Healtheries of New Zealand Ltd wins Food and Beverage Exporter of the Year Award

November 30, 2006

Healtheries of New Zealand Ltd, a firm that has evolved over more than 100 years from a flour milling company to a sophisticated marketer of branded consumer health foods, has won the Food and Beverage Exporter of the Year Award.

The Award was presented to Healtheries at the 2006 New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) Export Awards in Auckland on Thursday 30 November. Food and Beverage was one of seven sector based awards, with the top prize, the DHL Supreme Exporter of the Year, won by Opus International Consultants.

The Awards’ judges were very impressed by Healtheries’ complex and rigorous processes surrounding its research and development, calling it an 'obvious product innovator'. They also applauded its strong, robust growth targets. The company achieved export sales of $21.5 million in 2005.

NZTE Chief Executive Tim Gibson said the calibre and achievements of this year’s Export Award winners was outstanding and inspirational.

"They are building world class companies by continually striving to take their business to the next level. And despite the diverse areas they work in, they share common strengths, including confidence, visionary leadership and the ability to do what they do extraordinarily well."

He said the companies proved that coming from a distant country of just four million people was no impediment to winning in the tough international business arena.

"We celebrate their achievements and the valuable contribution they are making to the New Zealand economy."

Brian Dewar, Healtheries General Manager of the International Business, said Healtheries’ export growth strategy revolves around the sale and marketing of branded consumer health food products into Australia and South East Asia, and the sale of Biolane Green Lipped Mussel extract products and colostrum products to manufacturing and marketing businesses globally

"Our goal has been to get to the point where we are consistently growing international sales by more than 10 per cent annually and we’ve grown by 20 and 15 per cent respectively in the past two years," he said.

Healtheries’ consumer heath food business accounted for about 66 per cent of export revenue last year and includes the sale of a range of dietary supplements, herbal fruit and functional teas, wheat and gluten free products and children’s healthy snacks. This business has focused on selling into Australia’s two main supermarket chains and a number of relatively close South East Asian countries that have young but growing health food markets.

"To compete in these crowded competitive consumer export markets we’ve had to devise a tailored strategy which has been to develop and promote products that can lead within specialist niche health categories, which are linked with global consumer health trends and have a genuine point of difference."

Mr Dewar said new product innovation is continuous and Healtheries has a proactive programme to track and respond to global consumer health trends.

The other arm of Healtheries’ export strategy is the sale of Biolane Green Lipped Mussel extract products and colostrum products to marketing and manufacturing businesses.

Healtheries sells its colostrum products to China, while Biolane is sold in 24 countries.

Contact: Brian Dewar, General Manager International Business, Healtheries of New Zealand Ltd, phone +64 9 573 3730, email briand@healtheries.co.nz, www.healtheries.co.nz

Notes for editors:

The Export Awards celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2006. A historical briefing and more information including profiles of all of this year’s finalists and media information on individual sector category winners is available at www.exportawards.co.nz 

Interviews can be arranged through Jennifer Andrewes, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, phone +64 4 931 6144, mobile 027 228 0261, or email jennifer.andrewes@nzte.govt.nz

Photographs representing Healtheries of New Zealand Ltd are available on request to Jennifer Andrewes.

About NZTE:

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise is the government's economic development agency, committed to helping New Zealand businesses grow their international competitiveness, capability and profitability. Visit www.nzte.govt.nz or www.exportawards.co.nz

About DHL:

DHL is the global market leader of the international express and logistics industry, specialising in providing innovative and customized solutions from a single source.
DHL offers expertise in express, air and ocean freight, overland transport, contract logistic solutions as well as international mail services, combined with worldwide coverage and an in-depth understanding of local markets. DHL's international network links more than 220 countries and territories worldwide.  285,000 employees are dedicated to providing fast and reliable services that exceed customers' expectations.

DHL is a Deutsche Post World Net brand. The group generated revenues of €56 billion in 2005.

About the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (FRST):

The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology invests over $460 million a year on behalf of the New Zealand Government, in research, science and technology. These investments are made to enhance the wealth and well being of New Zealanders.

Through its Technology New Zealand suite of schemes, the Foundation assists companies to undertake research and development projects that result in new export-focused products, processes or services. Investment from the Foundation, in the form of grants, is directed at supporting technical risk and the building of technical skills and expertise in companies.

For more information visit www.frst.govt.nz

About Export New Zealand (ENZ) - The association of New Zealand exporters:

ENZ is a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), not for profit incorporated society with national coverage. ENZ specifically focuses on helping its membership of exporters and exporter service providers grow their business in the international market place. ENZ has an elected National Executive and CEO with well established regions in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Wellington and Christchurch providing the important regional presence and focus that ensures local needs are understood and met.  ENZ specifically acknowledges new export success with the Emerging Exporter Award.  This year, five regional finalists will compete for The Export New Zealand Emerging Exporter of the year award, to be presented at the NZTE Gala Awards evening in November.

For more information visit www.exportnewzealand.org.nz

Distributed by Jennifer Andrewes, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, phone +64 4 931 6144, mobile +64 27 228 0261, or email jennifer.andrewes@nzte.govt.nz