Forestry Awards

The strong forestry sector of Hawke’s Bay came alive on Friday night at the Hawke’s Bay Forestry Awards held at the Napier War Memorial Centre, a gathering that celebrated resilience, innovation, and extraordinary contributions to the industry. With the event hosted by the talented Jeremy Corbett, renowned for his role on TV’s Seven Days, the evening witnessed a full house united in recognition of our industry’s heroes rising to tackle the challenges of the past two years.

This year’s awards emphasized the immense strength of the forestry community as it emerged from the profound difficulties wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023. A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Adversity and Rebuild – Recognition of Dedication and Industry Service Award, bestowed upon the Hawke’s Bay Forestry Group (HBFG) by Tania Kerr, Deputy Mayor of Hastings District Council. This accolade celebrates their extraordinary leadership and commitment to community recovery following the cyclone’s impact. HBFG represents 13 forestry companies and most of the forest area in Hawkes Bay, so the award also recognised the extraordinary efforts of those teams and of the many forest contractors and their staff who dug deep to support the community following Cyclone Gabrielle.

One of the evening’s standout winners was Amy Satherley of ATS Logging Limited, who was celebrated as the Woman in Forestry Excellence and awarded the Skilled Professional of the Year 2024 Trophy. Amy’s tireless commitment to both her team and community, alongside her impressive achievements in mentoring and health and safety advocacy, epitomizes the spirit of leadership in our industry. Her work not only prioritizes well-being but also promotes sustainable forestry practices that harmonize economic success with environmental responsibility. ATS Logging Limited also took away Harvesting Excellence Award and Outstanding Health & Safety Management trophy.

In addition, the newly introduced Outstanding Innovation Excellence Trophy was awarded to Kevin Gettins of Weighing and Measuring Solutions (NZ) Ltd. This trophy recognizes Kevin’s visionary leadership and relentless pursuit of innovation, significantly transforming New Zealand’s forestry supply chain since his company’s inception in 2003. His commitment to IT advancements has set new operational benchmarks, emphasizing efficiency and safety in log truck weighing procedures.

The awards also celebrated the incredible training efforts of D G Glenn Logging, which received recognition as the Training Company/Contractor of the Year. Their partnership with Competenz has led to the successful training of numerous apprentices and the enhancement of vital skills across the sector. Over the last two years, their initiatives resulted in seven apprentices completing their programmes and 24 trainees earning Level 3 and Level 4 national certificates.

The awards showcased a remarkable spread of talent and dedication across various companies within the Hawke’s Bay forestry sector. The evening was thoroughly judged by industry leaders Ed Saathof from Forestry Services Limited, Kere Elliot from Elliot Logging Limited, and Bruce Evans from BE Engineering, advisor to Pan Pac.

James Powrie, CE for the Hawke’s Bay Forestry Group spoke, “In the two years since our 2022 awards, Cyclone Gabrielle provided many challenges and changes for us all. The clean-up and the rebuilding effort has been massive.”

He also confirmed, “Forestry people opened roads, towed vehicles and gear through flooded rivers, delivered generators, conducted rescues and provided countless assistance to rural Hawke’s Bay alongside farmers, roading operators and others.”

Together, the forest sector celebrated the remarkable individuals and organizations that continue to elevate the forestry industry in Hawke’s Bay, showcasing a spirit of dedication and excellence.

Results

Hawkes Bay Forestry Skilled Professional of the Year: Amy Satherley, ATS Logging Limited
NZ Apprentice of the Year (sponsored by Competenz): Blake Bell, FMNZ
Trainee of the Year (sponsored by Rayonier Matariki): Luka Kyle, DG Glenn Logging
Training Company/Contractor of the Year (sponsored by M W Lissette Ltd): D G Glenn Logging Ltd
Forestry & Establishment Excellence (sponsored by Forest Management (NI) Ltd): Ron Middleton, Mid-Pine Contracting Ltd
Roading Civil Excellence (sponsored by ATS Logging): Damien McCarthy, M.W.Lissette
Harvesting Excellence (sponsored by Goodmans Contracting): Mark Giddens, ATS Logging Ltd
Wood Processing Excellence (sponsored by Lew Prince Logging Ltd): Chris London, Kat Logging Ltd 2014
Distribution Excellence (sponsored by Napier Port): Mark Pittar, Pan Pac
Tree Faller Excellence (sponsored by PF Olsen): Kumi Basher, KB Training
Log Truck Driver (sponsored by Patchells): Kyle Sykes, Pan Pac
Woman in Forestry Excellence (sponsored by Z Energy): Amy Satherley, ATS Logging Ltd
Runner Up: Hannah Ormond, Overhead Solutions.
Crew of the Year (sponsored by FGLT): Bay Forest Harvesting – Log 7
Outstanding H & S Management Award (sponsored by LTSC): ATS Logging Ltd
Outstanding Environmental Management Award (sponsored by Te Awahohono Trust): Kat 15 Crew, Kat Logging Ltd 2014
Outstanding Innovation Excellence Award (sponsored by QUBE): Kevin Gettins, Weighing & Measuring Solutions (NZ) Ltd
Special Award – Adversity & Rebuild: Hawke’s Bay Foresty Group

