Mount Maunganui business Powersmart Solar won the Small Business Trailblazer title at the Bay of Plenty Sustainable Business Network Awards on Thursday night.
The annual awards ceremony was held in Rotorua with businesses across the Bay of Plenty nominated for their sustainable practices.

Powersmart Solar director and founder with Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby at the SBN Awards ceremony.

Whakatane based not-for-profit-organisation Energy Options won the supreme title of Sustainable Business of the Year.

Powersmart Solar director and founder Mike Bassett-Smith says his entire team are honoured by the award.

'To win was really exciting. It's great feedback on the work we have done to date.”

'We were told how thorough our policies were, we weren't just sitting on our laurels.”

Katikati company NappyDays won the ‘Small Business Emerging' category.

SCA Hygiene Australasia, in Kawerau, won the ‘Large Business Emerging' category

The productivity award was won by Taranaki business La Nuova Apparelmaster. This award previously unique to the Bay of Plenty was extended to include the Waikato/Taranaki members.

NappyDays, Powersmart Solar, SCA Hygiene Australasia and Energy Options will now compete against other regional finalists in the National NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards, to be held in Auckland on November 16.