service,
conducting market research,
planning, budgeting, taking
and managing risk and turning
problems into challenges.
YES helps students develop
knowledge in operating a small
business, team building, relationship
management, meeting
procedures, record keeping,
the legal requirements for running
a business, and the process
of reporting company performance.
Its value is far-reaching,
providing students with skills to
equip them for life after school.
The YES experience also adds
depth to a resume when seeking
employment.
All teams at the regional
awards were standout performers
in the YES competition
throughout the year and pitched
to a panel of judges.
YES Waikato co-ordinator
Levinia Paku, of Smart Waikato
Trust, said she was impressed
with the calibre of this year’s
entries, ranging from food
delivery services in schools to
customised temporary tattoos
and mobile babysitting services
to sustainable products.
“These awards are a reflection
of the very talented young
entrepreneurs we have here in
Waikato. Teams are not only
thinking outside the square to
develop unique products, they
are working hard to fulfil the
requirements of running a successful
business,” Levinia said.
YES is sponsored in Waikato
by Wintec, Te Wānanga o
Aotearoa, the University of
Waikato, Foster Construction,
Waikato Chambers of Commerce,
Cambridge Chamber
of Commerce, EMA Waikato,
Waikato Business News and
Stafford Industries.
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Wintec's Anne Morrison presents the Wintec Company of
the Year Award to Patrick Roskam, of Matamata College.
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1. Gallagher Sustainability Award - Think Bottle (Rototuna High School), presented by Philippa O’Connor. 2. Cambridge Chamber of Commerce Commitment to Business Award -
Jenna Beauty, Fairfield College, presented by Phil MacKay. 3. Foster Construction Innovation Award – Patrick Roskam, Spice Mate, Matamata College, presented by Natania Katene
(YES Trust) on behalf of Foster Construction. 4. Foster Construction Innovation Award - Hurban Oasis, St Peter’s of Cambridge and University of Waikato Leadership Award and CEO
of the Year Bianca Rayner, St Peter’s of Cambridge. 5. EMA Waikato Excellence in Financial Management - Spice Mate, presented by Jack Ninnes. 6. Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Third
Place - Big Sis and Co, Waikato Diocesan School for Girls, presented by Mahia Gilbert. 7. Waikato Business News Excellence in Communications - Big Sis n Co, Waikato Diocesan
School for Girls, presented by Sarah Morton-Johnson on behalf of Waikato Business News. 8. Stafford Industries Runner Up - Think Bottle, Rototuna High School, presented by
Kaleb James (Stafford Industries). 9. Waikato Chamber of Commerce Sales and Marketing Award - Think Bottle, Rototuna High School, presented by Karen Zhang.
10. Roger Evans (Stafford Industries), Mike Burgess (EMA), Colin Kennedy (Head of YES Trust), Jack Ninnes (EMA) and Grant Robson (BNZ).