Jucy Rentals wins services award

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year category winner Tim Alpe says his youthful Jucy Rentals staff know how to celebrate.

Mr Alpe said the bubbly would flow at the tourism firm after he – and Jucy – were announced as a winner in the annual competition's services category yesterday. "I'm pretty blown away. I know everyone says they don't expect it, but I really didn't," he said.

Mr Alpe was alongside four other category winners, including Craig Carr from Winslow in the products category and Cameron Mehlopt from StarNow.com in the tech section.

Katherine Corich, from Sysdoc, won the master entrepreneur category while Fishpond's Daniel Robertson got the nod in the young entrepreneur category.

Jucy was established in 2001 by the Alpe brothers, Tim and Dan. The company's growth and success can most recently be seen through its expansion from rental cars and caravans to a "tourism brand", after opening the first Jucy hotel in Auckland this year and adding a Milford Sounds cruise offering.

Jucy now has a turnover of about $30 million a year and works around New Zealand and across the Tasman.

- © Fairfax NZ News