An invention that has saved New Zealand's kiwifruit industry millions of dollars has won a prestigious international award for innovative design.

Protec, a kiwifruit bruise controller developed by WA Coppins Ltd of Motueka, won the Award of Excellence in the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) ‘International Achievement Awards' held in Florida in America last month.

The Protec kiwifruit picking bag.

'Anecdotal evidence suggested that the kiwifruit industry was losing $30-$35 million through damaged fruit each year, often because of poor picking practices,” says Bill Coppins, the third-generation owner of the business.

'We decided to do something about it.”

Protec is a textile-based ‘funnel' that attaches to the top of WA Coppins' kiwifruit picking buckets. Once the fruit is picked and dropped into it, it goes through a four-tier ‘zig zag' that reduces the overall impact – an approach that has reduced the damage rate from eight per cent of the total pick to just 0.8 per cent.

Bill says it has also increased productivity with trials showing a more than 40 per cent increase in picking rates among workers using Protec.

'Protec has helped the industry to save money and operate more efficiently while providing a picking aid that helps the workers.

'It's also cost effective, paying for itself in just two days of use.”

Refined through more than 70 design stages and tested over three annual picking seasons, Protec has previously taken top honours in a New Zealand competition – the 2010 OFPANZ (Outdoor Fabric Products Association of New Zealand) Awards of Excellence.

'WA Coppins' success in these awards is a great coup for New Zealand,” says OFPANZ executive director Janet Lane.

'It shows that we have the imagination, flair and agility to identify and seize exciting opportunities for innovation. Bill and his team can be very proud of their achievement.”

The annual IFAI International Achievement Awards recognise excellence in design and innovation, highlighting work in the specialty fabrics industry.

In this year's competition, professionals from 13 countries entered 383 projects in 29 categories.

The winners were selected based on complexity, design, workmanship, uniqueness and function.