Gourmet food manufacturing company named 2007 Telstra New South Wales Business of the Year
St Helena-based business, Brookfarm, was last night named 2007 Telstra New South Wales Business of the Year after being selected from a field of some of New South Wales’ best businesses.
Brookfarm was awarded by Deena Shiff, Group Managing Director of Telstra Business and Telstra Business Awards Ambassador, at the black tie presentation held at The Westin in Sydney.
Brookfarm began selling its home grown macadamia goods at the local market in 2000, and now distributes its products throughout Australia and internationally, to the United States of America, the United Kingdom, South East Asia, Scandinavia, New Zealand and Canada.
Brookfarm products include natural and infused macadamia oils and macadamia mueslis. All Brookfarm products are GM-free and are made and manufactured in the Byron hinterlands. The Brookfarm macadamia plantation produces five varieties of macadamia from over 4500 trees. Brookfarm also won the MYOB Business Award, which recognises businesses with more than five but less than or equal to 20 employees.
Successful category award winners in the 2007 Telstra New South Wales Business Awards were:
Australian Government Micro-Business Award (for businesses with five employees or fewer);
o Real estate brokers, propertybuyer, from Forestville
MYOB Business Award (for businesses with more than five but less than or equal to 20 employees);
o Gourmet food manufacturer, Brookfarm, from St Helena
Panasonic Australia Business Award (for businesses with more than 20 employees but less than or equal to 50);
o Electrical business, Platinum Electrical Contractors, from Blacktown
Hudson Business Award (for businesses with more than 50 employees but less than or equal to 100);
o Tourism operator, ScenicWorld Blue Mountains, from Katoomba
AMP Innovation Award (for businesses that have recently introduced an innovativeproduct, service or process);
o Beverage product developer, Unistraw International Limited, from Chippendale
Telstra Group Managing Director for Telstra Business and Telstra Business Awards Ambassador, Ms Deena Shiff, said Telstra was proud of all of this year’s New South Wales winners and finalists.
"These Awards give Australian businesses the recognition they deserve and we are honoured each year to celebrate the achievements of New South Wales’ business community," Ms Shiff said.
"The Telstra Business Awards were established in 1992 and Telstra continues to support small to medium businesses throughout Australia."
"Today more than ever we promote the innovation and potential of Australian businesses and serve to unlock the full potential of our national economy," Ms Shiff said.
New South Wales award winners will now compete against other state and territory winners at the national titles held in Sydney on Friday, 21 September 2007, where one business will be crowned the 2007 Telstra Australian Business of the Year. In addition, all state/territory category winners have the opportunity to win the national title for their category.
Please visit www.TelstraBusinessAwards.telstra.com for more information.
2007 Telstra New South Wales Business Awards winners:
Real estate broker, propertybuyer (Forestville)
Winner of the Australian Government Micro-Business Award (for businesses with five employees or fewer);
propertybuyer specialises in sourcing, evaluating and negotiating property sales on behalf of homebuyers, investors and developers. The Sydney-based business was established in 2003 as an alternative to the vast majority of real estate agents who represent vendors only. Propertybuyer acts exclusively for buyers purchasing residential and commercial real estate, and works with related service suppliers, such as specialist mortgage brokers and financiers, to make the process of buying a home or investment property simple and efficient. propertybuyer has grown from a home-based business to owning its own office premises and employing five staff.
Electrical business, Platinum Electrical Contractors (Blacktown)
Winner of the Panasonic Australia Business Award (for businesses with more than 20 employees but less than or equal to 50);
Platinum Electrical Contractors was formed in 2001 and provides electrical contracting services to the industrial and commercial markets. Platinum Electrical Contractors currently employs over 30 staff who operate mobile service vehicles specialising in electrical installations, repairs and maintenance. Platinum Electrical Contractors successfully introduced the use of wireless pen-pads to its business, enabling the electronic integration of job sheet details with management software. Platinum Electrical Contractors is based in Blacktown and has clients throughout Sydney, with plans to franchise in late-2007. In 2006, Platinum Electrical Contractors featured among BRW’s list of Fastest Growing Start-Up Companies.
Tourism operator, ScenicWorld Blue Mountains (Katoomba)
Winner of the Hudson Business Award (for businesses with more than 50 employees but less than or equal to 100);
ScenicWorld Blue Mountains is a tourist operator in the Blue Mountains, offering activities including the Scenic Skyway, Scenic Flyway, Scenic Railway and Scenic Walkway, all of which provide visitors with breath-taking views of the Blue Mountains and its surrounds. ScenicWorld Blue Mountains is a third-generation family business that was established in 1960 on the disused Katoomba Colliery, a network of tramlines built in the late 1800s for coal transportation. ScenicWorld Blue Mountains attracts approximately 1 million visitors each year, and also has a revolving restaurant, a souvenir shop and a cinema at the top of the Blue Mountains.
Beverage product developer, Unistraw International Limited (Chippendale)
Winner of the AMP Innovation Award (for businesses that have recently introduced an innovative product, service or process);
Unistraw International Limited developed the Unistraw Delivery System, a unique drinking straw that can add flavour to liquids as it’s sipped through the straw. The Sippah™ Milk Flavouring Straw was introduced to the Australian market in 2005, after eight years of research and development. This product is able to change the flavour of plain milk through flavoured beads and filters at each end of the straw. The Sippah™ Milk Flavouring Straw is currently on sale in 19 countries around the world, with an additional 95 countries committed to distributing this product by the end of 2007.
