BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
By Gregor Mactaggart
SLTEC Fertilizers had a night to remember winning the Business of the Year award at the Campaspe Murray Business Awards at Rich River on Wednesday night.
The Tongala-based business beat a hot field to claim the top gong on a glittering awards evening at Rich River Golf and Country Club.
In a hectic five-minute period, SLTEC Fertilizers won the Foodmach Excellence in Manufacturing Award before completing a memorable double.
“We’re grateful to the judges for voting for us, we’re over the moon,” owner-director Jamie McMaster told The Riv.
“To win the Excellence in Manufacturing was a great thrill and then this, I’m over the moon.”
Established in 2005 by the McMaster family, SLTEC Fertilizers is a leading manufacturer of fertilizers based in Tongala.
The family has strong links to the Goulburn Valley region as Mr McMaster explained.
“My grandfather’s grandfather was Tom McMaster,
who built the Shamrock Hotel in Rochester,” Mr McMaster said.
“Tom was the first to use irrigation in the Goulburn Valley and I’m using that water now for fertilizers.
“The business started with the vision of developing fluid fertilizers servicing the horticulture industry and it has grown from there.
“We employ 32 people and are based in Tonny.
“Our first employee who started with us in 2006 is still part of the manufacturing team.
“The business wouldn’t be
anything without our staff and our customers.”
SLTEC Fertilizers pride themselves on being innovators in the field, having a strong research and development focus.
The company’s manufacturing plant is a world-standard, highvolume operation, supplying product to a wide range of customers with their professional, logistical and agronomical support.
SLTEC Fertilizers are committed to supplying high-quality products with more than 70 standard formulations on the product list,
with the capability to meet the nutritional needs of their clients through custom blends.
Mr McMaster said SLTEC Fertilizers had gone from strength to strength in recent years.
“About two or three years ago we focused on culture, building a great culture, a great team,” he said.
“We used Frank Costa’s Character First approach and it has been a great success for us.
“We’ve got a great team of people.”
Mr McMaster said the staff would celebrate the double success with a barbecue.
Top of the pops: The SLTEC Fertilizers team, pictured with Campaspe Shire Mayor Chrissy Weller and Murray River Council Mayor Chris Bilkey, took home the Business of the Year award at the 2022 Campaspe Murray Business Awards on Wednesday night.
Photo: Steve Huntley
SLTEC SIMPLY SENSATIONAL Wednesday, October 19, 2022 $2.00 (inc. GST)
Olivia’s a rock star worker
Rock Solid Gardening Supplies operations man ager Olivia Wescombe was honoured with the Melville & Hicks Lawyers Employee of the Year Award on Wednesday night.
Ms Wescombe, 24, claimed the top gong from a stellar field of con tenders to collect her first Campaspe Murray Business Award.
“This means the abso lute world,” she said.
“I couldn’t have done it without the team, Pete and Rebecca (Woods), they are the best bosses in the world.
“I’d like to thank the team and also my mum Nicole.”
Ms Wescombe has been working for Rock Solid for the past five years.
Rock Solid services the region with a high-quality
range of products and ser vices, including rainbow rock, crushed brick, white pebbles, river stones, Tuscan stone and rust rock.
Ms Wescombe said she had developed her skills and experience as a proud member of the Rock Solid family.
“I started with the business when I was 19,” she said.
“I came from a farming background and originally worked alongside Rebecca in office administration.
“I’ve been operations
manager for the past 12 months.
“We’ve had a bit of a hard journey through COVID, but we took it in our stride and came out the other side even stronger.”
Ms Wescombe runs the day-to-day operations and has been working through the company’s safe work practices.
She also runs all the budgets, keeps an eye on the key performance indicators and handles all Rock Solid’s advertising requirements.
- GREGOR MACTAGGART
MELVILLE
& HICKS
LAWYERS EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR AWARD — OLIVIA WESCOMBE
Rock and roll:: Olivia Wescombe was honoured with the Melville & Hicks Lawyers Employee of the Year Award.
Photo: Steve Huntley
“We’ve had a bit of a hard journey through COVID, but we took it in our stride and came out the other side even stronger.”
