Painter brushes up to win business award

Written on the 4 October 2016 by Gold Coast PR Company Consulting Hall

The Arundel-based painting contractor Usher And Son Group has claimed a victory in the Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards.

The business, which started as a small family painting business in 2001 and now employs close to 300 people, was named the winner of the Family Business category at the September awards held at Griffith Business School.

Usher and Son Group director Theodore Vairaktaris said the company now offered a wide range of services Australia wide.

"Usher and Son now provides professional painting, rendering, signage, Swing stage access solutions and buildingmaintenance services for all kinds of private, public and commercial projects,'' he said.

Usher and Son, which was originally called UHK Painting and Decorating, found success by becoming a supplier to the shopfitting industry and soon spread into supplying Tier 3 builders.

Mr Vairaktaris said the company now worked with Tier One builders including Brookfield Multiplex, Maxcon, Devine, Hutchinson Builders and Watpac on a wide range of projects.

Mr Vairaktaris said a big part of the company's success was due to the company's commitment to training and quality workmanship.

"The painting industry is filled with painters and not tradesmen,'' said Mr Vairaktaris.
"We focus on developing painters into tradesmen and putting the company's ethics and pride in their work.
"The skills program lights the way to a career in painting within Usher and Son and we offer educational courses range from trade skills development through to management courses.
"Even our directors have mentors"

Mr Vairaktaris said that during the past year Usher and Son had invested in equipment that allowed them to manufacture major components for large signs.

"This has allowed the company to take on in-house fabrication projects such the newly completed pylon sign at the front of Pacific Fair,'' he said.

Usher and Son was one of four companies from the Gold Coast's property and development sectors to figure in the September awards. The other property companies included growing builder Condev, which claimed the Manufacturing and Construction category, town planning company Planit Consulting, which won the Environment and Sustainability honours, and fast grower Burleigh company Aizer Group, which was named the winner of the Trades Professions and Services Award.

In the other categories, currency exchange company TorFX collected the Mayor's Innovation GC Award, retailer The Source Bulk Foods Gold Coast won the Health and Wellbeing honours, One Global Logistics carried away the Retail, Wholesale and Distribution trophy, onPlatinum ICT gathered Knowledge Management and IT honours, BYOjet flew away with the Tourism, Hospitality and Events gong and SEO Web Logistics secured the Emerging Business category.

Meanwhile Frank Guarnacciafrom Cucina Vivo Italian Restaurant at Jupiter's Hotel and Casino was named the winner of Gold Coast Tourism's Be My Guest Service Award for his exceptional service to customers during August.

The awards' major sponsors include City of Gold Coast; Suncorp Bank; Department of Industry, Innovation and Science; Regional Development Australia Gold Coast; Flight Centre Business Travel; Choice Homes; OntheNet; Griffith University; Gold Coast Airport; Gold Coast Tourism Corporation and Pindara Private Hospital.

The awards' media sponsors include the Gold Coast Bulletin, NBN Television, 92.5 Gold FM and 90.9 Sea FM.

The GCBEA's major supporters are KPMG,McCann Worldgroup, Document Solutions Australia, Bloomtools, Consulting Hall, Jupiters Gold Coast, Regina King Photography, Bruce Lynton BMW, Land Rover and Jaguar, Bond University, Gold Coast Suns, Dreamweavers.