The leadership and passion for supporting their employees of five companies was acknowledged last night, with Raglan Food Co winning the ‘overall Supreme Award’ and ‘Employee Development Award’ in the 2022 Primary Industries Good Employer Awards.
The supreme award -won by Raglan Food Co this year, is awarded to the overall winner for being an exemplary employer.
Others who won the Good Employer Awards were:
- Align Farms Limited (Safe and Healthy Work Environment Award)
- Sealord Group Limited (Inclusive and Diverse Workplace Award)
- Stefan and Annalize du Plessis of Mosa Farming Ltd (Small Business Recognition Award), and
- Wini and Simon Geddes of Tāne Mahuta NZ Ltd (Māori Agribusiness Award).
Award winners were selected from an extraordinary group of finalists across the food and fibre sector, including wine, dairy, horticulture, forestry, apiculture, and fisheries.
2022 Primary Industries Good Employer Awards are run by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the Agricultural and Marketing Research and Development Trust (AGMARDT).
Brains behind the start and success of Raglan Food Co are young entrepreneurs – Tesh Randall and business partner, Seb Walter who, accidentally, started their business back in 2014, after offering a couple of extra jars on their local community’s Facebook and having it taken off from there.
Today, their products are stocked in 650 stores around the country, and are also available in several other countries, including Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Their “passion for creating plant-based products that people love” has landed them several recognitions and awards already, including ‘Outstanding’ and ‘Champion’ in NZ Food Producer Awards in 2020 and 2021 respectively; Winner Westpac Waikato Business Awards 2016 & 2019; 2015 NZ Food Awards, etc.
While congratulating the Awards recipients, Forestry Minister Stuart Nash said the awards were an opportunity to recognise and celebrate exemplary employers throughout Aotearoa.
“I’d like to congratulate the Awards recipients, the finalists, and all of the entrants in this year’s awards,” said Stuart Nash.
“The employers recognised are role models for the 367,000 people who work in our food and fibre sector. They should be incredibly proud,” Nash said.
“They (the winners) know the success of their businesses is a direct result of their people, and if their people thrive, so to do their businesses,” Acting Minister of Agriculture Meka Whairiti said.
Since the Primary Industries Good Employer Awards were launched in 2018, 9 employers – ranging from transport companies, to environmental guardians and agritech innovators – have received accolades.
“The Awards provide the opportunity to recognise and celebrate outstanding employers across the primary sector that may otherwise fly under the radar,” said MPI’s director of investment, skills and performance Cheyne Gillooly.
The primary sector employs about 367,000 people, representing almost 14% of the total workforce.
Revenue from food and fibres exports is expected to hit a record $52.2 billion in the year to 30 June 2022.
