Gold Coast Business Awards

PWR named Gold Coast Business of Year

ORMEAU-headquartered PWR Performance Products has been named the Gold Coast’s Business of the Year.

The automotive cooling specialist was awarded the honour at the Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards’ gala function at Jupiters on Saturday night.

The award win adds further glory to what has been a bumper year for PWR, which was only set up by race car driver Paul Weel and his father Kees Weel in 1997.

This year the company has been involved with winning the world Formula One manufacturers title, the Dakar Rally and numerous other car races around the globe. Exports now represent more than 60 per cent of the company’s sales and PWR’s efforts have also been rewarded with a Queensland Export Award.

Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards president Ian Cousins said PWR was a deserving winner of the award.

“As a specialist manufacturer of competition radiators, radiators and intercoolers, the PWR brand has fast-tracked its way to becoming a major brand in top tier motorsport,’’ said Mr Cousins.

“The company, which has a new multi-million dollar research and manufacturing facility at Ormeau, is a world leader in automotive cooling and research.”

Another Gold Coast organisation heavily involved in sport, the Gold Coast Suns, was awarded the Mayor’s Corporate Social Responsibility honour.

Mr Cousins said the Suns were committed to supporting the community through a range of programs and activities.

“In 2011 they have contributed 5000 hours to the community through raining? raising awareness and funds for various charities,’’ said Mr Cousins.

“The Gold Coast Suns focus their support toward ten Gold Coast charities supporting Youth Homelessness and Domestic Violence.”

Horse racing carnival and horse sales Magic Millions took out the owners in the Tourism, Hospitality and Events category.

Magic Millions Sales began exporting thoroughbreds in 1986, with a handful of horses sold to New Zealand.

Mr Cousins said that in the past 25 years Magic Millions had sold thousands of horses to buyers from all over the world, giving the event the reputation as one of the “World’s leading horse carnivals”.

“International and domestic buyers now frequent the popular Magic Millions Sales on the Gold Coast, Perth and Adelaide to buy horses for racing in their respective countries, injecting millions of dollars into the Gold Coast economy,’’ he said.

Technigro, owned and run by three generations of the Bloor family, claimed the honours in the tightly contested Family Business category. The company specialise in integrated vegetation management. In the past 24 years the company has grown from a one-man business to a multimillion-dollar organisation servicing government and commercial customers between Northern NSW and the Sunshine Coast.

Burleigh Brewing Company, a local brewery taking on the ‘Beer Goliaths’, won the Mayor’s Innovation GC Award. Four of the company’s eight unique beers have won World Championship gold medals, while three have won silver and bronze models.

The Emerging Business Award was won by ICON Software Solutions, which specialises in providing web-based software to councils in the areas of online planning, electronic lodgement, corporate reporting and work project management.

Coolabah Tree Cafes, a national cafe operator, won the Retail, Wholesale and Distribution Award. The Gold Coast-based franchisor is celebrating 10 years in operation this year and its now has 11 company-owned cafes and five franchised outlets across four states,

In the other categories, Back In Motion Health Group won the Trades, Professions and Services Award, GCOMM won the Information Technology and Multimedia Award, Reynolds Soil Technologies claimed the Environmental Management honours and 3Dme won the Bob Scott Encouragement Award.

As always these Awards would not be possible without the generosity of the sponsors.

Our sponsors include Gold Coast City Council, Suncorp Bank, Trade Queensland, AusIndustry, MSL - Michael Sing Lawyers, Griffith University, Gold Coast Airport, and Digga Australia.

And our major supporters are SMART Advertising, Consulting Hall, Surfers Inkspot Printers, Jupiters Hotel & Casino Gold Coast, Regina King Photography, Staging Connections, Bond University, Global Gift Sourcing and KPMG.

The awards’ media sponsors include the Gold Coast Bulletin, NBN Television, 92.5 Gold FM, 90.9 Sea FM & Graphics Online.