CASEYBUSINESS AWARDS WINNERS’CIRCLE

SPECIAL EDITION

105A High Street Cranbourne Telephone: (03) 5995 458860 Robinson Street, Dandenong Telephone: (03) 9794 0010Shop 12 Parkhill Plaza, 215 Parkhill Drive, Berwick Telephone: (03) 9705 2500Shop 15, 18-36 Lakeside Blvd, Pakenham VIC 3810 Telephone: (03) 5940 0009

“LOCAL ACCOUNTANTS SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESS”

Congratulations to all award nominees and winners of

the Casey Business Awards 2011. G454

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Fresh thinkingCommendation Award

A taste of Brunswick in the heart of Cranbourne, the Cranbourne Market is a family

affair writ large. It starts with brothers and third-generation greengrocers Pat and

Frank Sosra, who are backed up by Pat’s wife, Connie, and Frank’s wife, Christina.

And the two couples are supported by Pat and Connie’s children, Joe, Frances and

Rosie, and Frank and Christina’s children, Joe, Frances and Nancy. But the big

boss, says Pat and Frank, is their momma, Frances. The store, which opened in

2005, features fresh local produce, much of it from the surrounding market

gardens, a European line of groceries, a Mediterranean-inspired delicatessen and a

growing gluten-free section. Pat says they get about 10,000 customers a week,

many of them coming from far afield, including Phillip Island, South Gippsland and

Mornington Peninsula. Cranbourne Market is at 22-28 High Street, Cranbourne.

Call 5995 0833.

SPONSORED BY

THE WINNERCranbourneMarket

Message fromthe judges

MAJORSPONSORS

The calibre of the applicants for the Casey Business Awards in 2011 has beenexceptionally high.There has been a diverse and widespread range of businesses that nominated for

the awards, from one-person enterprises to businesses that employ a large number ofstaff.

Visiting the finalists was a journey of inspiration and it was exciting to see businessowners’ and managers’ passion and enthusiasm for their businesses, their achieve-ments and their future plans.

The applicants did not set the judges an easy job this year with high quality applica-tions. With so many fantastic businesses to judge, the decision process was a very diffi-cult one.

This is a great opportunity for all businesses to take the time to work on their busi-ness rather than working in their business, and provides an opportunity to focus onfuture plans and direction.

We strongly encourage all participants to nominate again next year and to gaininsights on the completion of the application form.

Congratulations to not only the finalists and winners but to all the participants. Youare all exceptionally worthy of commendation.

CaseyBusinessAwards

Edited by Stefan

Delatovic

Stories by Catherine

Watson, Cameron

Lucadou-Wells, Daniel

Tran, James Taylor,

Melissa Cunningham,

Sarah O’Connor, Natalie

Kotsios.

Pictures by Ted

Kloszynski, Lucy Di

Paolo, Sam Stiglec, Rob

Carew, Gary Sissons.

COVER: Staff from

Madcap Cafe, Casey’s

Business of the Year:

Sean Guinane, Silvia

Sieber and Wendy

Beamish.

Shop 3&4, 11 John Street, Pakenham | Ph: 1300 885 441

Congratulations to all nominees

and winners of the Casey Business

Awards 2011

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Proudly supporting local businesses

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Taking it all into account

One in, all in: The Highview Accounting team has embraced the journey to sustainability.

Business and Professional Award

When it comes to sustainability, HighviewAccounting is walking the talk.The Cranbourne firm promotes environ-

mental sustainability as an issue for its clients,but it was also one of the first accountancy firmsin the country to become carbon neutral.

The initial impetus came from employeeSimon Byers, who came to work at Highview in2007 after a stint in England, where he had a jobmeasuring the carbon footprints of businesses.

‘‘I raised the idea with the partners and theywere happy to run with it,’’ said Mr Byers, who isnow a partner in the firm. ‘‘It required a lot ofstaff involvement so we put it to the staff aswell.’’

With staff enthusiastic, Highview approachedthe Carbon Reduction Institute to measure itscarbon footprint. ‘‘They looked at our water andpower use, our travel, including flights and ourrubbish output. From that, we determined ourcarbon footprint,’’ Mr Byers said.

Staff focused on reducing electricity use byturning off lights and appliances when theyweren’t needed, and checking that computerscreens were off at the end of the day. The firmswitched to green energy and bought carboncredits to offset emissions that were unavoidable.

That experience led to it offering a carbonfootprint service to clients. CPA Australia alsoinvited the company to talk to its members on thebenefits of being carbon neutral.

