Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards

2019 Annual Category Winners

2019 Business of the Year

Usher Group
Usher Group provide professional painting, rendering, plastering, signage, electrical service solutions and property maintenance services Australia wide. Usher Group has more than 500 employees, including 10 members of the Vairaktaris family and has four main facilities down the east coast of Australia. The business specialises in new construction and maintenance projects and works with companies such as Multiplex, Hutchinson Builders, Mirvac Group, Sunland Group, Lend Lease and the Westfield Group.

Emerging Business

Macro Mike
Macro Mike, which was launched in 2017, provides a range of more than 50 health food products. The company's powdered peanut butter is its best-selling product and can be mixed with water or mixed directly into protein shakes, smoothies, yoghurts and other foods. Macro Mike now orders 11,000kg of peanut powder per month to meet demand and deals with some of Australia's biggest retailers including Woolworths.

Family Business

SEE Group
SEE Group is a vertically integrated company that specialises in four main areas civil infrastructure, urban development, plant management and quarrying and material processing. Founded by brothers Brian and Bruce Turner in 1988, SEE Group is owned and operated by two generations of the Turner family and now employs 351 staff. In 2018, it was recognised as one of the Top 200 Businesses by the 2018 Westpac Businesses of Tomorrow program.

Retail, Wholesale and Distribution

Patriot Campers
Patriot Campers is a manufacturer and distributor of camper trailers and modified 4X4 vehicles. Established in 2014, Patriot Campers has enjoyed exponential sales success. Patriot now exports to USA, Mongolia, Dubai and the UK; and employs 70 people. The company has won the Australian Camper Trailer of the Year award every year since its inception and in 2019 won the USA Camper Trailer of the Year title.

Construction and Trades

Manufacturing

Simtech
From humble signwriting beginnings to worldwide corporate headquarters, Simtech have achieved immense growth in global casino LED and visual displays. Recently designing, manufacturing and installing 5 of the largest indoor LED displays in the world, Simtech will continue to challenge the realities of visualisation and innovation throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the USA, all while being based locally here on the Gold Coast.

Professions and Business Services

Orbitz Elevators
Orbitz Elevators supplies, installs, maintains, repairs and modernises elevators and moving walkways throughout Australia and overseas. The company was established by Jonathan Dwayre with a credit card, a van and a dream in November 2014. The business now employs over 100 people with the head office on the Gold Coast, five other branches throughout Australia and an offices in Papua New Guinea. In 2018, Orbitz became the first Australian company in Australia to distribute Japanese-owned Hitachi elevators.

Health and Wellbeing

Amtan Medical
In April 2011, husband and wife team Dr Ameer Hamza and Dr Tanya Unni, opened the first of their family friendly medical centres in Ormeau and later in Reedy Creek, Pimpama and Pacific Pines. In 2018, they launched their new brand AMTAN Medical and now have a portfolio of eight practices across the Gold Coast. Dr Unni has since established three practices specialising in cosmetic beauty treatments, called SkinLab & Beauty, developed a range of beauty products and co-founded four cardiology centres and three radiology centres.

IT and Digital Business

Opmantek
Opmantek is a developer of software in the field of IT Infrastructure Management. Opmantek's flagship product, NMIS, is an enterprise class, globally acknowledged network management platform. Around the world a new organisation installs an Opmantek product every six minutes, making Opmantek the fastest growing business software company in the world. Supplying software to 130,000 organisations internationally, the company has been the recipient of numerous Australian and Global IT awards.

Tourism, Hospitality and Events

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is a Gold Coast landmark. The nature-based tourism attraction prides itself on showcasing Australian wildlife and culture, as well as protecting wildlife with a community wildlife hospital. Having been in operation for over 70 years, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary annually attracts more than 570,000 guests, with over 55% being international visitors.

Student Employability

Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service
Gold Coast Health is responsible for delivering public health services in the region. Gold Coast Health is one of the fastest growing health services in Australia, operating three hospitals and multiple community facilities across the region. Employing more than 10,000 staff, Gold Coast Health actively supports student employment opportunities and works with TAFE Queensland, Griffith University, Bond University and Southern Cross University to provide clinical and non-clinical intern programs.

Mayor's Innovation GC

PT Automation Solutions
PT Automation Solutions designs, manufactures and installs switchboard and electrical control solutions for industrial and infrastructure applications. The company manufactures in Nerang, with almost all of its work delivered outside of the region, including New Zealand. In 2018, PTAS developed and manufactured three innovative products to make electrical control switchboards safer and were subsequently awarded the 2018 Queensland Worksafe Award for Best Solution to an Identified Electrical Issue.

Encouragement

Skyline Landscape Services
Launched in 1991 by brothers Colin and Chris Richardson, Skyline Landscape Services is now the largest privately owned horticultural, landscape and grounds maintenance company in Australia. After recently securing two major contracts the Sydney City Council and Vic Roads they are on track to employ between 600 and 700 people and to record at least 35% revenue growth in 2019-2020.