The sunshine state celebrated the work of its entrepreneurs in the 2012 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year northern region awards in Brisbane last week. Winners will go on to compete at the national awards.
Winners were announced in four competitive and three non-competitive categories at the ceremony, attended by Ernst & Young Brisbane managing partner, Jenny Parker and the Honourable Ros Bates MP, Minister for Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts.
Brendon Levenson, owner of the fitness club Jetts, was awarded Entrepreneur of the year in the emerging category, with judges saying that Levenson “is a clever and calculated entrepreneur.”
Phillip Di Bella of Di Bella Coffee won the industry award, with judges congratulating him on, “his diversification of product is incredible and he calculates the way in which he penetrates international markets with outstanding success.”
FK Gardner & Sons (FKG) took home the services Entrepreneur of the Year award, thanks to the company’s incredible “long term growth.” FKG provide civil, construction, plant hire, commercial development, farming and camp services.
Janine Garrett of charmHealth took home the award for the technology category after her company became a market leader in clinical software.
Winners in the non-competitive categories included Don Meij of Domino’s Pizza Enterprises in the Listed award category, Graeme Wood AM in the social entrepreneur category and Thérèse Rein of Ingeus won the champion of entrepreneurship award for lifetime achievement.
Parker said “Entrepreneurs play a vital role in creating jobs, boosting economies and improving communities, both locally and at a national and global level.
“Ernst & Young congratulates all of our 2012 Northern region award winners and nominees. Our judges had a tough decision to select from such an outstanding group of Queensland entrepreneurs this year,” Parker said.
