Media Release
For release: 26 July 2011

ANZ Flying Start Business Plan competition top prizes awarded to Auckland and Masterton companies

Masterton’s Kiwi Ideas Company and Auckland-based Autogrow Systems Ltd have won the top prizes in the inaugural ANZ Flying Start Business Plan Competition.

Kiwi Ideas Company, which makes a patented brand of scratch and fog resistant safety eye goggles called ‘Safe Eyes,’ won the ANZ Flying Start Business Plan Supreme Award for the best overall business plan. The Supreme Award winner received a prize package worth $60,000 which they will use to expand their distribution network overseas.

Autogrow Systems Ltd will get $10,000 to explore exporting opportunities in their choice of Asia Pacific countries that ANZ operates in. This prize was given to the entrant in the ANZ Flying Start Business Plan competition which showed the most exporting potential.

Sixteen regional winners also received $3000 prize packages each. The Competition received more than 500 entries. The prizes were announced today at an award ceremony in Wellington.

“We chose the winners of the first Flying Start Business Plan competition because they have a solid business plan in place, were geared for growth and had exporting merit which with some help from ANZ could achieve substantial and sustained exports,” says Fred Ohlsson, ANZ’s Managing Director, Business Banking.

The ANZ Export Assistance Prize winner, Autogrow Systems designs and manufactures automated greenhouses and hydroponics systems which control the climate and irrigation of crops.

Jeff Broad, founder of Autogrow Systems, says the business idea came out of growing vegetables for his family at home where he soon got tired of the effort required to maintain constant nutrients and temperature to plants. Using his training as an electronics engineer he created an automated growth system that took care of everything for him.

Mr Broad says what sets Autogrow System apart from other systems is it’s as simple to use as a mobile phone and can be translated into different languages, which is an advantage in emerging markets. Jeff plans to use the ANZ Exporter Assistance Prize to grow his overseas market.

Mr Ohlsson says Autogrow Systems will decide which countries hold the best exporting opportunities for them. “Visiting countries where ANZ has a presence will give the winner introductions to potential buyers and suppliers as well as a unique understanding of a foreign market.” ANZ has a presence in 27 Asia Pacific countries. Go to www.anz.co.nz/flyingstart to see all the regional winners.

ENDS

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