www.sustainable.org.nz
News Release
June 8, 2006

Comvita wins Supreme Sustainable Business Award

Paengaroa-based natural health products company Comvita is elated at winning the Environment Bay of Plenty Sustainable Business Supreme Award last week.

Chief executive Brett Hewlett says it was a pleasant surprise when the company was announced as the supreme winner against stiff competition from 61 of the region’s most prominent businesses.

Sustainable Business Network Bay of Plenty regional manager Calum Revfem says Comvita is an excellent example of a business that enters the awards to benchmark its efforts against peers to get feedback and make progress.

“Comvita really stood out for the systematic way that it addresses sustainability issues.  It’s obvious that sustainability is a core element of Comvita’s business. It’s completely ingrained in their systems and culture.”

Hewlett says Comvita is totally committed to improving sustainable business practices and continuing to be a leader in the field.

“Sustainability is at the core of what we do but we are always looking for ways to further integrate environmental, social and economic best practice into our business.  The principles behind what is now called the triple bottom line report were championed by our founders, Claude Stratford and Alan Bougen, long before the phrase itself was invented.”

Comvita’s international brand is built heavily on New Zealand’s image as an unspoilt source of natural health products, and the company understands the need to make sustainability issues integral to its business practice.

Hewlett says consumers across the world increasingly judge companies on their social and environmental commitment, and buy products accordingly.

“Investors are following similar principles.  We want to spread the word that good practices in economic, social and environmental sustainability can make a significant positive contribution to commercial, bottom-line results and Comvita’s growth is evidence of this.”

The company is involved with a number of environmental and social initiatives, both in New Zealand and globally.  Hewlett says the influence and conviction of founders Claude Stratford and Alan Bougen remain pivotal in Comvita’s business, in particular their philosophy that business must put something back into the community.

Last year in Tauranga, Comvita donated $15,000 worth of native trees to the Birds, Bees, Kids and Trees programme and a similar initiative is planned for 2006/07.  Sport and school primary school sponsorships, beekeeper scholarships, Otanewainuku Kiwi Trust, Project Green Fleet, The Life Foundation (India), Ben San Leprosy Centre (Vietnam), and Green Globe 21 are some other examples of social and environmental initiatives Comvita supports.

END