The countdown is on for the launch of the second annual Minister for Manufacturing Awards which will be held at the Auckland Showgrounds on 27th May. The Minister for Manufacturing Awards will be hosted by Hon Chris Penk in collaboration with Advancing Manufacturing Aotearoa.
“The creativity and resilience of the sector, and its contribution to national prosperity deserve to be celebrated”, Hon Chris Penk.
“This year’s awards will again recognise the Manufacturer of the Year, Manufacturing Leader of the Year, Apprentice of the Year and Excellence in Process Innovation. It will also introduce three new categories.
“This includes a dedicated Manufacturer of the Year award for businesses with fewer than 50 Full Time Equivalent Employees (FTEs). With around 97 percent of manufacturers falling into this group, opening a new category ensures small businesses receive the recognition they deserve.
“An Emerging Manufacturer Leader of the Year award is also being added to shine a spotlight on the next generation of innovators and trailblazers, alongside a Manufacturing Lifetime & Legacy Award to honour those who have shaped the sector into what it is today.
“Entries for the 2026 awards open on 23 February until 31 March, and I encourage manufacturers to join in celebrating their successes by making a submission.”
We are delighted to welcome the sponsors who make this recognition possible across the following award categories:
Supported by: Lawson Williams Consulting Group “By supporting these awards, we want to help build a culture of learning and connection. We want businesses to celebrate their progress, learn from each other, and build networks that make the sector stronger.”
Supported by: Enztec “I started my career as an apprentice. That foundation led me to lead a business employing over 100 technical people. Supporting apprentices today means building the leaders of tomorrow.”
Supported by: BNZ
Supported by: Swell Group “New Zealand has manufacturers doing genuinely world-class work, and we should be celebrating that more loudly”
We thank our sponsors for their dedication to advancing manufacturing and look forward to celebrating excellence together with as many members as possible in May 2026.
As Enztec shared, “It’s a good chance to recognise an important sector. We need to be promoting it more and telling positive stories. Positivity breeds positivity—and that’s how we change perceptions.”
Requests for Award Category Information Packs can be directed to info@amanz.nz
Spotlight on the 2026 Apprentice of the Year Award
The Apprentice of the Year Award celebrates the emerging talent shaping the future of New Zealand manufacturing. These apprentices bring determination, curiosity, craftsmanship, and leadership to their work—qualities that strengthen the sector today and define it for tomorrow.
Sponsor: Enztec
Enztec is a global exporter of orthopaedic instruments and devices and a strong advocate for manufacturing excellence in Aotearoa. Their external values—Crafted, Precise, Trusted—sit at the core of their identity and guide every product they deliver.
Trust is the value that stands out most. Their customers rely on Enztec’s products in critical clinical environments, and the company approaches that responsibility with care and seriousness. Precision is equally essential: producing consistently high‑quality parts requires skilled people, the right tools, well‑designed products, and continuous investment in automation and digital systems. Recent investments have strengthened capability, improved plant utilisation, and supported the launch of several new products.
Enztec is also a proud contributor to New Zealand’s manufacturing ecosystem. Much of its workforce is dedicated to manufacturing and quality roles, supported by a strong local supply chain. With 99% of its sales exported, Enztec plays a significant role in building New Zealand’s high‑value export reputation.
The business continues to expand its digital toolkit through real‑time machine monitoring, tool‑path optimisation, and data‑driven process improvements—steps they see as essential for global competitiveness. Looking ahead, Enztec believes the next frontier will combine technical excellence with exceptional communication, shorter lead times, and trusted relationships. Their sponsorship reflects a commitment to developing the next generation of manufacturing talent.
Previous Winner 2025: Michael Vitale – Pacific Steel
Last year’s winner, Michael, demonstrated how recognition can accelerate confidence and career development. The award encouraged him to complete his apprenticeship and qualify as a tradesman, and it reinforced Pacific Steel’s Operator to Tradesperson programme—an initiative designed to support adult apprenticeships and uplift internal talent.
Michael’s mindset didn’t change—it strengthened. He became more confident, more independent, and more assured in his work. A standout moment of the year was receiving his Mechanical Trades Certificate in front of his wife and three daughters, a milestone that reflected both personal achievement and family pride.
The award has since motivated him to explore leadership opportunities and support new apprentices entering the programme.
His advice to those starting out is practical and grounded:
Keep your head in the books
Complete your units early
Ask plenty of questions
Learn from as many experienced tradespeople as possible
He believes that genuine passion, commitment to safety, a mindset of continuous improvement, and open, confident communication are the hallmarks of a strong application. His biggest lesson from the past year:
“Never underestimate your ability. Hard work pays off.”
