The finalists were announced yesterday by Minister of Small Business and Manufacturing Cameron Brewer ahead of an awards function on May 27, part of the New Zealand Manufacturing and Engineering Expo in Auckland.
United Machinists — which was named the supreme winner of The Grand Business South Awards last year — is a finalist in the manufacturer of the year for firms with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent staff (FTE), alongside the Fairlie Bakehouse, which is known for its pies; Lanaco, in Auckland, whose woollen air filters were on board Nasa’s Artemis II mission; and Arotec Diagnostics, in Hutt Valley.
United’s owners, Alex and Sarah Ramsay, bought the family business from Mr Ramsay’s parents Doug and Lesley in 2016 and transformed it into a global mission-critical component supplier.
In a statement, Mr Brewer said the manufacturing sector employed 250,000 people, generated 8% of GDP and contributed 60% of exports. The finalists were setting the benchmark of excellence for industry, contributing to the ongoing growth and development of New Zealand’s manufacturing.
Canterbury-based Barkers Food Processing and Dawn Aerospace were both finalists in manufacturer of the year (FTE 50-plus), while Bill Pridham, of Barkers, was a finalist in manufacturing leader of the year.
