Best use of design

Canary Enterprises has successfully taken New Zealand butter out of the commodity basket and up the value chain, supplying high quality products to clients across Australia, the Pacific, Asia and the Middle East.

“We were set up in 2001 to manufacture value add butter products specifically designed to offer functional benefits to our customers,” says Director Derek Bartosh.

Core butter products include medallions and rosettes, pastry butter sheets, ingots and bricks, flavoured butter and clarified butter. The company also produces a range of portion controlled non-butter products for use as ingredients by companies such as chicken processors.

Two years ago the company moved into a new, purpose-built factory giving it much greater production capacity. It has invested significantly in leading-edge machinery; most of the plant it uses to produce its products has unique IP developed in-house.

Canary exports to 13 markets directly, and through third parties into a further six, with several new markets being added annually. Clients range from airline caters and 5-star hotels to bakeries, retailers and traders.

Mr Bartosh says the company enjoys excellent customer retention and consistent sales growth.

“One of the keys to our international success is a commitment to spend time in market with each customer and distributor.

“This provides us with visibility, demonstrates commitment to the market, and allows us to learn what the market is seeking. We visited one customer for four successive years before they had the confidence that we were serious about their market and finally awarded us a contract.”

Another strength is Canary’s ability and willingness to tailor products to the customer’s specific requirements.

“We are also constantly working with customers to develop new products and refine existing products. This included developing a range of butter/margarine blend products at the time when dairy prices were very high and out of the reach of some markets.”

This company is also a finalist in the Best business operating internationally – under $10m category.
 
www.canarybutter.co.nz

Family-owned sheet metal production and fabrication business Metalform (Dannevirke) Ltd has designed and developed a high-tech pediatric wheelchair and signed a global distribution agreement with one of the world’s leading mobile wheelchair suppliers.

Metalform’s wheelchair was launched into the United States in late 2008, and into Europe the following May, with plans for it to be progressively rolled out around the rest of the world. Sales to date have exceeded forecasts, says General Manager Allan Benbow.

Securing a world distribution agreement for the wheelchair with Permobil AB of Sweden, one of the world’s leading mobile wheelchair suppliers, was a major undertaking as Metalform had to meet stringent product certification requirements.

Mr Benbow says the unique design and capability features of Metalform’s chair – which is aimed at people weighing up to 60kg who are severely disabled – provides a good level of protection from competing products and large-scale manufacturers.

A strong design capability supports Metalform’s development of products for its traditional jobbing customers. It is also helping the company expand into a range of branded products that it markets itself in New Zealand and internationally.

Mr Benbow says investment in the latest available technology, along with robotics, ensures it is solidly placed to competitively manufacture the innovative designs being produced.

“Our design team welcomes complex challenges and has built a strong reputation for producing innovative solutions. Good design has also been employed in our tow and collect, and tow and mow, farm machinery products as well as our new fertiliser machine. We also design and supply components for products exported by other New Zealand manufacturers.”

R&D is critical to Metalform’s success and it has a rolling list of potential products it carries out research on to test their viability. Staff work with end-users and distribution partners to integrate feedback into the products to ensure that they are continually meeting the needs of customers.

This company is also a finalist in the Best use of research and development in international business category.

www.metalform.co.nz

Mobile Mentor has helped almost 200,000 customers worldwide get to grips with their mobile phones in the past six years, achieving export sales worth millions of dollars.

The Auckland company works in partnership with mobile operators or directly with individuals or companies, providing personalised mentoring and mobile support services to help them effectively and efficiently use their mobile phones so they avoid the frustrations and get the productivity benefits immediately.

“The mobile industry has grown into a trillion dollar business over a relatively short period of time and business customers increasingly rely on their mobile device for their immediate communication needs and less on their desk phone and PC,” explains Chief Executive Denis O’Shea.

“However, optimising the user experience has not always been a priority and today millions of high-end mobile users are literally fumbling with their mobile devices as they struggle to keep up with the rate of change in technology.

