It seems only logical that a North Otago business which helps the nation care for its small pets and birds is also among the best at caring for its people.

Earlier this month, Topflite was named on the shortlist for the 2025 Best Places to Work Awards.

Topflite is one of 60 companies across New Zealand to make the list, and the team is now waiting to hear if it makes the finals, which will be announced next month.

The awards have been running for 20 years, and the shortlist represents “the gold standard in workplace excellence”, organisers say.

Topflite managing director Greg Webster says he believes the prioritisation of family, and making work/life balance “a cornerstone of our operations” is likely one of the key reasons the company has been recognised.

The business was founded in 1974, by Peter Mitchell and Greg’s father Jock Webster, and both families remain heavily involved.

To enter the awards, employees were surveyed on “nine pillars” of their experiences: Trust in leadership, connection to purpose, working environment, innovation, wellbeing, connection with team, performance and growth, tools and tech, and sustainability.

Topflite holds an annual Green Friday native planting day (in contrast with the commercial Black Friday sales), it funds national conservation work through its Soar Initiative, and staff are involved in, and ask for feedback on, product development.

An example is the process used to refine the company’s top-selling Nectar Feeder, which has been designed to feed native birds safely and hygienically, Greg says.

“We worked on improving the design for nectarivorous birds like tūī and bellbirds over the years, and the input from staff was invaluable. 

“Everyone got a feeder before we released them and now we all compare notes on which birds have been visiting.”

The team is also trialling (with the help of their dogs) new flavours of freeze-dried meat dog food, for Topflite’s “little brother company” Hound.

An early finish on a Friday probably helps keep staff happy, too.

Topflite staff taking part in one of the company's social occasions. Photo: Supplied

“Two years ago, we made the decision as a team to start the workday slightly earlier, from Monday to Thursday, allowing us all to down tools and finish at 2pm on a Friday,” Greg says.

“That means every weekend is a long-ish one, creating space for family, friends and adventures in our amazing Otago environment.”

Best Places to Work chief executive Julie Gill says the shortlisted organisations have demonstrated a deep commitment to listening to their people and creating environments where wellbeing, inclusion, and innovation are embedded in the culture. 

“It’s inspiring to see businesses of all sizes raising the bar for what workplace excellence looks like in 2025,” she says.

Greg says Topflite set the goal a few years back to be the workplace of choice in Ōamaru.

“So we are very proud to have been acknowledged in the shortlist.”

Julie says attracting and retaining talented staff has never been more critical. 

“The businesses on our shortlist understand that when you invest in your people, through listening, learning and action, you create a culture that sparks innovation, lifts performance, and builds resilience for the future. 

“We hope their successes will inspire others to put employee experience at the heart of their business strategies.”

Next, Topflite will complete an awards submission, which includes answering a comprehensive set of questions around community engagement, and customer and employee experience.

Finalists will be announced next month, with the major awards presented at a ceremony in October.

As an aside: During Topflite’s latest community tree planting day, one of its staff discovered a moa bone.

Experts are suggesting the bone is from a Pleistocene-era moa, potentially dating back between 2.6million and 12,000 years. 

It is now awaiting further investigation by palaeontologists from Otago University.

The moa bone discovered during a Topflite tree planting day. Photo: Supplied