New award categories, and expect it to be bigger and better

Rajan Sami

2009 Exporter of the Year Awards – Who Won What? CATEGORY    WINNERS & CITATIONS Small Exporter of the Year   Avonsys Ltd Medium Exporter of the Year    Pacific Batteries Ltd Large Exporter of the Year    Pacific Fishing Company Ltd Services Exporter of the Year    South Sea Towage Limited Unique or Emerging Exporter of the Year    Pure Fiji Exporter to New Zealand    Biscuit Company of Fiji Ltd Exporter to Australia    Biscuit Company of Fiji Ltd Exporter to the Pacific Islands    ANZ Pacific Operations Ltd Exporter to the United States of America    Pure Fiji Indigenous Exporter of the Year    Ben’s Trading Limited Agriculture Exporter of the Year    Ben’s Trading Limited Fisheries Exporter of the Year    Pacific Fishing Company Limited Forestry Exporter of the Year    Tropik Wood Industries Limited Tourism Services Exporter of the Year    Shangri-La Fijian Resort & Spa Agro-processing Exporter of the Year    Natural Foods Information Communication Technology Services Exporter of the Year    Affiliated Computer Services TFL Hall of Fame Award    Pure Fiji TFL Prime Minister’s Exporter of the Year Award    Pacific Fishing Company Limited

Expect a bigger, better Prime Minister’s Exporter of the Year Awards (EYA) in 2010. New changes are in store for the annual awards and key among them is the introduction of new award categories.
 “There are plans to grow the awards to include categories that are market specific, for instance, the Exporter to Japan and Exporter to the Euro Zone Awards,” says Fiji Islands Trade and Investment Board CEO, Annie Rogers.
“Fiji’s top five markets are Australia, New Zealand, United States, Japan and the Euro Zone. While we have existing award categories to Australia, New Zealand and the United States, there is currently none for the other two markets and we hope, given sufficient interest from companies to sponsor the EYA, we will be able to introduce these new categories.”
Should these new awards eventuate in 2010, they will follow on the heels of the new Hall of Fame Award introduced at this year’s awards. Won by Pure Fiji (who also took home Unique or Emerging Exporter of the Year and Exporter to the United States of America) the Hall of Fame Award was introduced to acknowledge the continuous efforts of companies that are committed to improving Fiji’s trade status and have maintained their standing through an established track record.
An awards’ favourite, Pure Fiji, has twice won the main Exporter of the Year Awards, in 2001 and 2003. This year, that award went to Levuka-based Pacific Fishing Company Ltd (PAFCO), which also won the Large Exporter of the Year Award.
Company chairman Peniasi Kunatuba said while receiving the award that it wasn’t easy for a rural based company to win the award.
Following a break-even year in 2008 because of a fire at its factory premises, PAFCO was looking at a $3 milion profit at year end.
Other changes in the works for next year’s awards include a review of the judging criteria, which may mean runners up also get a mention, and a bigger function.
“The awards has become very popular in corporate Fiji and we will also perhaps consider increasing the attendance capacity,” says Rogers.
Since it was introduced in 1993, the Prime Minister’s Exporter of the Year Awards has grown from strength to strength.
Says Rogers: “What began with nine categories 17 years ago has now evolved into 18 categories, a clear indication of a growing export base and Fiji’s capacity as a quality exporter across all sectors.”

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Medium Exporter
of the Year

Pacific Batteries charges on

For Pacific Batteries Ltd, a first time entrant in the Exporter of the Year Awards, nabbing the Medium Exporter Award had the sweet taste of recognition after a long, hard slog.
Established in 1965 with just five staff, the 100% locally-owned company (a subsidiary of C J Patel & Co Ltd) is the only Fijian company with ISO accreditation allowed to manufacture and market lead acid batteries for automotive, marine and deep cycle operations.
Originally tasked with making first generation hard rubber batteries, Pacific Batteries has grown in size and experience to become one of the South Pacific’s largest producers of third generation polypropylene batteries and home to over 200 staff.
With an eye on a sustainable future and climate-friendly environment, Pacific Batteries also invested heavily in establishing a state-of-the-art lead recycling plant specifically designed to dispose of used batteries in an environmentally sound manner—an investment that also has a positive effect on the company’s bottom line as the process also produces additional raw material (an import substitute) for its batteries 
Besides supplying the Fiji market, Pacific Batteries exports to Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Samoa, Tonga and Papua New Guinea, where it competes head-to-head with imported batteries from around the world.
With a history of success lasting over four decades, Pacific Batteries continues to thrive by keeping pace with international technological developments. In January 2010, Pacific Batteries will launch its latest product, the world-renowned Eveready brand of car batteries—a product that is bound to spark an interest in the local automotive battery market.