MOUNT Gambier business Vanity Makeup Bar and Body Lounge is the toast of the city’s business sector after clinching the city’s most prestigious retail accolade.
The business took out the honour at the Mount Gambier Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Business Awards gala event at The Barn on Friday night.
More than 400 people from across the city’s business landscape attended the key event, which is considered the city’s premier business awards.
AVIS Mount Gambier employee Mick O’Donohoe was also thrown in the spotlight by winning the outstanding employee award.
Speaking from the AVIS office nestled at Mount Gambier Airport yesterday, Mr O’Donohoe said he was stunned to win the award given the 25 nominees in the category.
“I thought I had zero chance of winning, it was a great surprise,” Mr O’Donohoe said.
Employed with AVIS for 10 years, he said he loved going to work every day because of the great culture of the small business.
Meanwhile, Vanity Makeup Bar and Body Lounge founder Mel Von Stanke said yesterday she was honoured to receive the award.
“When I started the business seven years ago, I never thought we could come so far – this award is amazing,” said Ms Von Stanke, whose business now employs eight staff.
Other winners included research and development company Grow Systems Australia, which snared the outstanding innovation award.
2017 WINNERS
Retail business: Vanity Makeup Bar and Body Lounge.
Employee: Mick O’Donohoe
Young business person: Georgia Quick
Small business: Dickins’ Delights
Service industry: Sonic Vision
Innovation: Grow Systems Australia
Agribusiness: The Splendid Egg
Manufacturing/building: Mates Rates Mount Gambier
Environment: Tenison Woods College
New business: Key 2 Sale
Tourism/hospitality/accommodation: Old Mount Gambier Gaol
The company manufactures and supplies moving gully systems to producers around Australia and the world, including recently breaking into the eastern Chinese market.
Confectionery company Dickins’ Delights was also on the winners’ list after being announced as the outstanding small business.
Owner Morris Dickins has carved a niche business in manufacturing specialised toffee, including his famous bacon-jam variety.
“I want to thank the Mount Gambier Chamber of Commerce for the awards,” Mr Dickins said at the gala event.
“The awards show the quality of business in the local area.”
Also taking to the stage was Mark and Casey Allen – from Sonic Vision – who won the outstanding service industry category.
The businesses took out the category after carving a strong reputation for quality work not only in Mount Gambier, but also statewide.
Sonic Vision was given the opportunity to work in three Housing Industry Association CSR Australian Housing nominated homes where Mark fitted one of the designer homes in Hahndorf with an audio system and other components.
Sustainable agricultural operation The Splendid Egg was also honoured in the outstanding agribusiness category.
The operation has cemented a reputation for producing quality eggs by using a philosophy of respecting land and animals.
The business uses mobile chicken caravans that are moved around broadacre farms every few days.
Company spokesperson Liam Brokensha congratulated the nominees for all of the awards.
“We would like thank everyone who has been involved in The Splendid Egg, we are a collective of three farming families that merged together,” Mr Brokensha said at the event.
“I want to thank everyone who is eating our splendid eggs.”
Another major award was given to Mates Rates Mount Gambier, which edged out finalists Argent Constructions, BLH Building Group and Laser Electrical to take out the outstanding manufacturing/building industry award.
Taking to the stage, Mates Rates Mount Gambier managing director Adam Fosdike thanked the chamber for the award.
“It has taken my breath away – thank you the chamber for this opportunity,” Mr Fosdike said.
“Like so many other people tonight have said, this region has so much to offer and it is fantastic to be a part of – this is an amazing, I can’t believe I am standing here.”
Other winners included The Old Mount Gambier Gaol, which snatched the tourism/hospitality and accommodation award and Key 2 Sale, which took out the outstanding new business accolade.
James and Melissa Stephenson operate Australia’s only boutique accommodation housed in an old gaol.
Key 2 Sale spokesperson Gail Richards said she was “incredibly” grateful for the nomination.
“I also congratulate the chamber and NAB for such a brilliant event for our community,” Ms Richards said.
Ms Richards said she was passionate about real estate and it was a joy to go to work each day.
Mount Gambier photographer Georgia Quick – from Georgia Paige Photography – was also announced as the inaugural winner of the young business person of the year.
Tenison Woods College was also acknowledged by winning the outstanding environment and sustainability award.
The college – which has around 1400 students – strives for all students to graduate with an enhanced ecological conscience and awareness of their responsibilities to act as stewards of the environment.
Iconic Mount Gambier businesses DJ Interiors, Eddies Furniture and Hawkins Medical Clinic were inducted into the chamber’s hall of fame.
The hall of fame is designed to recognise Mount Gambier’s locally-owned businesses that are still trading under their established name and have traded for more than 30 years.
