Bed designer and manufacturer New Zealand’s most sustainable business

Design Mobel is New Zealand’s Sustainable Business of the Year, after winning the top award at the 2007 NZI National Sustainable Business Awards.

The Awards, held at Auckland’s War Memorial Museum, celebrated those businesses making outstanding progress towards sustainability with Prime Minister Helen Clark on hand to congratulate winners.

Design Mobel, designer and manufacturer of contemporary flexible slat beds, mattresses and bedroom furniture is an international success story and has won 20 major design awards in the last four years.

Award judges were impressed by the Tauranga based company’s commitment to sustainable business practices, from resource use and product design through to manufacturing.

Design Mobel conducts a full life cycle assessment of products from raw material inputs, through manufacturing, to the use of waste by-products and design briefs are geared around sustainability.

They source wood from sustainable forestry operations and use natural materials including bamboo, cotton, 100% natural latex and wool in natural manufacturing processes wherever possible. The company has also achieved international environmental certification (ISO14001) and international quality standard certification (ISO9001).

“The awards recognised the best of New Zealand business successfully incorporating principles of sustainability into daily business practice. We are delighted to support the efforts of companies making these important changes to the way they do business," says Ian Foy, Head of NZI, naming rights sponsor for the 2007 awards.

NZI is a division of IAG New Zealand Limited, which won the Large Business Category in 2004.

Contact Energy, BeesOnline, YHA Wellington City, Starfish, Fumes TV and Design Mobel were also winners in their individual award categories.

Entries for the 2007 Awards were received from over 150 entrants representing a wide range of business sizes operating in diverse industries from all over New Zealand.

To qualify, each of the nine finalists completed SBN’s Get Sustainable Challenge, subsequently entered the SBN awards and won the category awards in their region.

“We’ve been working hard on ways to reduce our own environmental footprint. Over the last three years we have reduced fuel consumption of our vehicle fleet by 22% and our office paper consumption by 16%."

Mr. Foy says NZI has a goal to be carbon neutral by 2012.

Rachel Brown, Chief Executive of the Sustainable Business Network is encouraged by increasing interest in the area of sustainability.

“Sustainability continues to gain the attention of all types of New Zealand business. There is better understanding about how businesses are best placed to respond, while greater awareness of consumers continues to drive better practice - it’s a virtuous cycle and we are happy to be a key promoter and facilitator of these changes for New Zealand business.

“SBN is appreciative for the support of all the sponsors and we are greatly encouraged by the willingness and initiative of the entrants."

SBN’s Get Sustainable Challenge begins with an assessment of business practices, commitment to sustainability, how the business uses and produces resources, future planning, business systems and relationships. SBN represents more than 600 businesses, from SMEs, consultants, research and academic staff, through to large businesses and corporations.