Judges
We’re delighted to introduce the judging panel for this year’s Apprentice of the Year award. Bringing a wealth of experience in talent development, industry leadership, and excellence in practice, our judges are:
Nathan Hays – General Manager, Argus Manutech
Vicki Webb – Fonterra (have requested Vicky’s new title)
Iain McMillan – CEO, Enztec
Each judge brings a strong commitment to recognising emerging talent and supporting the next generation of industry professionals. Their insight and expertise will help us highlight the apprentices making an outstanding impact in their fields.
The Apprentice of the Year Award highlights the incredible capability developing across New Zealand manufacturing. With a committed sponsor, experienced judges, and inspiring past winners, the 2026 awards promise to showcase the future leaders of our industry. More stories from across the sector will follow as we move closer to awards night.
Spotlight on the 2026 Process Innovation Award
Process innovation is at the heart of lifting New Zealand’s manufacturing performance. It’s where smart ideas turn into real improvements—streamlined systems, safer work, better use of technology, and continuous steps that make businesses stronger and more competitive. The Process Innovation Award recognises the teams and organisations that challenge the status quo and raise the bar for operational excellence.
Sponsor: Swell
Swell partners with New Zealand businesses to unlock funding that drives innovation, including support through tools like the R&D Tax Incentive. Their experience working alongside manufacturers gives them a close view of the sector’s creativity and resilience.
They describe manufacturing as one of the most innovation rich parts of the Kiwi economy—driven by natural inventiveness, fast problem solving, and a connected community that shares knowledge and supports improvement. Sponsoring this category is their way of shining a brighter light on the world class progress already happening across the country.
For Swell, recognising innovation is especially important during challenging times. Many businesses are still navigating uncertainty, but those choosing to invest, improve, and experiment now are shaping the future of New Zealand’s manufacturing capability. Their message to businesses considering entering this year: go for it. Even if you don’t win, the opportunity to tell your story, benchmark against others, and grow your professional network is invaluable.
For New Zealand’s future—and for Swell—a thriving manufacturing sector means high value jobs, export growth, and a more resilient economy built on practical ingenuity and continuous improvement.
Previous Winner: Breadcraft
Breadcraft’s experience demonstrates how meaningful process innovation can be—and how powerful external recognition is. Before winning, Breadcraft applied a three year strategy and believed internally that their lean, Six Sigma, and best practice journey was progressing well. The award confirmed that their work wasn’t just strong for the bakery sector—it was competitive against large, established heavy industries across New Zealand.
They describe the experience as the difference between a family praising a child’s abilities versus hearing the same praise from impartial outsiders. The recognition builds confidence even an existing strong internal culture, this has grown in bigger proportions.
Winning had a wide reaching impact across the business. It lifted confidence not only in the operations team but across production, sales, and leadership. It strengthened trust between teams and validated a structured three year transformation plan—proving they were further ahead than expected.
Breadcraft encourages applicants to enter with the right mindset: not just to win, but to benchmark, learn, and understand what best practice truly looks like. Being “in the room with the best,” they say, is valuable even without a trophy.
They believe strong applications have three things: a clear and integrated strategy, the ability to speak naturally about how best practice methods are used day today, and proof that improvement tools are embedded across the whole organisation—not just deployed as one off initiatives.
A year after winning, the most important outcome for Breadcraft was strengthened confidence. The award reaffirmed that their systems, strategy, and execution were cohesive, effective, and leading them in the right direction.
Judges
We’re excited to announce the judging panel for this year’s Process Innovation Award. Joining us are four industry leaders whose experience spans strategy, operations, and transformation:
Chris Komatas – Stretchsense, Chief Operating Officer
Amos Breyfogle –Pivot Innovation, Co-Founder
Sebastian Stoof – MHM Automation, General Manager
Nick Prattley - Swell, Director
Each brings deep expertise and a passion for driving meaningful, scalable innovation. Their insights will help us identify the initiatives that are reshaping how we work and deliver value.
The Process Innovation category showcases some of the sharpest thinking and most impactful improvement work in New Zealand manufacturing. With the support of Swell, the insight of experienced judges, and inspiring past winners such as Breadcraft, the 2026 awards promise to highlight the ingenuity, discipline, and teamwork that continue to strengthen Aotearoa’s manufacturing future.
We would welcome anyone interested in becoming a sponsor for the Minister for Manufacturing Awards 2026.
Some of the benefits for sponsoring these awards are;
o Brand exposure across, online platforms, e-news, social media, videos, and event promotions.
o Sponsors receive branding across all IU channels and the event programme
o Inclusion in prevent nomination videos and post‑ event‑ round‑up videos
For more information contact Catherine Lye catherine@amanz.nz
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