Aspeq is proud to sponsor the Excellence in Manufacturing category at this year's Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce – 2degrees Wellington Regional Business Excellence Awards 2026
Every great manufacturing business starts somewhere small. Ours did too.
Aspeq began as a small business right here in the Hutt Valley. Like so many of the manufacturers we're proud to sponsor this year, we know what it takes to build something from the ground up, the long hours, the problem-solving, the relentless focus on doing the work right. That journey shaped who we are. Today, Aspeq provides examination solutions to regulatory bodies and government agencies around the world, but our roots, and our values, never left home.
Why manufacturing
Manufacturing is precision work. It's about getting things right, every time, because the standards you meet are rarely optional, they're the ones your customers, your industry, and often entire regulatory frameworks depend on. That's a world Aspeq understands intimately. Our own work sits at the intersection of rigour, trust, and consistency at scale, the same qualities that define great manufacturing businesses.
Wellington has always punched above its weight in manufacturing. It's a sector built on the same foundations Aspeq was built on: technical skill, quiet ambition, and a willingness to compete with the best, locally and globally. Sponsoring the Excellence in Manufacturing category is a way of backing the next generation of businesses doing exactly what we set out to do decades ago.
Growth that starts local and doesn't stop there
We've seen firsthand what's possible when a Wellington business decides the world is its market, not just the region. It takes the right foundations, strong operations, a culture that holds under pressure, and the confidence to meet international standards head-on. We see those same foundations in the manufacturers entering this year's Awards, and we want to help build the platform that gets more of them recognised for it, in Wellington, across New Zealand, and beyond.
"Every manufacturer entering this year's Awards has put in the graft to get their business where it is today and that's something we genuinely respect at Aspeq. It's a privilege to back a category that recognises businesses doing the hard, unglamorous work of getting things right. We're already looking forward to the Finalist Function and finding out who's made the cut." — Hamish Findlay, CE, Aspeq
Entries close 25 September
If you're a Wellington Region manufacturer doing work you're proud of, this is your moment to be recognised for it. Entries close at 5:00pm on 25 September 2026 — there's still time to put your business forward.
Finalists will be announced on 22 October at the Finalist Function at the Upper Hutt Cossie Club, and we can't wait to be there to celebrate the standout businesses shaping this sector's future. From there, all eyes turn to the Gala Dinner on 20 November at the Lower Hutt Events Centre, where the Excellence in Manufacturing winner will be named.
Good luck to everyone putting their business forward. We're looking forward to meeting the finalists and to seeing just how far Wellington manufacturing can go.
Enter → https://hvchamber.org.nz/2degrees-wellington-regional-business-excellence-awards-2026/
