Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards

2016 Gala Awards Winners

2016 Business of the Year

Timezone Gold Coast

Surfers Paradise-headquartered tourism mainstay Timezone has been named the Gold Coast's Business of the Year for 2016.

Timezone was named the winner at the Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards gala dinner held at Jupiters Hotel and Casino on Saturday 19th November.

The company, which has now taken out the annual Tourism, Hospitality and Events award four times since 2011, has now broken through to win the major honour.

Director Juan Uribe said their 5000sqm Surfers Paradise centre now catered for more than 1.2 million visitors a year and the opening of Timezone's 3000sqm entertainment centre at Coolangatta in February had added significantly to that figure.

"The new location at Coolangatta was part of a $3.5 million investment with 30 staff employed at this new location,'' said Mr Uribe.

"Meanwhile our Surfers Paradise location has hosted more than 850 birthday parties during the past 12 months."

The Surfers Paradise site was first established on level one of the Paradise Centre as Grundy's, which was known Australia-wide. Timezone Australia purchased the business in 19993 and since then has increased the floor area by 2000sqm to make it Australia's largest indoor entertainment centre.

In 2014 Timezone Surfers Paradise was named by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions as the best family entertainment centre in the world.

2016 Annual Category Winners

Be My Guest Service Award - sponsored by Gold Coast Tourism Kacy Fortune, Oskars on Burleigh Oskars has been a highly respected name in dining on the Gold Coast for 33 years and with employees like Kacy Fortune the restaurant is set to stay that way. Kacy received over 20 nominations during the month of July. Some examples of the nominations include: "We had fantastic service from the first phone call. We had to cancel lunch due to work commitments but due to Kacy's great phone manner we decided to drive down from Brisbane for dinner. We were not disappointed, great food and great service." And "Kacy's service is top notch and the overall experience was exceptional."
Emerging Business Award - sponsored by Choice Homes Aston Milan Homes Aston Milan Homes is a leading Queensland home building group. The company designs and builds a range of high quality, affordable homes that can be customised to suit the lifestyle and needs of its customers. Formed in 2011, the company has quickly grown to now employ 38 full time staff at the Southport head office and it hires about 100 sub-contractors across the South East Queensland region.
Family Business Award - sponsored by Regional Development Australia Gold Coast 5 Star Timbers 5 Star Timbers is a leading timber merchant that provides customers with quality supplies of legal and sustainably sourced timber products. The company stocks a wide variety of timber and hardware including structural timbers, engineering wood products, wood panels and profiled products such as decking, flooring and cladding. Founded eight years ago, the Stapylton-headquartered business now has 20 employees.
Retail, Wholesale and Distribution Award - sponsored by Suncorp Bank ABC Brick Sales ABC Brick Sales is among the largest supplier of building, construction, landscaping and gardening equipment in South East Queensland. Its range of products includes bricks and blocks, pavers, soils, cements and glues, builders' hardware, tools and steel reinforcements. The company was first set up 35 years ago and has grown to become a multi outlet chain with a booming online store.
Manufacturing and Construction Award - sponsored by Department of Industry, Innovation and Science Condev Construction Condev Constructions is one of the most prominent and prolific constructions companies in South East Queensland and northern New South Wales. The mid-tier construction company undertakes projects in the $1m to $45m range. Condev, which was founded in 2002 by Steve and Tracy Marais, now employs 134 people.
Trades, Professions and Services Award - sponsored by OntheNet The Ray White Surfers Paradise Group The Ray White Surfers Paradise Group is the Gold Coast's leading real estate agency. Starting in 1989 with one office, the group now has 24 divisions and 263 staff on the Gold Coast, China and the USA.The company services all aspects of real estate including sales, leasing,property management and new projects. The company also hassecondary operations including Marine sales and international sales and management.
Health and Wellbeing Award - sponsored by Pindara Private Hospital Home Instead Senior Care Gold Coast Home Instead Senior Care Gold Coast is a specialist, national providers of high quality in-home care for older Australians. The company helps seniors live independently and comfortably in their own homes. The number of caregivers employed by the company has grown since the company was launched in 2006 from six to 146.
Knowledge Management and IT Award - sponsored by Griffith University ONGC Systems ONGC Systems is a provider of IT and Digital services. Their mission is to expand small and mid-size businesses using technology. ONGC helps companies digitally transform so they can better engage customers, empower employees, optimise operations and become an employer of choice.
Tourism, Hospitality and Events Award - sponsored by Gold Coast Airport Timezone Gold Coast Timezone Gold Coast consists of two indoor entertainment centres at Surfers Paradise and Coolangatta. The Surfers Paradise operation, which spans 5000sqmis the largest indoor entertainment centre in Australia and entertains more than 1.2 million visitors each year. In the past 12 months the company has invested $3.5 million to enable it to open a 3000sqm facility at Coolangatta in February this year.
Mayor's Innovation GC Award - sponsored by City of Gold Coast Brauer Industries Brauer Industries, which was setup in 2004, is now Australia's leader in Air and Water Purification. Manufacturing Ozone-based technologies for both Commercial and residential application. Brauer Industries has Produced, patented and proven the effectiveness of their ozone technology across a large portfolio of products in many industries and are heavily invested in research and development to improve the standard of air and water treatment across the country making for a sustainable future.
Environment and Sustainability Award - sponsored by City of Gold Coast Rocky Point Mulching Rocky Point Mulching is a third generation owned and operated company. Situated on the northern end of the Gold Coast, innovation is at the heart of the business. Starting life as a sugarcane farming operation the business evolved into a company providing garden products including recycled timber mulch and coloured mulch. This year the company created Rocky Point Recycling and the operation aims re-use all organic waste now dumped at landfill sites.
Encouragement Award - sponsored by Flight Centre Business Travel International Protein International Protein manufactures a range of quality sports nutrition, specialty vegan protein and high protein foods. The company was established in 2001 by professional women's bodybuilder and food scientist Christine Envall and marketing entrepreneur Troy Bremner. Their business has grown significantly throughout Australia and its products are now exported to 13 countries including the USA, Canada and the UK.