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Good things take time and two and a half years since the inaugural event in 2019, the Hawke’s Bay Forestry Group celebrated with the local sector community the second forestry awards on Friday 2 December at the Napier War Memorial Conference Centre. MC and comedian Jeremy Corbett entertained and managed a great night of celebration and accolades for the local heroes of the industry at the Awards Dinner sponsored by Pan Pac Forest Products.

A sell – out crowd was there alongside Minister Stuart Nash and Deputy Mayor Annette Brosnan to acknowledge all the category and trophy winners for the second Hawke’s Bay Forestry Awards 2022.

Minister Nash commented on the work by the Future Foresters in promoting forestry out to schools and attendance at expos with a lot of mentoring for those interested in forestry. He also made it very explicit the important role the workforce sector would play in being part of the latest Industry Transformational Plan (ITP) for Forestry and was looking forward to the goals set in the plan being implemented.

Minister Nash ended the night with the presentation of the overall Skilled Forestry Professional of the Year to Terence (Pnut) Ross who also took out the Roading category sponsored by ATS Logging. It was a great salutation to a forest “go to” and respected person in the industry. Unfortunately, Pnut was not able to make the event, but the award was highly fitting as Pnut is looking to retire later in the year.

ATS Logging did extremely well on the night and their other employees, Tane Lee took out the Harvesting Excellence category while Hayden Mullins was awarded the Outstanding Health & Safety Management Trophy. To top that off, Director of ATS Logging Amy Satherley was runner up in the Woman in Forestry which was awarded to Chrystal Edmonds co-owner of Stirling Logging having recently relocated to the Hawke’s Bay from Gisborne.

Other outstanding recipients included D G Glenn Logging, stalwarts of the industry who took out the top award for Training Company/Contractor of the Year and Torben Hunt (Turbo) also won the Tree Faller Excellence category. This role has been increasingly under pressure from continuity of work as the role is replaced across the country with technology and mechanised fallers.

Chair of the Hawke’s Bay Forestry Group Damon Wise commented that the “The Hawke’s Bay Forest industry is in excellent health proven tonight by the calibre of nominations and quality of the Awards recipients.  It’s important we don’t underestimate the commitment every individual makes every day to get the trees established, tendered, harvested, transported, and processed here in our region.” He continued to confirm, “The critical path to our future success is training and development and it’s pleasing to see this year’s judges have recognised the significant investment several businesses are making in this space.

He aha te mea nui o te ao. What is the most important thing in the world? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. It is the people, it is the people, it is the people!”

Nominations had been received throughout the last 2 years and the Forestry Group were very proud of the region to hang out hope this event would finally take place.

A special award at the discretion of the judges each year, awarded a standout recipient that had done mahi above the expectations of their day-to-day work. This award went to GPFS and Ground UP Forestry company owners Kevin and Belinda Humphreys.

For over 25 years they have supported an array of individual contractors and contracting businesses to provide forestry, fire and agricultural services through the Hawkes Bay region and an array of local Private Woodlots and landowners. Kevin and Belinda are both passionate about the growth of the forestry sector in the Hawkes Bay region and take great pride to provide safe practices, quality operational services and effectiveness by fostering this culture into developing trained forestry workers, already within and new to our industry.

The training extends to life coaching and mentoring, health monitoring, chiropractic care, successful rehabilitation services for their staff and First Aid qualifications to name a few.

In joint ownership this couple carry out significant work around engaging youth that at times are at a loose end, until they find a new place, and new opportunities in this industry.

The Hawke’s Bay Forestry Group had to cancel last year and move the date twice due to COVID like so many other NZ events but the support from the sponsors and nominees enabled the show to go on.

The 360 guests were wined and dined thanks to Pan Pac who were the official Awards dinner sponsors, and the region looks forward to the continued momentum of the awards with a view to stage them again in 2023.

