A household Kiwi name has shown its quality to the world, as Whittaker’s were crowned Exporter of the Year at the 2021 ExportNZ ASB Wellington Export Awards, in front of a socially distanced and fully vaccinated audience at Te Papa.
“Whittaker’s success, despite a turbulent global environment, and domestic restrictions, shows the best of Wellington’s export community,” said Simon Arcus, Chief Executive of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, which delivers ExportNZ in Wellington.
“After the past year, it’s more important than ever to acknowledge the contribution exporters make to keeping Wellington’s economy running. They have persevered through lockdowns, closed borders and supply chain shocks,” Mr Arcus added.
“Every one of this year’s finalists deserves recognition for their hard work, and Whittaker’s success in international markets shows just how successful Wellington can be.”
ASB’s Executive General Manager for Corporate Banking Nigel Annett said he was impressed by the calibre of this year’s regional finalists.
“At ASB, we’re extremely impressed by all of the 2021 ExportNZ ASB Export Awards winners and finalists. Every business involved this year demonstrated their relentless pursuit of an identified market niche, supported by highly developed product innovation. We’re proud to support the range of diverse companies involved in this year’s awards, all doing a remarkable job representing New Zealand on the global stage.”
The judges found that Whittaker’s were set apart by their ability to reorient their product and use data to adapt to new markets, all while remaining true to their values.
