Mount Maunganui-based kiwifruit marketer Zespri won the 2016 Deloitte Top 200 business award for Most Improved Performance at a black tie dinner in Auckland last night.

The recognition follows a record-breaking harvest season and market performance for Zespri's new gold kiwifruit variety SunGold.

Simon Limmer, Zespri's chief operating officer says the award is a great result for the industry. 'We're thrilled to be recognised with this award, on the back of a record-breaking season and great market performance of Zespri SunGold.

'Zespri sold the largest-ever volume of fruit last season with record return to growers and the industry is on track to more than double global sales to $4.5 billion by 2025.

'Our industry is built on partnership – with growers and postharvest as well as research providers such as Plant & Food Research – and we've all worked together to achieve this success and deliver the premium, tasty, healthy fruit our consumers want.”

Other winners last night were:

• Deloitte and AJ Park Company of the Year Award - Z Energy

• Deloitte and Orbit World Travel Chief Executive of the Year Award - Mike Bennetts, Z Energy

• Massey University Business School Chief Financial Officer of the Year Award - Jolie Hodson, Spark

• QBE Insurance Chairperson of the Year Award - Christopher Moller, Skycity

• Minter Ellison Rudd Watts Excellence in Governance Award - ACC

• Most Improved Performance Award - Zespri

• Best Growth Strategy Award - Synlait Milk

• Ministry of Business and Innovation Employment Diversity Leadership Award - ASB

• Eagle Technology and IMNZ Young Executive of the Year Award - James Bergin, Chief Architect ASB

• Visionary Leader Award - Ranjna Patel