Results

Hawkes Bay Forestry Skilled Professional of the Year: Terence (Pnut) Ross, Gair Contracting
NZ Apprentice of the Year (sponsored by Competenz: Te Pukenga): Jovan Hanley, Tresidder Punanga Ltd
Trainee of the Year (sponsored by Rayonier Matariki): Hannah Allen, Chipmunk Logging Ltd
Training Company/Contractor of the Year (sponsored by M W Lissette Ltd): D G Glenn Logging Ltd
Forestry Excellence (sponsored by Forest Management (NI) Ltd): Peni Navuluwai Naulago, Mid-Pine Contractor Ltd
Roading Excellence (sponsored by FMNZ): Terence (Pnut) Ross, Gair Contracting
Harvesting Excellence (sponsored by FMNZ): Tane Lee, ATS Logging Ltd
Wood Processing Excellence (sponsored by Lew Prince Logging Ltd): William McGlade, Pan Pac Forest Products
Distribution Excellence (sponsored by Napier Port): Tony Groome, John Turkington Ltd
Tree Faller Excellence (sponsored by Gair Contracting): Torben Hunt (Turbo), D G Glenn Logging Ltd
Woman in Forestry Excellence (sponsored by McFall Fuel): Chrystal Edmonds, Stirling Logging Ltd
Runner Up: Amy Satherley, ATS Logging Ltd.
Log Truck Driver Exellence: Rex Sime, SSS Trucking
Crew of the Year (sponsored by FICA): Dan Mouatt, Bay Forest Harvesting
Runner Up: Cox Forestry Services
Outstanding H & S Management Award (sponsored by C3): Hayden Mullins, ATS Logging Ltd
Outstanding Environmental Management Award (sponsored by H/Bay Regional Council): Charlotte Holdsworth, John Turkington Ltd
Outstanding Regional Service Performance Award (sponsored by ISO Limited): P & L Lister Ltd
Special Award – Outstanding Contribution (sponsored by Z Energy): Kevin & Belinda Humphreys GPFS & Ground Up Forestry

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They say its woman’s intuition and having that natural ability to relate to tree fallers in the forest that has been a real skill that Kere Elliot from Elliot Logging has and that has gone a long way to backing her win as the Skilled Forestry Professional of the Year for 2019 at the Hawkes Bay Forestry Awards.

Kere has been involved in Pan Pac harvesting operations for many years and is now a well-respected and trusted tree felling and auditing specialist. To achieve this, she has worked her way through all aspects of harvesting operations firstly as a worker and employee, to running a harvesting contracting crew with her husband Grant, as well as providing auditing and training services to our wider contract workforce.

“The tree felling auditing and training that Kere carries out is a key component of ensuring that all our tree fallers are working at the safest and highest possible level in one of the most hazardous tasks to be completed.” confirmed Tim Sandall, General Manager, Forests at Pan Pac, Napier.

It is her vast experience, her vigilance, her care and natural ability to relate to our people on the ground that enables her to be so effective in this area. Kere is a humble recipient with a strong backbone and has a superb talent in communicating with bushmen, with an outstanding reputation. Showing commitment to the industry and to the development of her colleagues, she has likely saved lives under her direction and unwavering resolve to improve standards so that the job is completed safely.

Kere is the third female recipient of the top award for forestry awards this year. Heather Arnold of Nelson Forests took out the top award in the Top of the South Forestry Awards and Michelle Harrison of Wise on Wood took out the top award in the Northland Forestry Awards earlier this year, so it highlights how these three very successful and capable women have deservedly been recognised.

Winners representing a broad selection of forestry companies took the stage, to a sell-out crowd at the Napier Conference Centre, in celebration of the inaugural forestry awards which were managed by master of ceremony and TV celebrity, Pio Terei. The audience was a makeup of very enthusiastic foresters, regional service providers, sponsors and community VIP’s, who see this event as a chance to lift the profile on the industry and those people that work in it.

James Powrie from Redaxe Forestry Intelligence, representing the judges, was very complementary about all nominees and winners and as a judge in this first award campaign was impressed with the calibre across all the fifteen categories making it difficult in some to assign a clear winner.

Keith Dolman, CE for the Hawkes Bay Forestry Group confirms, “Our decision to implement these awards was on the back of the other regional campaigns being such a positive success for the regions and their people. Hawkes Bay is an area for growth in this sector and it’s important that we celebrate our own successes.”

The awards will be reviewed with the concept to run them as an annual event going forward with the objectives to benefit the region’s forest industry by  attracting skilled employees to the region as valued forestry industry players, to up skill and lift the standard of the skill base of the forestry workforce and to provide an opportunity for the forestry industry to celebrate its skilled professionals. There has been a strong sense of collaboration and a chance to create a healthy and challenging competition amongst the industry.

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