Mr Byers said there was a lot of interest fromclients until the past two years — ‘‘carbon hasbecome a bit of a dirty word because of thepoliticking’’. He says a lot of businesses are wait-ing to see how the carbon tax will affect thembefore deciding what they will do.

‘‘We’ve got information on our website. Whenthe carbon tax was announced, we had a lotmore hits than we normally do.’’

Highview Accounting Services specialises inproviding highly personalised and expert audit,

accounting, tax and advisory services. Clientshave the unique opportunity to experience first-class friendly services. With more than 18 years’experience, Highview’s team of professionals arecommitted to helping clients achieve their busi-ness and personal financial goals.

Highview Sustainability is part of a businessthat is committed to protecting the environmentby encouraging businesses to reduce their carbonemissions.

As part of the Highview group, it offers clientsthe opportunity to measure, reduce and offsettheir carbon footprint while making the most ofthe wide range of benefits sustainable actions canprovide.

Highview Accounting is at 190 Sladen Street,Cranbourne. Call 5990 1000 or visithighviewaccounting.com.au

THE WINNERHighview Accounting

We put you fi rst

SPONSORED BY

THE NOMINEESEleven MediaMinutemanDhoom FilmsHighview Accounting

CASEYBUSINESSAWARDS

The benefitsof being well

Holistic approach: Full Circle Health Management’s Alyse Palmer helps a client feel better.

New Business Award

Full Circle Health Management can celebrateits title of Casey’s New Business of the Yearin a newly refurbished building.

The centre, in Narre Warren North, wasopened in 2009 by Elise and Clinton Blanchardand takes a holistic approach to health andwell-being.

With trained staff members Louise, Ashlee andLochlan, Full Circle offers myotherapy, remedialmassage and pregnancy massage. For thoseseeking something a little more vigorous, per-sonal training, group training, boot camps andbuddy sessions are also on offer.

The centre was refurbished earlier this monthafter being damaged by flooding in February.

‘‘We are newer, bigger, brighter and raring togo,’’ Mrs Blanchard said.

She decided to open Full Circle after workingon the Mornington Peninsula for six years. Theaim was to create a wellness centre that com-bined hands-on therapy with exercise — ‘‘I don’tthink there’s enough focus on the exercise com-ponent’’.

Full Circle Health Management staff workwith people of all ages, from children to theelderly.

The company doesn’t want to keep seeing peo-ple for the same injuries — the staff aims to makeclients less and less reliant on therapy.

‘‘Through education, that’s one of our funda-mentals,’’ Mrs Blanchard said. ‘‘Ideally, we wantto get people onto wellness or maintenance pro-grams.

‘‘The wellness or maintenance program isabout getting someone in the myotherapy pro-gram out of their chronic pain cycle.

‘‘It gets them out of being reliant on what we

do. Our role is one small percentage of the over-all picture.’’

Full Circle Health Management received theEncouragement Award last year, as the judgesbelieved the business showed a high potential forgrowth — it looks as though they were right.

Mrs Blanchard said the business was upagainst some huge competition this year, but thathasn’t stopped them winning the honour of beingthe 2011 Casey New Business of the Year.

Full Circle Health Management is at 17 MainStreet, Narre Warren North. Call 97968009 orvisit fchm.com.au

THE WINNERFull Circle Health Management

SPONSORED BY

THE NOMINEESChifleyFull Circle Health ManagementJotterbugMadcap Cafe

P R O U D L Y S U P P O R T I N G L O C A L B U S I N E S S E S

The Melbourne Football Club

would like to congratulate all the

Nominees and Winners of the

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Commitment to quality: Framing to a T boasts boutique offerings in their Berwick store.

In the frameand loving itRetailer Award

Attention to detail has made Berwick busi-ness Framing To A T the retailer of the year.The Framing to a T team has provided

custom picture framing, design consultants anddecorators for more than 20 years and pridethemselves on their quality workmanship,professional service and expert design.

Established in 1989 by husband-and-wifeteam Tony and Cath Stocks, the company hasgrown from one location to three. As well as theframed prints, canvases, mirrors, wall art andmemorabilia seen at the warehouse in Hallam,the two boutiques in Berwick — which opened in1999 — and Glen Waverley also offer soft fur-nishings and modern merchandise.

‘‘We could see the need in the market for a pic-ture framer in Berwick,’’ Ms Stocks said. ‘‘It gaveus the opportunity to be a boutique-style storewith more decorative elements. You can’t reallyhave that sort of thing in a factory.’’

Ms Stocks, who runs the Berwick store withtwo other staff, said many customers came inwithout much of an idea about the frame theywanted, other than perhaps a favourite colour.