— Olivia Wescombe
2 KYABRAM FREE PRESS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2022 Winners of the Wooptooii Best Professional Services Award We would like to thank everyone for their continued support. A consultancy established to service clients in the engineering and environment sectors throughout Australia. The values of the communities along the entire 1,550 miles of the River Murray are our own. Shop 5 Pakenham Plaza Echuca | E: admin@fi fteen50.com.au | P: 0417 788 709 | https://fifteen50.com.au/
Double salute for plant farm
There was double delight for the team from Echuca Moama Plant Farm on Wednesday night.
Echuca Moama Plant Farm kick-started its success by securing the Mawsons Best New Business Award.
Shortly after completing the formalities for that acco lade, Echuca Moama Plant Farm were called back up on the stage to receive the McPherson Media Group Best In Retail Award.
Owners Craig and Kate Turner were delighted with the double.
“I’m speechless,” Craig said.
“There’s been a lot of hard work getting it up and run ning, so to come away with two awards means a lot.”
Craig and Kate share more than two decades of experi ence in the horticulture indus try, and were already running a successful landscape design business when they estab lished Echuca Moama Plant Farm three years ago.
“We had a garden design business and we were doing
these great things for our cli ents, but it was falling down because they couldn’t get the plants,” Craig said.
“We said to ourselves, we
can do this locally, so we did. We do the growing, the gar den designing and provide the plants.
“The business is going
really well and we’ve been incredibly fortunate to have the support of so many busi nesses behind us.”
employs 14 staff and operates seven days a week.
Craig said hard work was a key plank behind their success.
“I’m a big believer if you work hard, you will reap the rewards,” he said.
“This morning I was up at 2.30am and drove 13 hours doing deliveries before getting ready for tonight.
“We’ve also got great staff, they are fantastic.
“Creating a great staff cul ture is really important.
“If the staff enjoy what they are doing, it will translate through to the customers.”
– GREGOR MACTAGGART
MAWSONS BEST NEW BUSINESS & MCPHERSON MEDIA GROUP BEST IN RETAIL — ECHUCA MOAMA PLANT FARM
Echuca Moama Plant Farm
Farming away to victory: Echuca Moama Plant Farm secured two awards.
Photo:
Steve Huntley
“Creating a great staff culture is really important. If the staff enjoy what they are doing, it will translate through to the customers.”
— Craig Turner
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BARTLETT
Kyle’s dedication earns top honour
You don’t meet people like Kyle Bartlett every day.
Mr Bartlett, 29, won the Edge FM Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the Campaspe Murray Business Awards on Wednesday night.
If they published a dictionary with pictures, an image of Kyle would sit next to the word “workaholic”.
His dedication to hard work and business has seen Mr Bartlett, the owner-director of 7 Beans Coffee, grow his business from scratch to four stores in the space of seven years.
7 Beans Coffee operates in Echuca, Kyabram, Rochester and Moama.
Not only that, but Mr Bartlett juggles his growing business commitments with a seasonal full-time position at Kagome and is a volunteer with the Echuca CFA.
“It means everything (winning this honour),” he said.
“To see your hard work is appreciated really hits home.
“You don’t think people notice, but it is very
NICHOL
satisfying to win an award like this.”
Mr Bartlett was flanked by his wife SarahJane, and proud parents Neil and Vivianne (Giles) as he spoke to The Riv after receiving the accolade.
“We’re proud of him,” Neil and Vivianne said.
2022 has been a big year for Mr Bartlett, who married Sarah-Jane in March.
“Sarah-Jane’s the backbone of my success, 100 per cent.”
– GREGOR MACTAGGART
Dawn’s second success
TalkSmart Training made it back-to-back successes in the Nichol Trading People’s Choice Award.
Owner Dawn Ferrier accepted the honour on Wednesday night, three years after the business had claimed the prize at the 2019 Campaspe Murray Business Awards.
“I love my job, I love meeting people and I value their support,” Ms Ferrier said.
“I’d like to thank everyone for their support in winning this award. It is a great honour.”
TalkSmart Training is a mobile first aid training company offering quality, focused and tailored first aid courses across Australia to all types of business.
Run solely by Ms Ferrier, TalkSmart Training provides professionally delivered first aid courses, including CPR Update, Basic First Aid, Provide First Aid and Spinal Care.
“The business started five years ago and has grown, four-fold, over the past couple of years,” she said. “We have grown our reach and our footprint.”