“We address this gap by focusing on the last three feet of the mobile industry – one to one with the customer. Individuals can receive personal mentoring and support in their own home or office, or over the phone, delivered by a certified ‘mentor’.”

Mobile Mentor is selling its services in Australia, China and Brazil, establishing partnership agreements with some of the leading mobile operators in those markets. Since 2004 the company has mentored almost 200,000 busy business people, says Mr O’Shea.

“Our personalised mentoring is deigned to understanding and meet their specific needs. Feedback is strictly monitored to ensure we are constantly developing our services to meet customer requirements.

“As a result of our comprehensive systems and processes, we have been able to increase the volumes of customers mentored month on month, while still maintaining an extremely high customer satisfaction rating.”

This company is also a finalist in the Best business operating internationally – under $10m category.

www.mobile-mentor.com

Innovative design expertise and the ability to manufacture products at competitive prices has seen Nimbus Lighting Group almost double international sales in the past three years.

The Auckland company specialises in the production of recessed downlights for domestic and commercial use with an emphasis on energy-saving light sources.

“We market the latest LED technology under the DOT brand,” explains Managing Director Frank Austin. “The patented construction method we’ve developed exclusively for the DOT range enables products to be shipped either fully, partly or not assembled.”

Mr Austin says with the growing emphasis on sustainability and energy conservation, new high intensity LED light sources are being developed for commercial use by leading international lighting companies.

“We have been working collaboratively with Philips Lighting and will shortly launch a second range of LED downlights for sale in New Zealand and internationally.”

He says the Nimbus team has a flair for design, and for ensuring that its products are designed with international markets in mind. Feedback from customers and input from international distributors is integrated directly back into the ongoing design process.

“We are an innovator in the downlighting sector and have been first to introduce several improvements to this product category. We make a significant investment in R&D to ensure our products are continually at the forefront of the industry.”

Unique design features add versatility and ensure that lighting components and accessories across the Nimbus range can be upgraded without needing to replace the whole unit.

Other key success factors include responsiveness and outstanding customer service. Despite New Zealand’s location and time zone challenges, Mr Austin says staff respond to all customer requests within 24 hours.

Exports currently account for almost 70 percent of revenue, with sales to many markets, ranging from Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines to India and the Middle East.

www.dotdownlights.com

Pumpkin Patch is generating annual sales of close to $400 million, more than 80 percent from international markets as it pursues its vision of being a truly global kidswear brand.

During the past 20 years the company has grown from a mail order business operated out of a garage to an international business, its products sold in more than 527 locations, of which 230 are company-owned stores.

“We have done what few, if any other specialty apparel brands have managed to do, exported our iconic Kiwi brand into 22 markets around the globe,” says Chief Financial Officer Matthew Washington. Today Pumpkin Patch is being worn by kids in Australia, United States and the United Kingdom, and in the fast developing markets of the Middle East, India, China and Malaysia.

He says global expansion has been achieved through a mix of channels – from its own retail stores and e-commerce, to department stores, and franchise partners.

Technology is seen as vital to global growth and Pumpkin Patch’s continuing large investment in this area continues to result in innovative and efficient solutions to delivering the products in the right place at the right time.

Design is also core to its success, with the company launching quality, unique children’s clothing on a regular basis – typically with new styles flowing into stores weekly.

“Our design prowess has resulted in a line of children’s clothing that's instantly recognisable as Pumpkin Patch,” says Mr Washington. “We are continually looking to improve on our designs and monitor closely the success of lines to see what sells well and what doesn’t.”

Pumpkin Patch’s innovative business approach is visible through the number of ranges that they produce for international markets and in the way they put their collections together and display them in stores. This means that someone who comes in for a skirt may end up buying a complete outfit as it’s easy to see how everything fits together.

This company is also a finalist in the Best business operating internationally – over $50m category, and the Most innovative approach to international business category.