Drones, a barbershop and big wins: Tauranga Business Awards 2026 celebrate Bay of Plenty’s best

SYOS Aerospace develops and manufactures autonomous uncrewed vehicles, including drones, robotic vessels and ground vehicles. It is dual-headquartered in Mount Maunganui and Britain.

“We founded SYOS in 2021 and it’s been a wild ride. The more successful we go, the more complex things get,” Vye told the audience at Mercury Baypark in one of his wide-ranging acceptance speeches.

Vye said Tauranga should be a national and world leader in technology development.

“We can have amazing export sales of technology and I think we can do incredible stuff.”

The unfiltered Brit drew laughs through the night with the odd not-so-safe-for-work story (locked naked out of his hotel room in Sydney) and enthusiastic swearing.

Vye took his final opportunity at the mic to hype-up local entrepreneurs and heap praise on his wife, as well as on his team of 170 employees worldwide, bringing several out on stage.

“I’ve got this amazing team of beautiful, sexy people behind me. Can I just have a round of applause for these beautiful people,” Vye said.

He singled out a few who had been with the company from its early days, sharing how he lured them to Tauranga to join the start-up.

Syos Aerospace senior flight mechanics design engineer Keshika Warnakula.

Award-winning aerospace engineer Keshika Warnakula, for example, was picked up for her interview on the side of a highway by a ute towing an under-development uncrewed helicopter to a test site in Pāpāmoa.

“Picked her up, she jumps in the back, and like, honestly, you tell your kids not to bloody do that, hey? It’s like insane, but she did it,” Vye said.

He told the Bay of Plenty Times the win “means so much” to the SYOS team.

“It gives them the understanding that SYOS is an award-winning company and they can be proud about wearing SYOS on their shirts.”

He said the company was “laser-focused” on solving problems.

“The robotics industry in the world is on steroids at the minute, the rate of growth is exponential, as demonstrated by contracts we’ve won overseas, and now in New Zealand.

“We are one of the global companies on the leading edge of that.”

SYOS Aerospace founder and chief executive Samuel Vye. Photo / Jason Dorday

SYOS has secured major defence contracts, including a $66.8 million deal with the British Defence Force to supply drones for Ukraine, and a New Zealand Defence Force contract to provide air, land and maritime drones for Army and Navy trials.

Vye said SYOS was achieving “major milestones” every week.

“Our strategy is to expand here significantly in New Zealand, expand our overseas presence, and we do want to be the next success story, the next, Rocket Lab.”

Special Judges Impact Award – Barber Spence & Co

Spencer McNeil, 21, of Brookfield’s Barber Spence & Co, won the evening’s first award, taking home the surprise Special Judges Impact award.

“I’m blown away. I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to think. I’m just honestly so, so blessed,” a tearful McNeil told the Bay of Plenty Times after receiving his award.

A crowd favourite, he drew constant applause and praise from fellow winners – including Vye, who suggested his team should take out a subscription for haircuts.

“I think this is a massive wake-up call for me to realise there are a lot of people watching,” McNeil said.

Spencer McNeil (left), of Barber Spence & Co, with head judge Jamie Lunam after receiving the Special Judges Impact Award. Photo / Salina Galvan

“There are a lot of eyes on me, especially now, and to realise that everything’s in front of me, I just have to chase it.”

Barber Spence & Co has built a loyal following by combining grooming with a commitment to community, becoming a hub where locals connect and support one another.

“We care about the people, we’re here for people to know that regardless of what you’re going through, if you come to us for a cut or if you just want to pop in, sit down and have a chat, we’re here for you.”

Overcome with emotion, McNeil said he was “so grateful” to be standing on stage.

“This award goes to my mates I’ve lost, my old man, who I lost five years ago to cancer. It means more to me, it’s way beyond me, and means absolutely everything.”

People’s Choice Award – Bay Paediatrics

Bay Paediatrics won the People’s Choice Award, determined by public vote.

The private paediatric clinic specialises in ADHD diagnosis and treatment of children and was co-founded by Dr Sarah Moll and Freddie Bennett.

Bennett said he was “absolutely blown away” by the win and it was “just the beginning”.

“Sometimes in life you wonder if you’re going to make an impact or if anyone’s paying attention, especially as a boy with ADHD who has a boy with ADHD. Sometimes we all feel like giving up, but this is recognition for the amazing work that our team does every single day.”

Freddie Bennett (left) from Bay Paediatrics, which won the People’s Choice Award, with NZME’s Greg Murphy, representing category sponsor Newstalk ZB. Photo / Salina Galvan

He said the motivation behind Bay Paediatrics was that “no family gets left behind”.

“This is about giving every family in the Bay of Plenty the clarity, the certainty and the confidence to thrive.”

Other big winners on the night included Supreme Award runner-up JNP Aviation, which also won the Excellence in Māori/Pasifika Business award.

The mother-daughter team behind Nomu Matcha and husband-and-wife-run pergola company Archishade each took home a highly commended and a category win.

Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale said he enjoyed being at the awards to see the “cool businesses” Tauranga had in its economy.

He said there were so many success stories and it was great to see them being recognised.

“Barber Spence, I’ve seen his story before, and what an inspirational person helping a community, and then there’s small little companies like SYOS, who started in a garage and are now selling millions of dollars of gear around the world.”

He said it was important to celebrate the people who had worked hard and achieved some “excellent” results.

“These guys are the ones that drive the economy, employ people, and, hearing their stories is quite inspirational.”

Deloitte and Farmer Autovillage Tauranga Business Awards 2025 Winners:

Deloitte and Farmer Autovillage Business of the Year – SYOS AerospaceNewstalk ZB People’s Choice Award – Bay PaediatricsToi Ohomai Emerging Business – ArchishadeCooney Lees Morgan Excellent Women in Leadership – Jacinta Horan, Bureta PhysiotherapyMercury Baypark Excellence in Industry Achievement – Collab DigitalTauranga Business Chamber Excellence in Manufacturing – ModcomPacific Growth Services and Sequal Lumber Excellence in Māori/Pasifika Business – JNP Aviation LtdKingSt Advertising Excellence in Marketing Impact – Nomu Matcha2Degrees Excellence in Innovation – SYOS AerospaceZespri Excellence in International Trade – SYOS AerospaceUniversity of Waikato Excellence in Supply & Logistics – Container CoFarmer Autovillage and New World Mt Maunganui Special Judges Impact Award – Barber Spence & Co

Kaitlyn Morrell is a journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.