Ms Ferrier shared an example of this upon accepting her award, saying she had been working with a school in the Melbourne suburb of Kew following a recommendation from a friend.
– GREGOR MACTAGGART
WOOPTOOII BEST PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AWARD — FIFTEEN50 CONSULTING
Fifteen50 adds up to triumph
Matt Barden, Nathan Heinrich and Dean Delahunty started Fifteen50 Consulting in late 2018.
Four years on, the company secured its great est accolade yet with success in the Wooptooii Best Professional Service category at the Campaspe Murray Business Awards.
Fifteen50 Consulting was established to service clients in the engineering and environment sectors throughout Australia.
The company’s services and capabilities pro vide for the delivery of projects in the civil engi neering, water, environment and linear infra structure sectors.
“It is an extremely proud moment for us (to win this award),” Mr Barden said.
“Nathan, Dean and I worked together for a multi-national company who didn’t see a future for what we did in regional Australia, so we took
MOAMA
a business out of a business.
“We had worked together for seven to eight years before we went out in business together, so it gave us a great platform.”
Fifteen50 Consulting employs 16 staff, eight in Echuca and eight based in Melbourne.
Mr Barden said the company’s clients include Discovery Parks, Goulburn Murray Water, Water Infrastructure NSW and Tasman Tourism.
“There are exciting times ahead for us, we’re pleased with where we’re at,” Mr Barden said.
“Melbourne has just exploded in the past five months and it has given us the ability to recruit staff with an office there.
“It is good to have the regional and metropolitan presence, with that mix of private and government clients.”
– GREGOR MACTAGGART
Vast Creative landed a memorable victo ry in the Moama Bowling Club Best Home Based Business Award.
The company provides a wide range of digital online marketing services includ ing web design, SEO, online marketing and social media management.
Owner Neil Greaves said the success was a clear highlight for the business, which start ed in 2012.
“You can probably hear the emotion in my voice, it was totally unexpected,” Mr Greaves said.
“We’ve been nominated in the past, but this is our first category win.
“It is really special.
“We love helping local people.”
Mr Greaves, who was flanked by his wife Di van der Zypp and son Eben, paid trib ute to the support of the Echuca-Moama community.
“We work with the most incredible businesses in this region,” he said.
“There’s great ingenuity and talent in our business community.”
– GREGOR MACTAGGART
Awarded: Dawn Ferrier at the Campaspe Murray Business Awards night.
Photo: Steve Huntley
Over the moon: Kyle Bartlett and his wife Sarah-Jane.
Photo: Steve Huntley
EDGE
FM YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR — KYLE
TRADING PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD — TALKSMART TRAINING
All smiles: Moama Bowling Club’s Mark Laming with Vast Creative’s Neil Greaves, Eben Greaves and Di van der Zypp at the Campaspe Murray Business Awards.
Photo: Steve Huntley
Great success: Fifteen50 Consulting landed the Wooptooii Best Professional Service category at the Campaspe Murray Business Awards.
Photo: Steve Huntley
BOWLING CLUB HOME-BASED BUSINESS AWARD — VAST CREATIVE Vast result for Creative team 4 KYABRAM FREE PRESS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2022 ATKINSON SHEARING Quality – Clean – Professional Shearing & Shed Hand Staff Contract/Cost Plus for All Your Shearing Needs Clinton Atkinson PH: 0400 819 448 0354 8011 061234292 ATKINSON SHEARING Quality – Clean – Professional Shearing & Shed Hand Staff Contract/Cost Plus for All Your Shearing Needs Clinton Atkinson PH: 0400 819 448 0354 8011 061234292 Pround winners of the HW Greenham & Sons Best Agri-Business Award Thankyou to everyone involved
This was the night of nights
By GREGOR MACTAGGART
I was told in the lead-up that the Campaspe Murray Business Awards was one of the nights of the year in Echuca-Moama.
Not only did it live up to expectations, but it delivered a whole lot more.
A crowd of 300 converged on the Tatalia Room at Rich River Golf Club for the ceremony.
This was the first time in three years that the awards had been held, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Murray River Council Mayor Chris Bilkey spoke of the rich history of the awards, which stretch back 22 years.
In his speech, Cr Bilkey discussed the challenges thrown at every one in the Echuca-Moama region, particularly businesses during the past two years.
