Airshow and bus company strike gold at regional awards

TRANSPORT OF DELIGHT: Tranzit Group celebrate their win at the awards. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Two Wairarapa-born enterprises swept the board at the Wellington Gold Awards 2014 on Thursday.

The Wings Over Wairarapa 2013 event won the Vibrant Gold category for event, hospitality and visitor facilities.

Tranzit Group won the Supporting Gold category for professional services and infrastructure.

Tranzit managing director Paul Snelgrove said that, while it was a nationwide company, its roots were in Wairarapa, where his ancestors had grown the business from a single bus between Carterton and Masterton to a fleet of 600.

"It is an immense achievement for our family and our team but also the Wairarapa. To be recognised twice in the evening highlights the passion, dedication and incredible talent in the Wairarapa."

Airshow director Tom Williams, who attended the awards night, said everyone involved had taken a lot of satisfaction from winning.

"It was great to see the event recognised for its huge success in 2013. It's a story about vision, dedication, voluntary contribution and community benefit."

WOW community trust board chairman Bob Francis said the accolade was great for the region. "We are delighted with the Gold Award, we are quite proud of it."

He said it showed the success of the new organisers, who turned the airshow around after the 2011 event ran at a loss.

The awards were held at the TSB Arena in Wellington and celebrate excellence and enterprise of business in the Wellington region.

Destination Wairarapa general manager David Hancock said the awards reflected how collaborative the region's business leaders were.

"The Wairarapa is renowned for hosting world class events, from the biennial Wings Over Wairarapa airshow through to Toast Martinborough.

"These all need great infrastructure to support them and this is where we are fortunate to have Tranzit ensuring visitors and locals are transported to and from these events."

The two businesses plan to work together again for 2015's airshow event.