KEY POINTS:
I was MC at the Waikato Exporter of the Year Awards this week, and in this, the year of the exporter, I just wanted to give them a written round of applause.
It's not easy being exporters at a time when the Kiwi and US dollars are just about neck and neck.
The exporters can't compete on the cost front so they have to rely on the good relationships they've built up with their clients and on the fact that they're providing quality product.
It's a ropey old time all right, and there were a few more grey hairs on the heads of some of the company directors than I saw when I MC-d the awards last year. But they're a stoic lot, and they're in for the long haul and I just want to shine the spotlight on these bold, brave entrepreneurs who are innovative, forward thinking and vital to this country's prosperity.
Their successes need to be celebrated and, although their technical widgets and gadgets may not be sexy, the stories behind the making of these products is.
The team work, the brinksmanship, the determination, the drive - all the stuff of great yarns.
Let's make exporters and inventors role models for our kids, not rock stars and rugby players.