“Our border communities were at the whim and fancies of two state governments, who had different times and doubled the pain for us,” Cr Bilkey said.
Cr Bilkey praised the way EchucaMoama had come through the pan demic and out the other side with a spring in its step, saying “it is our good fortune to be in a LGA (local government area) that is registering strong growth”.
Host Brian Nankervis, now of RocKwiz fame but before that Raymond J. Bartholomew, a semi-reg ular on Hey Hey It’s Saturday, was his
usual dazzling self. That’s even with wearing the same jacket he donned when last here, in 2019.
Mr Nankervis sure knows how to get the crowd going, with his music quiz a hit. So too, a member of the crowd, who got up on stage to give a rousing rendition of the Rolling Stones hit Satisfaction
Even Mick Jagger would have been impressed by that. The crowd sure was.
But the main focus of the night was celebrating the contribution of businesses throughout Echuca and Moama.
One by one, the winners would get on stage, come off stage, be ushered into the media area (thanks to the organisers for setting that one up, and Astrid O’Farrell in particular for her assistance), where Riverine Herald photographer Steve Huntley and yours truly were on hand.
Not only was it fantastic to meet each of the winners and grab their photos, but they all have great stories.
Stories of success, perseverance, hard work, ingenuity, innovation, dedication to their business and the community.
People like Kyle Bartlett, who won
Host with the most: Brian Nankervis was an outstanding host of the Campaspe Murray Business Awards at Rich River on Wednesday night. Photo: Steve Huntley
the Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
Kyle started his business 7 Beans Coffee from scratch, has opened four stores, is a volunteer with the Echuca CFA and still works a seasonal full-time job with Kagome.
One of the best things about my job is getting to meet people like Kyle, his wife, Sarah-Jane, and proud parents.
David and Jacqui Wegener, with Moama Bakery and E M Events, were among the victors.
Such has been the success of the Pop and Pour Festival run by E M Events, that Tweed Heads has commissioned Jacqui to help it
develop a similar event.
By 10am yesterday, they were on the plane headed north.
The universal theme from each of the winners is they all love living and working in this wonderful part of the world we call home.
Congratulations to SLTEC Fertilizers, which claimed the top gong.
The pride of director Jamie McMaster and the members of the team in attendance on the night was clear to see.
It reaffirms that nights like Wednesday are just tremendous.
You can’t help but leave with a smile on your dial.
The last person of many I interviewed was Billy Brady, who started his own electrical company at 29. Six years on, his business Brady Electrical won the Foodmach Excellence in Trade Award.
Billy was good enough to give me some time for a chat, knowing that he had a three-hour trip on a wet night ahead to Melbourne, ahead of a 7am start on a job site the next day.
He more than any other encapsulated what the Campaspe Murray Business Awards are about.
“The award isn’t the most important thing (tonight), it is the chance to rub shoulders with fellow businesses and see each other,” he said.
After the trials and tribulations caused by the pandemic, he was 100 per cent right.
Service that goes above and beyond
The absence of a representative from the Rochester and Elmore District Health Service (REDHS) typified why the organisation earned special recognition at the Campaspe Murray Business Awards on Wednesday night.
As the flood threat loomed large in Rochy, the REDHS members were apologies from the awards evening as they prepared for the severe weather event.
Campaspe Shire Mayor Chrissy Weller accepted the award on behalf of REDHS.
Preschool the centre of attention
Moama & District Preschool Centre secured the Coolabah Turf Best Professional Service Community Award on Wednesday night.
The preschool has been educating the children of Moama and district for 46 years and landed the main prize after its first-ever nomination.
Director Narelle Blachford said the win was great recognition for the preschool.
“We’ve been an integral part of Moama for 46 years,” she said.
“Now we’re having the children of
children who were taught at the pre school, as well as the children of many new families in the area.
“We’d like to thank the Murray River Council, our families, past and present students, and of course the lots of businesses who support us.
“We employ 11 staff and have a committee of nine volunteers.
“We’re very thankful for their efforts and it is just fantastic to win this award.”
Moama & District Preschool Centre
offers a flexible and stimulating program that reflects the needs of individual children, as well as the overall needs of each group.
Ms Blachford said the award came at an exciting period for the preschool.
