KEY POINTS:
ORIX New Zealand is a subsidiary of the Japanese industrial finance and leasing company ORIX Corporation, which started business in Japan in 1964 providing leasing and financial packages to assist companies to buy the industrial equipment, vehicles and machinery needed to grow their business.
Today ORIX has grown to be one of the world's largest non-bank finance and leasing organisation, with assets of NZ$87 billion.
ORIX opened its first office in New Zealand in 1989 and has worked to build a reputation for innovative leasing and finance solutions in order to answer the needs of New Zealand companies.
ORIX now has offices in Auckland, Palmerston North, Wellington and Christchurch with assets totalling more than NZ$320 million. It is recognised as one of this country's leading providers of leasing and financial solutions.
In 2007 ORIX committed to its sixth consecutive season sponsoring motorsport in New Zealand, making it one of the longest corporate sponsors of the sport. In the 2004/05 season it won the NZV8 championship with Andy Booth.
For the 2006/07 season ORIX sponsored Paul Manuell, driving a Holden Commodore, and was rewarded when the ORIX Team Racing finished the season in seventh place in the championship.
From the beginning of its involvement, ORIX has been determined to support the sport, both on and off the track.
It has a dedicated hospitality Hino bus, liveried with the same colours as the race car, that is taken to all seven events in the championship, from Auckland to Invercargill. Each weekend the bus hosts up to 180 guests with entertainment, prize draws and driver chats on race preparation and craft.
This unique approach to motorsport hospitality allows ORIX to entertain guests in their own regions, in a more relaxed atmosphere, rather than planting them in a seat in some stadium, somewhere - more than likely at night.
The hospitality bus offers an economic way of reaching significantly larger numbers of clients than other mediums.
On track results, while important, are not the be all and end all of ORIX's involvement in motorsport,it rates off-track support and client service as equally important.
Rather then employ the services of specialist hospitality companies the ORIX bus is resourced totally by company employees or volunteers - a group of dedicated personnel who travel the country ensuring a high standard of service is provided to their guests.
Not only has ORIX provided a different race package, they also take the race sponsorship off-track and out into the community, so that everyone can take part in the experience.
The team visit schools, kindergartens, undertakes promotional events and arranges hot laps. (See next week's Superwheels to read what it's like to drive the race car).
They also take part in sports shows, television appearances and radio shows.
Last year ORIX invested more than $24,000 of sub-sponsored prizes throughout the season as competition prizes for trackside clients. The NZV8 championship sponsorship, and subsidiary packages allow the company to increase its brand awareness and take motorsport to the wider community.
In addition to ORIX, there are 17 supporting sponsors within the team who also have the opportunity to invite their guests trackside.
There's more next season also, ORIX is well on the way to becoming Carbon Zero Certified and is currently researching to ascertain whether its race team can become the first carbon-neutral motorsport team in New Zealand.
