Ecostore named NZ’s ‘Sustainable Business of Year’

News Release
November 13, 2009

ecostore named New Zealand’s ‘Sustainable Business of the Year’

ecostore was last night recognised as New Zealand’s ‘Sustainable Business of the Year’ at the 2009 NZI National Sustainable Business Network Awards.

In addition to taking the top honour, ecostore also won the Trailblazer Large and Corporate category.

ecostore chief executive, Mitch Cuevas says last night’s win tops off a pioneering journey that started 17 years ago by Malcolm and Melanie Rands in their Northland permaculture village.

Sustainability has been a corner stone for the household and personal care manufacturer in all business activities. The plant-based products are made in its Enviro-Mark®NZ–Diamond manufacturing facility in Auckland and are exported to the US, Australia and Asia.

“We’re delighted and quite humbled to receive this award recognising our commitment to sustainability.

“Being more sustainable is an ongoing process right across the business, requiring continuous focus and investment. This sits across our business practices, how we develop new products and in the way we market and distribute our range. In fact for us as a team, we try and think beyond sustainability to regeneration and how we can make a positive impact in people’s lives.

It’s great to see more people understanding that making small changes everyday can have a positive impact on their health as well as their environment,” says Mitch .

The awards were held at St Matthew-in-the-city in Auckland with special guests including Rt Hon Jim Bolger, Auckland Central MP Nikki Kaye, Labour leader Phil Goff, Green party co-leaders Metiria Turei and Russel Norman.

The Sustainable Business Network (SBN) represents New Zealand organisations that recognise the importance of using resources efficiently and reducing waste in their day-to-day operations.

“The SBN awards are an important fixture on the sustainability event calendar and a reminder about how being sustainable makes good business sense,” adds Cuevas.

Rachel Brown, chief executive of the Sustainable Business Network said ecostore stood out for its efforts to minimise and mitigate the impact of its business activities on the environment and its’ continual ability to ‘walk the talk’.

“The theme of this year’s awards is ‘reinvent to thrive’, which is apt when you consider the supreme winner. ecostore thrives by providing people with safer, healthier alternatives to products we use every day,” says Brown.

For ecostore, the award comes on the back of the company being named in the Deloitte Fast 50 list last month, celebrating the fastest-growing companies in the country, and Malcolm Rand’s nomination for World Class New Zealander award.

ENDS