“We’re moving to a new preschool in 2024 located on Boyes St. At the moment we’ve got 75 students, but we’ll double in size at the new preschool and that will employ new staff, which is great for the area,” she said.
– GREGOR MACTAGGART
REDHS provides a range of services such as acute, residential aged care and primary care in northcentral Victoria.
The organisation services a catch ment population of more than 8500 people.
REDHS enjoys a strong relationship with the community and is focused on delivering services to meet iden tified community needs. REDHS has an urgent care centre that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Yalukang Aged Care provides respite and permanent aged care services, offering 60 individual rooms with ensuites, incorporating
both high care and low care services, and a specialist Memory Support Unit.
REDHS also provides Community Care Services in the local area, including Allied Health, Group Exercise Programs, Home Care and Social Support Group.
– GREGOR MACTAGGART
COOLABAH TURF BEST PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AWARD (LARGE) — ROCHESTER AND ELMORE DISTRICT HEALTH SERVICE
Big win: Moama & District Preschool Centre secured the Coolabah Turf Best Professional Service Community Award on Wednesday night.
Photo: Steve Huntley
COMMENT
COOLABAH
TURF BEST
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE COMMUNITY
AWARD (SMALL) —
MOAMA
&
DISTRICT PRESCHOOL CENTRE
Awards night fun: Campaspe Shire Mayor Chrissy Weller accepted the award on behalf of Rochester and Elmore District Health Service. She is pictured with Scott Spedding from sponsor Coolabah Turf.
Photo: Steve Huntley
KYABRAM FREE PRESS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2022 5
Riverine Herald photographer Steve Huntley captured these images of the 2022 Campaspe Murray Business Awards at Rich River Golf Club on Wednesday night.
ABOVE Dance: Brian Nankervis and members of the audience perform the Nutbush.
LEFT Full of fun: Host Brian Nankervis.
All smiles: Campaspe Shire Mayor Chrissy Weller and councillor Rob Amos.
Congratulations: Young Entrepreneur of the Year Kyle Bartlett with EDGE FM general manager Ange Frino.
RIGHT Strong support: Glenda Nichol from Nichol Trading sponsored the People’s Choice Award.
Fun night: Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party Member for Northern Victoria Tania Maxwell and Moama Bowling Club’s Mark Laming.
ABOVE Fun for all: Sarah Crossman, Dean Oberin and Renee Oberin.
Nominees: Jan and John Carey from 000 Training.
A toast: Jacob Coad and Tiharn Duncan at the awards.
6 KYABRAM FREE PRESS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2022
Top turnout: A crowd of 300 was on hand for the 2022 Campaspe Murray Business Awards on Wednesday night-.
Top night: The OPT crew had a tremendous evening at Rich River Golf Club.
Strength in numbers: The teams from Brady Electrical and SLTEC Fertilizers, who won the two categories sponsored by Foodmach, for Excellence in Trade and Manufacturing respectively.
Well-attended: Some of the crowd at Rich River Golf Club.
Night of nights: The room at Rich River Golf Club was packed.
Top night: The Riv team of Mel Thomas, Kerry Vevers, Gregor Mactaggart, Jaimie Orr, Sarah Crossman and Kristy Hayes at the Campaspe Murray Business Awards.
KYABRAM FREE PRESS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2022 7
Sparks fly for Brady bunch
Brady Electrical won the Foodmach Excellence in Trade category at the Campaspe Murray Business Awards on Wednesday night.
Owner Billy Brady said the result was a pleasant “surprise”.
“I came here thinking it’s good to be nominated,” he said.
“A night like this is great to bring business es from around the area together, mingle, socialise and get to know one another.
“For me, the award isn’t the most important thing, it is the chance to rub shoulders with fellow businesses and see each other.”
Mr Brady, who grew up on a dairy farm at Koyuga, was in his late-20s when he started Brady Electrical in Kyabram.
“The business has been going for about six years,” he said.
“I started when I was 28 or 29 and now I’m 35.
“I’m one of these people who can’t sit still, I’m never content and always like a challenge.
“What drives me is the freedom to work as much as I want and have ownership over the projects that we do.”
Brady Electrical has expanded from its
Goulburn Valley home to set up a base in Melbourne.
“I’m actually heading back down to Richmond tonight after the awards because I’m on a job site at 7am tomorrow,” he said.
