Compac Sorting Equipment takes top Hi-Tech award

Mon, 14th May 2012

FYI, this story is more than a year old

Auckland-based manufacturer of fruit and vegetable sorting, grading and packing equipment, Compac Sorting Equipment, has taken out the top award at the 2012 NZ Hi-Tech Awards.

The competition judges highlighted the company's 'laser-focused priority on market-driven R - D' as the main reason for its success, describing Compac as 'the Rolls Royce of its industry'.

It's not the first time the company has had success in the awards, winning the Hi-Tech Exporter of the Year award in 2010. This year that category was split into two, Compac claiming the over $5 million category.

Other big winners were NZICT CEO Candace Kinser's former company, Biomatters, which won the Hi-Tech Emerging Company award, and Xero, which won Hi-Tech Exporter of the Year in the under $5 million category.

NZ Hi-Tech Trust chair Wayne Norrie recognised the New Zealand tech sector as a $20 billion industry, making it New Zealand's largest after dairy and tourism.

"This year we have had no problem attracting sponsors, entrants or high-profile judges," Norrie says, referring to the inclusion of Paypal founder and early Facebook investor, Peter Thiel, and director of engineering for Google in New York, Craig Nevill-Manning, on the judging panel.

"It is a credit to the high standard of the technology we produce in New Zealand that we can attract such a prestigious judging line-up year after year.

A full list of the winners is below.

Hi-Tech Young Achiever

Robert Bell, KlickEx

Best Contribution to the New Zealand Hi-Tech Sector by a Multinational Company

IBM

Hi-Tech Exporter of the Year (under $5 million)

Xero

Hi-Tech Exporter of the Year (over $5 million)

Compac Sorting Equipment

Outstanding Contribution Award

Andy Lark

Innovative Software Product Award

Booktrack

Innovative Hardware Product Award

Enatel Motive Power (special commendation: Vesper Marine)

Innovative Service Product Award

Car Parking Technologies (special commendation: KlickEx)

Innovative Mobile Technology Award

Booktrack

Innovative Product from an Emerging Market award (Agritech)

Grasslanz Technology (special commendation: Outpost Central)

Best Start-up Award

Invert Robotics

Hi-Tech Emerging Company Award

Biomatters

Hi-Tech Company of the Year Award

Compac Sorting Equipment

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