We are absolutely stoked to announce that one of our clients, Buzz Burrows, was selected as a winner for the Xero Beautiful Business Fund, beating more than 5,500 other Xero customers from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Not only was Buzz Burrows one of four small Kiwi businesses or non-profits that each won $20,000 in prize money for winning their local category award, but Buzz Burrows also won the global prize for ‘Trailblazing with Technology,’ netting an additional $50,000, bringing the business’s total prize money to $70,000.
Tony Burrows started Buzz Burrows, creating and manufacturing high-quality pendant lights from his home near Wānaka. With a background in film and television, where, for 30 years, he specialised in working with light to shape the mood of films, this knowledge and expertise are reflected in his lights. “Having enjoyed the life of a filmmaker, I decided to create physical objects that bring simple and enduring pleasure into people’s lives. The hours I have spent working with light to shape the mood of a film now inform every lamp that I make.”
Surrounded by the mountains of Wanaka, Tony’s studio runs off solar power and beautifully blends into the landscape around it. With this famous landscape of mountains, lakes, and colours all being seen and reflected in his designs. One of Tony’s recent designs, the Woven Pendant, is inspired by South Pacific weaving traditions. It features the warmth of Heart Rimu in a weave pattern that evokes a feel of New Zealand. With ethically harvested timber used and flat-packed shipping to reduce transport carbon and waste, there is a clear emphasis on sustainability present.
Tony has used part of the Xero Beautiful Business fund to add a state-of-the-art laser-cutter, which will allow him to further streamline manufacturing and reduce waste. He says he is “beyond thrilled” by the double win, “We’ve tested the market, and we are ready to take the business from a side hustle to the main gig. Because we live a long way from markets and materials, we have to think laterally to be viable.” “Embracing new tech and using it to innovate is a fundamental part of our business strategy. The Xero Beautiful Business Fund will enable us to access digital tools that allow us to explore new materials and new designs.”
To see Tony’s designs, check out the link below! We can’t wait to see what the future has in store for Buzz Burrows.