Brady Electrical is the primary choice for industrial and commercial projects
across the state.
Their work ranges from fit-outs, power analysis, commercial solar systems, lighting and design installations, to motor control centre manufacture and SCADA and PLC programming.
“We employ 13 staff and are proud of the
way we service our customers,” Mr Brady said.
“You know I could put on another 10 people tomorrow and scale the business massively because clients want to work with us, but it is important to have the right people.”
– GREGOR MACTAGGART
FOODMACH EXCELLENCE IN TRADE AWARD — BRADY ELECTRICAL
Electric night: Brady Electrical won the Foodmach Excellence in Trade category.
Photo: Steve Huntley
8 KYABRAM FREE PRESS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2022
Excellence the secret recipe
The emotion was palpable for David Wegener.
Just minutes earlier his Moama Bakery was recognised with the Rich River Golf Club Excellence in Hospitality Award.
The category was one of the most hotly-contested at the Campaspe Murray Business Awards with a who’s who of contenders.
But it was Moama Bakery which sealed the success for the first time, with Mr Wegener embraced by his wife Jacqui.
"I’m actually a bit emotional,” Mr Wegener said.
“I’m just so proud of the staff, this is a testament to them and I’d like to thank the community because they are the reason why we’re here.”
Mr Wegener has owned and operated Moama Bakery since 2000.
Back then there was one shop and eight staff.
Fast forward to today, two decades on, the business operates three stores in Echuca-Moama and
employs more than 100 staff.
“We’ve grown all because of the community,” Mr Wegener said.
“Our team is just brilliant, we’re molding a great team of people.
“Jacqui did all the hard work (submitting the
nomination), but I’d like to thank my staff, my managers, the (Campaspe and Murray) shires for putting on a great night, the golf club.”
Mr Wegener said Moama Bakery’s success comes down to a simple recipe.
“Customer service is at the heart of everything we do.
You can buy a pie or a cake anywhere, but our service is our point of difference,” he said.
– GREGOR MACTAGGART
RICH RIVER GOLF CLUB EXCELLENCE IN HOSPITALITY AWARD — MOAMA BAKERY
Baking success: Moama Bakery was recognised with the Rich River Golf Club Excellence in Hospitality Award.
Photo: Steve Huntley
KYABRAM FREE PRESS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2022 9 13-15 Northern Highway, Echuca ECHUCAMOAMAPLANTFARM.COM.AU OPEN | MON-FRI 9.00 - 5.00 | SAT-SUN 9.00 - 4.00 TOWNS BIGGEST NURSERY PLANTS HAVE NEVER BEEN SO AFFORDABLE! LOCAL DELIVERY AVAILABLE Open 7 Days a Week Local Family-Owned Nursery Thousands of pots on site… We would like to thank all of our loyal customers and the community for their continued support. Winners of the Mawsons Best New Business and McPherson Media Best in Retail Awards Meet TalkSmart First Aid Training Quality-focused first aid courses that come to you Contact us today 0417 854 274 facebook instagram �talksmarttraining.com.au TalkSmart Training is a mobile first aid training company offering quality, focused and tailored first aid courses across Australia to all kinds of businesses. We specialise in catering for regional areas in and around Echuca, and will happily travel to your place of business to deliver your training. Save time, do your theory at home and attend a short practical session with Dawn. Get your first aid certificate with us and we promise you’ll get excellent, dynamically delivered quality first aid training. Kyle Bartlett is the proud winner of the Edge FM Young Entrepreneur of the Year Business Award We now have 4 great locations for your coffee fix and everything else in between! ECHUCA MOAMA • KYABRAM ROCHESTER kyle@7beanscoffee.com.au Coffee • Smoothies • Toasties Muffins Snacks We have you covered when it comes to choosing an alternative milk Happy Happy Soy Boy MilkLab Lactose Free The Alternative Oat MilkLab Almond WINNERS OF THE EDGE FM YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD We would like to thank all of our loyal customers and the community for their continued support.
Shear brilliance wins a gong
It was a night of firsts for Atkinson Shearing.
The company was nominated for an award at the Campaspe Murray Business Awards for the first time and then emerged successful, claiming the HW Greenham and Sons Best AgriBusiness category.
Owner Clinton Atkinson said it was a special result.
