MEDIA RELEASE April 2013: BUSINESS AWARDS GALA EVENT

The Lowes Petroleum Business Awards presented by Border Rivers Chamber of Commerce (BRCC) are run to recognise the success, innovation and good business ethics of all ventures, from small enterprises to large corporate entities and organisations across all industry sectors.

The awards provide an opportunity to recognise those striving for excellence and raising the bar across all aspects of business.  The event also provides businesses a way to benchmark against top performers in their industry.

The business awards are a yearly event to honour the region’s business and industry leaders, through the acknowledgement of innovative business processes, environmental leadership, business sustainability, presentation, service and overall business success.

All businesses, including national companies, government departments, agencies or bodies, franchisees and non –government organisations, small businesses and web based businesses, are eligible to enter. Businesses located in the Goondiwindi Regional Council area and from adjacent NSW townships, Boomi, Yetman, North Star & Boggabilla are eligible. Nominees do not have to be a member of BRCC.

Nominations will close Friday April 26^th 2013. Nomination forms are available at The Argus office, Goondiwindi Regional Council Customer Service Centre, Goondiwindi Library, Goondiwindi Visitor Information, BRCC Office and by downloading from www.goondiwindi.qld.au

By nominating a business or person you are recognising their valuable contribution to the Border Rivers community and you are providing them with an opportunity to receive a prestigious business accolade.

Awards will be presented on Friday 17^th May 2013 at a gala dinner at

The Royal Hotel , Marshall St Goondiwindi, Qld. Tickets to the event are $88 and are available by phoning Border Rivers Chamber of Commerce on 07 4671 3264 or email events@goondiwindi.qld.au

Entries will be judged on specific criteria underpinned by the program’s values. The judging panel has been carefully selected and co-ordinated by the Border Rivers Chamber of Commerce to ensure that the process is fair, objective and free from bias or influence.

For further information contact BRCC on 07 4671 3264

The Lowes Petroleum Business Awards presented by Border Rivers Chamber of Commerce (BRCC) were held on Friday 18^th May 2012 at a gala dinner at The Royal Hotel, Marshall St Goondiwindi, Qld.

The event was a huge success with over 180 people in attendance. Celebrations continued into the small hours of Saturday morning.

BRCC were delighted at the response to the first business awards in the Goondiwindi Region. Receiving 95 combined business and employee nominations and 73 questionnaires returned for judging. Judging took place on May 3^rd at the Goondiwindi Family History Room. There were three judges, 2 from out of town and one local.

Judges quote: ‘The business awards are a great opportunity for the many successful businesses of Goondiwindi and district to shine. The quality of submissions was excellent and we would like to congratulate the Businesses for the effort they have put into responding to the questionnaires’.

24 Finalists received certificates for their achievements and 8 category winners went home with beautifully engraved glass and silver trophies.

Category winners are as follows (photos and captions attached):

Guest Speaker
Mr. David Crombie was a founding partner in GRM International, a company managing development projects in Australia and overseas. GRM was sold in 1992 and he retired as Managing Director in 2000. He remained on the Board and acquired a minor shareholding in support of a management buyback in 2010. He was also a founding Partner in associated companies Australian Rural Exports, and NZ Agricultural Exports both companies exporting livestock and merchandise. In 1995 he was appointed to the Board of Grainco Australia and subsequently Meat Industry Council and Meat and Livestock Australia where he served as Chairman from 1998 to 2005. He was Chairman of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation 2000 to 2008. He is the immediate past President of the National Farmers Federation and has previously served on the Boards of Export Finance Insurance Corporation (EFIC) and FKP Properties. Current positions include, Commissioner ACIAR, Director Australian Agricultural Company, Director Alliance Aviation Services, Director GRM and Rosewood (NT beef), Director Foodbank Queensland, Vice President Australian Rugby Union. Mr. Crombie operates family properties, breeding cattle and farming in southern Queensland.

Entertainment
ALAN BOYLE is an Irish singer-songwriter who now calls Australia home, building a reputation as a powerful live performer on the national emerging-artist scene, supporting some of Australia’s top musicians and visiting international acts.

Selected as the recipient of the 2009 Billy Thorpe Scholarship Award by Arts QLD and the Thorpe family following the release of his second EP, “OXYGEN”, Alan has been a QSong nominee, short-listed in the 2009 Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition, and a finalist in the 2010 Telstra Road to Discovery and the International Songwriting Competition.  He is currently recording his debut album with the first release from the record, “Highway Of Dreams” receiving a 2011 Queensland Music Award nomination.

CASELLA WINES kindly supplied the wines for the evening. Public relations manager Les Worland gave a very funny and informative speech that kept the crowd entertained. Casella Wines was founded in 1969 after Filippo and Maria Casella immigrated to Australia in 1957. Casella Wines is located at Yenda in the NSW Riverina region and their champion brand, Yellow Tail, is created with a simple philosophy in mind, which is to make a great wine that everybody can enjoy.

BRCC would like to thank all volunteers and sponsors for their support with this prestigious event and look forward to their support for the 2013 event.

For further details
EMAIL: chamber@goondiwindi.qld.au
Mobile: 0407 699112
Office: 07 4671 3264