Gourmet Ice Cream Company managing director Mark Scorgie and Green Man Brewery general manager Jeremy Seaman talk enthusiastically about the importance of getting their products in front of potential customers.
Both Dunedin companies were winners in the Dunedin City Council economic development unit's "Get out there and sell" promotion, which offered 20 businesses $500 vouchers towards flight costs to visit existing or new customers.
Mr Scorgie said the promotion had come at just the right time as he was planning to fly to Auckland to meet Foodstuffs representatives about having Gourmet Ice Cream stocked in New World, Pak `N Save and Four Square grocery stories in the upper North Island.
All of the product range had been revamped with new packaging.
"We had the best ice cream in the worst packaging."
Getting into the Foodstuffs Group network was great, particularly in a recession, he said.
"Distributing in the upper North Island will mean a 30% increase in our business.
"It is huge. They have so many stores."
Gourmet Ice Cream was already sold in Foodstuffs outlets in Wellington and the South Island, but securing the Auckland market would be a bonus, Mr Scorgie said.
Auckland was an expensive place to get to for Dunedin business owners but the importance of being face-to-face with customers should not be underestimated.
He applauded the economic development unit's initiative because it showed the unit was thinking laterally about how to assist local businesses.
Recently, Gourmet Ice Cream had taken on two new staff - one from Cadbury Confectionery and a chef from Fisher & Paykel Appliances, both of whom had been made redundant.
While cash flow had taken a hit, the longer term prospects looked promising, Mr Scorgie said.
New flavours had always been Mr Scorgie's trademark.
However, the most recent request had left him scratching his head.
He had been asked to produce a peanut butter, banana and bacon flavoured ice cream, to be served with maple syrup on coconut toast.
Apparently, it was modelled on a favourite sandwich of Elvis Presley, he said.
Mr Seaman was using his voucher to fly to Australia to meet a customer who had previously taken a large order of the Green Man beer.
"I think it is vitally important we present to bigger markets than just Dunedin."
Already, he and Green Man founder Tom Jones travelled extensively to Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Central Otago promoting the beer.
"We put a lot of effort in trying to get out there and get among customers to generate sales.
"We produce a good quality product but if people don't know about it they won't buy it.
"Expanding sales are key for us as part of the growing cycle."
Deciding to go to Australia on the $500 voucher was easy, Mr Seaman said.
You could fly to Auckland or Australia for the same amount of money and he felt it would be beneficial to visit his customer in Australia.
The winners
The Dunedin City Council economic development unit's "get out there and sell" promotion had drawn an "overwhelming" response, unit manager Peter Harris said.
The promotion offered 20 $500 flight vouchers to help local businesses work with current customers and find new ones.
The unit would contact all 74 businesses that entered to investigate what support could be offered to help them succeed.
The winners were: Aerography Mystery Genre, Botry-Zen, Ellis Fibre, Farra Engineering Design, Flagstaff Alpacas, Gourmet Ice Cream Company, Green Man Brewery, Impact Consulting and Accounting, Konig Gourmet Foods, LM Wright and Co, Mainland Air Services, Parisettes Dressings, SeaDragon Marine Oils, Silicon Coach, Southern Colour Print, The Flying Lizard, Natural HealthGiving Company, TracMap New Zealand, VentureVoip, Kiwitub.