“It’s a thrill, I’m still shocked,” he said.
“This is the first time we’ve ever been at an awards night ... so to win is enormous.
“I’ve got thank Gwen Smith, who helped us get here with the nomination.”
Atkinson Shearing are sheep shearing contractors who service northern Victoria and southern New South Wales primarily.
Run by Clinton and his wife Kylie, the family-owned business is in-demand throughout Echuca-Moama, Elmore, Deniliquin, Mathoura and Rochester.
They also service areas further afield, including Moulamein, Corowa and Brewarrina.
During peak periods, up to 25 people work for Atkinson Shearing as shearers, rouseabouts and wool classers.
In accepting the honour, Clinton
provided a real glimpse of why family is the backbone of the business.
“My old man (Noel) started the business many years ago and I’d like to pay tribute to him,” he
said. “The family has a great tradi tion in shearing, I’d also like to thank Noely junior who has been here since day dot.
“My wife Kylie is just great, she works
full-time herself, but she does the bookkeeping and keeps us running. I’ve also got to thank our workers, with out them, we wouldn’t be here.”
Clinton is also an accredited
HW
GREENHAM AND SON BEST AGRI-BUSINESS AWARD — ATKINSON SHEARING
Workplace Trainer, sharing his expertise of the trade with young people as part of the Australian Agricultural Training Initiative.
– GREGOR MACTAGGART
All the buzz: Atkinson Shearing walked away with the HW Greenham and Sons Best Agri-Business category.
Picture: Steve Huntley
10 KYABRAM FREE PRESS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2022 YOUR SIGN EXPERIENCE STARTS WITH US Congratulations to all the 2022 winners! We would like to say a huge thank you to our amazing clients for all their support! 03 5853 2245 | 0448 391 317 9 Crichton Road, Kyabram VIC empiresignsgroup.com.au
Festival’s win is Pour-some
It was some night for the Wegener family at the Campaspe Murray Business Awards.
Moama Bakery opened the batting with its win in the Excellence in Hospitality category before E M Events claimed the Discovery Parks Group Excellence In Tourism Award.
E M Events director Jacqui Wegener said she was stunned by the success.
“I’m so proud, but shocked as well,” Ms Wegener said.
E M Events are the inspi ration behind the renowned Pop and Pour Festival, an annual showcase of restaurants, chefs, awardwinning wines and craft beers in the Perricoota region.
“We haven’t had an event for two years (because
of COVID-19),” Ms Wegener said.
“But the support has been fantastic, we’re already nearly sold out for this year.”
Ms Wegener said the support from the business community had made the Pop and Pour Festival, held in the last Saturday of November, a wonderful success.
“It comes down to the fact so many local businesses trusted us and supported us, with a small idea and helped make it happen,” she said.
“I’d like to make a special mention to the American Hotel and (owner) Dean (Oberin), who believed in the concept from day dot.
“Veitch Designs also jumped on at the start, they had faith in us … the shires (Campaspe and Murray).
“There was great
buy-in, which helps when you are starting something from scratch.
“I’d also like to thank Discovery Parks for spon soring this category, it means a lot to win this award.”
Such has been the suc cess of the Pop and Pour Festival that Ms Wegener has been commissioned to drive the development of a similar-style event in the Tweed Shire.
“We’re off to the airport tomorrow (Thursday) to fly up there, we’re off at 10am,” she said.
– GREGOR MACTAGGART
Big occasion: E M Events claimed the Discovery Parks Group Excellence In Tourism Award.
Photo: Steve Huntley
DISCOVERY
PARKS GROUP EXCELLENCE IN TOURISM AWARD — E M EVENTS
KYABRAM FREE PRESS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2022 11
Rochester and Elmore District Health Service was delighted to win the Best Professional Services – Community (Large) Category.
Grateful and Appreciative
The McMaster Family along with The SLTEC Team would like to take this opportunity to thank the Campaspe and Murray Shires for their ongoing contribution and support in elevating the local businesses within their communities. Through this ongoing dedication our business was nominated and successful in the achievement of the Excellence in Manufacturing and Trade Award and the Business of the Year Award for 2022. We would like to express our congratulations to all fellow nominees.
12 KYABRAM FREE PRESS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2022 1800 768 224 sltec.com.au