Deloitte Fast 50 regional winners prove niche is a necessity

Thursday, 28 September 2017

Deloitte partner Bill Hale says this year's regional winners spanned across all industries but shared the same strong level of commitment.

The variety of regional businesses awarded in this year's Fast 50 awards shows any company can thrive if it fills an untapped niche, Deloitte partner Bill Hale says.

This year's Deloitte Fast 50 regional winners are companies spanning industries from financial software to peanut butter and sheep milk.

Financial software company Pushpay chief executive Chris Heaslip took out two of this year's Auckland awards; fastest growing exporter and technology business.

The awards recognise companies with the highest revenue growth for three-years-running.

Hale said the 2017 regional winners showed New Zealand businesses succeed across a range of industries.

* New Zealand's Deloitte Fast 50 regional winners announced**

'A common theme is that they are all strong across strategy, capability and commitment, but focus on finding a point of difference and nailing it in that niche,' Hale said.

Auckland and Wellington's winners are mostly technology firms, suggesting both ends of the North Island are home to thriving technology hubs.

The regional winners of the new masters of growth award are cloud accounting software firm Xero, electronics trader Protempo, pharmaceutical wholesaler Ebos Group and real estate company New Zealand Sotheby's International Realty.

Those companies are in line for the ultimate award that will have one company commended for its ability to sustain exceptional revenue growth for the past four years.

Pic's Peanut Butter, dietary supplement manufacturer New Zealand Health Manufacturing, building company ZB Homes, and LED light maker Switch Lighting were named as the fastest growing manufacturers in their regions.

Deloitte will whittle the winners into a national Fast 50 index, ranking the businesses on their revenue growth percentage over the past three years on November 9.

To qualify for the Fast 50 growth index, businesses have to be at least three-years-old and have earned at least $500,000 of revenue in the 2015 financial year and had rising revenue growth for two years since.

Previously the minimum revenue requirement was $300,000.

Last year, financial technology firm Pushpay took out the winning spot with a record-breaking 4574 per cent annual revenue growth.

Brewer Garage Project topped the 2015 list with a 664 per cent revenue growth.

WINNERS:

Auckland and Upper North Island

Fastest growing services business: Education service Crimson Consulting

Fastest growing technology business: Payment software company Pushpay

Fastest growing manufacturing business: Dietary supplement manufacturer New Zealand Health Manufacturing

Fastest growing retail or consumer products business: Electronics trader Protempo

Fastest growing exporter: Payment software company Pushpay

Rising star: Content demand measuring company Parrot Analytics

Master of growth: Electronics trader Protempo

Central North Island

Fastest growing services business: At-home childcare service Nurtured at Home

Fastest growing technology business: Broadband provider Ultrafast Fibre

Fastest growing manufacturing business: Home building company ZB Homes

Fastest growing retail or consumer products business: Machinery seller Verhoeven Group

Fastest growing exporter: Sports supplements company, Cobra Labs

Rising star: Electric motorbike maker Ubco

Master of growth: Machinery seller Verhoeven Group

Wellington and Lower North Island

Fastest growing services business: Amazon Web Services (AWS) consulting service API Talent

Fastest growing technology business: Cloud-based financial reporting company Spotlight Reporting

Fastest growing manufacturing business: Pic's Peanut Butter

Fastest growing retail or consumer products business: Coffee importer Raw Material

Fastest growing exporter: Cloud-based financial reporting company Spotlight Reporting

Fastest growing agribusiness: Plant fertiliser maker Grochem

Rising star: Tank sensor company Levno

Master of growth: Accounting software company Xero

Christchurch and Upper South Island

Fastest growing services business: Property management company Carus Group

Fastest growing technology business: Online lender Moola.co.nz

Fastest growing manufacturing business: LED lighting maker Switch Lighting

Fastest growing retail or consumer products business: Liquor supplier Brandhouse

Fastest growing exporter: Software company Trineo

Fastest growing agribusiness: Farm gate adn fencing seller Stronghold

Rising star: Juice maker Chia

Master of growth: Pharmaceutical wholesaler Ebos Group

Dunedin and Lower South Island

Fastest growing services business: Debt recovery company Jade Financial Services

Fastest growing technology business: Booking software timely

Fastest growing manufacturing business: Insulation foundation maker MaxRaft

Fastest growing retail or consumer products business: Insulation installer Salmac Insulation

Fastest growing exporter: Sheep milk producer Blue River Dairy

Fastest growing agribusiness: Sheep milk producer Blue River Dairy

Rising star: Check-in software Wherewolf

Master of growth: Real estate seller New Zealand Sotheby's International Realty