A Te Puna IT firm has picked up the supreme award title as the country's top computer company for service to small businesses.

Acre pc Company directors Nigel and Sarah Rice and senior technical consultant Derrick Ryan accepted the award at The Reseller News ICT Industry event, staged in a glitzy ceremony at Auckland's Hilton hotel.

From left: Allan Swann (Reseller News), Derrick Ryan (Acre pc), Sarah Rice (Acre pc), Scott Frew (Distribution Central) and James Henderson (Reseller News) at the awards ceremony. Photo: Supplied.

The award recognises excellence in service and knowledge in an IT business delivering services to companies with up to 50 people.

Sarah said the Acre team had been hopeful about making the final cut in the competition, but claiming the supreme award was the 'icing on the cake” for a company that has experienced rapid growth in the technology sector.

The Rices' arrived in New Zealand over a decade ago from the United Kingdom, and have overseen growth from a 'spare bedroom” operation fixing PCs and building websites, to employing a team at their Te Puna office.

The company covers a wide range of businesses, and expansion from building websites to cloud-based services has expanded – as has the development of online shopping sites and tailored network systems for larger firms.

Sarah says the company's ability to grow and keep up with the fluid state of IT had been thanks to the company's committed and passionate team.

The appointment of Derrick Ryan has helped the business tap into the rapid demand for fibre optic connectivity, for both data and company phone networks.

'As a group we are really committed to making things happen for our clients,” says Sarah.

'IT is an exciting area to work in, and the way technology has developed with computers and the internet is breath-taking at times.

'It is a real kick for us to be able to employ that technology for our clients and see how it benefits their businesses and their lives.”

The judging panel comprised of prominent figures from New Zealand's IT sector, including a Microsoft NZ director, IBM's general manager and the head of business for Vodafone.

'We are really proud to be able to create a successful business right here in the Bay of Plenty,” says Sarah.