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Decades of service to the export sector by Tauranga's Ray Ellis was formerly recognised last night when he was awarded the ‘New Zealand Trade & Enterprise Service to Export' award at the Bay of Plenty ExportNZ awards' dinner.

The award recognises Ray's outstanding contribution to export success through years of work both regionally and nationally, including 20 years involvement with market access negotiations for a number of products at Government to Government level in six countries, working and travelling with MPI and MFAT negotiators.

Ray Ellis with the New Zealand Trade & Enterprise Service to Export presented to him last night.

Sharp Tudhope Lawyers Exporter of the Year - Trimax Mowing Systems NZ team are from left Chris Chaplin, Bob Sievwright. Michael Sievwright, Jim McKeown and Murray McDonald.

The managing director of Ellis Agricultural Services says he is humbled and honoured to receive the award and pays tribute to all he has worked with over the years and his wife and family.

His was one of five awards presented at an ‘80s 'Fame” themed dinner at ASB Baypark stadium lounge, where actress, entertainer and former Shortland Street star Amanda Billing was MC.

The evening at the ASB Baypark stadium lounge was sponsored by Zespri International and attended by more than 400 people.

The long established Tauranga family owned business, Trimax Mowing Systems NZ won the top- award, the 2015 ‘Sharp Tudhope Lawyers Exporter of the Year' award. Trimax which has branches in the Australia, the UK and USA, designs, develops, manufactures and distributes tractor-powered mowing equipment.

The United Travel Business Emerging Exporter of the Year Award was won by Tauranga based Stoney Creek which designs and manufactures highly technical, rugged outdoor clothing and equipment, aimed to maximise the customer experience in all climatic conditions.

Page Macrae Engineering Innovation in Export Award winner is Automation & Electronics (NZ) which specialises in design, programming and development of industrial control solutions and software for the solid wood processing industry throughout New Zealand, Australia and the United States.

The company also provides a service of installation in Papua New Guinea, South Africa and Chile.

Beca Export Achievement Award winner is Paramdip Singh, director, special projects international at the Waiariki Institute of Technology. The award recognises his work to significantly increase foreign students numbers at the institute.

Head judge for the awards, Kelvin Trask says: 'We had an impressive range of businesses enter the export awards again this year, with strong entrants across the categories. It is exciting to celebrate the success of our Bay of Plenty exporters and recognise their resilience and hard work.”

The high calibre and number of companies who were finalists in this year's awards meant there was serious competition across each and every category with the judging panel commenting that they were extremely impressed by the variety of businesses that entered across a range of industries.

Among the speakers was Trade Minister Tim Groser who got into the spirit of the evening by 'stealing” another guest's Rod Stewart wig when he took the podium.

'I see exports as central to putting New Zealand back among the most successful nations in the world,” he says

Free trade agreements were already helping that happen with the Korean agreement alone set to save exporters $45 billion in tariffs.

'In 35 years I have been involved in three big (free trade) fights and we are now preparing for the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership) negotiations and will fight for the future wealth of exporters and New Zealanders.”

Guests at the dinner were encouraged to dress in ‘80s theme and many did just that with characters from Ghost Busters, to Kung Fu Kid, to Rocky, Madonna and Amy Winehouse among the dinners.

The ASB Baypark stadium lounge was transformed into an 80 street theme, complete with graffiti and a DEKA department store front and a dance studio called the School of Performing Exporters for the evening.