Finalists Announced - Record Entries For 2025 Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards

With franchises proving their resilience in getting through the tough times, the scene is set for brighter days, attested to by this year’s Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards drawing a record number of entries.

Announcing the finalists, Franchise Association of New Zealand (FANZ) CEO Katrina King says proven systems and support make the difference in good times, and even more so when circumstances become challenging.

“Seeing greater interest in the Awards than ever before is a sign of our vibrant sector continuing to succeed,” she says. “We’re excited to see our finalists and winners celebrated in style at the Awards Gala Dinner on Saturday, 1st November.”

Now in its 30th year, the Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards has over 60 finalists from almost 30 brands from all around New Zealand, vying for 17 honours in both franchise and franchisee categories. The Judges Panel is convened by Gillian Taylor and for the first time this year, former owner of Franchise NZ Media Simon Lord joins the judging panel.

This year, the Association is acknowledging franchisees who have been with their system for 15 years or more with the Long-Tenure Recognition Awards. Three Life Members or Hall of Fame recipients will also be inducted at the Gala Dinner.

Early in 2025 on World Franchise Day, King pointed out that New Zealand is one of the most franchised countries in the world, with FANZ members spanning multiple industries, including home services, construction, education, hospitality, and manufacturing. “Despite difficult economic times affecting all these industries, franchising continues to thrive, and that’s thanks in part to the inherent advantages of this business model,” she notes.

Those advantages include established systems, collective marketing, and operational support. The view is supported by Massey University’s 2024 Franchising New Zealand Report; FANZ Board Chair Brad Jacobs says, “Despite a reduction in the number of franchise brands, the sector’s strong turnover figures shown in this survey demonstrate its enduring strength.”

The Awards are the highest accolade in the franchising community, celebrating the best of the best, from innovative systems to outstanding franchisees and support partners. Although the trophies are rightly valued, King says the Awards entry process itself is valuable to franchisors and franchisees, as it supports reflection on past achievements and identifying strengths.

Daniel Cloete, National Manager Franchising at Westpac – the Awards’ naming rights sponsor – agrees, noting that the Awards are a positive way for FANZ members to receive insightful feedback on their businesses. “There’s also plenty of inspiration from the winners for other emerging franchising systems and learning more about how they engineer their success.”

He adds, "At Westpac, we’re proud to support an event that not only celebrates excellence but also encourages reflection, learning, and growth across the industry.”

This year’s finalists come from a broad range of industries, including cleaning, food and beverage, hospitality, accommodation, logistics, accounting, consumer services, construction products and services, property maintenance, flooring, legal services, and more.

With the announcement of the finalists, King says excitement is building. “We are grateful for the support of our sponsors, and we thank all our finalists for their hard work. We wish them all the very best of luck!”

2025 Westpac NZ Franchise Awards finalist franchise sector brands:

• Aramex New Zealand

• Bakers Delight

• BDO New Zealand

• Clean Planet

• Columbus Coffee

• CrestClean

• Exceed

• Flooring Design

• Franchise Accountants

• Freedom Drivers

• Green Acres

• Harrisons

• Harrisons Carpet & Flooring

• Harrisons Curtains & Blinds

• Harrisons Solar

• Hire A Hubby

• Jani-King New Zealand

• Kitchen Studio

• Landmark Homes

• Laser Plumbing & Electrical

• LJ's Fish & Chips

• MTF

• Quest Apartment Hotels

• Red LBP

• Robert Harris

• Rodney Wayne

• Stewart Germann Law Office

• The Coffee Club

• Wynn Williams

About FANZ

The Franchise Association of New Zealand (FANZ) is the national body representing one of the key drivers of the country’s small business economy. FANZ advocates for the interests of the franchising sector in industry forums and to government and provides regular education and celebration opportunities to the sector. Franchising contributes almost 11% of New Zealand’s GDP, generating a collective annual turnover of $47 billion. The sector supports more than 110,000 jobs, with 550 franchise brands and over 30,000 franchisee operators nationwide. FANZ represents franchise systems and businesses committed to promoting best-practice franchising both in New Zealand and internationally. It is also a member of the Asia Pacific Franchise Confederation and the World Franchise Council. Every year, the Westpac NZ Franchise Awards, a highlight of the franchise calendar, celebrate excellence and achievement across the sector.

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