Chief Executive, Peter Landon-Lane, said, “Receiving this Award is a privilege, and great recognition for everyone at Plant & Food Research. Our staff is committed to supporting the New Zealand plant and marine-based food industries, and this award demonstrates the professionalism and skill of our entire Institute.”

The Awards, organised by the AUT Business School, are the only national performance measure for New Zealand business support organisations, with academics from AUT evaluating the entries overseen by the New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation. Each application is evaluated for leadership and planning, customer and market focus, provision of business support, and evaluation and improvement. This year, companies have also been required to demonstrate their social and environmental credentials.

“Plant & Food Research is a very special New Zealand organisation with more than eighty years’ experience in food, horticulture, arable and seafood research. Its commitment to business support sees it working hard to help industries turn their commodity products into consumer-focused premium brands. The impressive working relationships that Plant & Food Research has developed with industry bodies, growers and farmers sees it delivering world-class research and development solutions to a wide range of private and public enterprises across New Zealand,” said category evaluator AUT Business School’s, Julian Kroll.

The Supreme Award was presented by Minister Steven Joyce at a gala dinner attended by more than 600 members of the New Zealand business community.