‘‘People come in because they think they wanta white mount and a black frame, and they goout with something personalised just for them.

‘‘I don’t think it needs to be anything thatexpensive to look good.

‘‘Some people can be so nervous, so it’s good tohelp them.’’

Framing To A T also sells occasional furniture,lamps, cushions, candelabras, flowers, Europeanglass vases, statues and other decorative items.

‘‘We sell a brilliant range of unique mirrors,fantastic prints — really unusual things youwouldn’t find anywhere else.

‘‘A lot of our customers buy pieces as they seethem.’’

The store already offers a decorating serviceand advice on mirrors and framed artwork, butMs Stocks is looking to grow that into a fullinterior design service.

‘‘We’ve been pretty low-key so far on that, sowe’re going to go gung-ho next year.’’

She said word of mouth had been excellent forbusiness.

‘‘People come out from the inner city; theymight have seen something in a friend’s home.

‘‘There’s lots of nice restaurants in Berwick, so

people often come along after dinner on theweekend and have a look through our window.’’

This is the second year the business has foundsuccess at the business awards, having been

named Independent Retailer of the Year in 2010.Framing to a is at, 16 Gloucester Avenue,

Berwick Village. Call 9769 8686 or visitframingtoat.com.au

THE WINNERFraming to a T

SPONSORED BY

THE NOMINEESGloria JeansFraming to a TTelechoiceCranbourne Market

Pitcher Partners is an association of independent firms and independent members of Baker Tilly International

For information on how we can help you and your business, contact David Knowles on 03 8610 5126 or david.knowles@pitcher.com.au

www.pitcher.com.au

Pitcher Partners is a full service accounting, audit and advisory practice specialising in

providing services to private and family businesses. We have the breadth and depth of

expertise of a major international firm but with a smaller firm feel – offering the highest levels

of professional advice to clients across a wide range of industries.G4

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Proud sponsors of the Casey Business Awards

Congratulations to the2011 Casey Business Award

Nominees and Winners

CASEYBUSINESSAWARDS

Professional approach pays off

Best of the best: The Casey Medical Centre team.

Health and Personal Services Award

Health care providers everywhere stillshudder with the memory of beinginundated with swine flu patients.

Everywhere except the Casey Medical Centre,that is .

In a remarkable display of crisis managementand patient care, the centre bucked the trend andset up a clinic dedicated to the treatment of swineflu patients.

The move not only created a streamlinedmethod of handling people presenting withsymptoms but also protected doctors, staff andother patients from catching the illness.

The skill with which the centre handled thehealth crisis was unsurprising to those who knowthe health care provider’s long history in patientcare.

From its humble beginnings in the back of adoctor’s garage in 1978, the centre quicklybecame so busy it had to be extended.

Two moves later, the business now has 15 con-sulting rooms in addition to an emergency room,seeing up to 450 patients a day.

Practice manager Jenny Berkhout said thecentre was able to handle epidemics like theswine flu because of its staff.

‘‘If any practice is going to cope with it,it’s us because of the manpower we have,’’she said.

The practice has 45 staff members, including16 doctors, who have been hand-picked by boardmembers.

The practice also takes on young doctorsand trains them in order to give back to the com-munity.

‘‘Our partners are quite passionate about theteaching, to make sure the standards stay high,’’Ms Berkhout said.

As a result of its dedication to patients, CaseyMedical Centre was named the AustralianPractice of the Year in 2007 and the VictorianPractice of the Year in 2009, and won the

National Safety and Quality award in 2007.Ms Berkhout said the the centre had been able

to forge a good reputation in the community.‘‘We go all-out to provide a service that is

above any of our competitors,’’ she said.‘‘It’s the first time that we’ve entered the busi-

ness awards so we weren’t really sure what wasinvolved but it’s been a good experience.

‘‘There’s quite a few practices within the Cityof Casey,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s good to be recognised asbeing the best. We feel quite honoured and gladthat the community recognises our constanteffort to serve them.’’

Casey Medical Centre is at 197 High Street,Cranbourne. Call 59911222 or visitcaseymedical.com.au

THE WINNERCasey Medical Centre

SPONSORED BY

THE NOMINEESBetter Dental CareFull Circle HealthManagementCasey Medical Centre

CASEYBUSINESSAWARDS

Cafe with a difference provides

Happy to serve: Sean Guinane, Silvia Sieber and Wendy Beamish.

Casey Business of the Year andSocial Enterprise Award

Asked what his new job means to him, SeanGuinane struggles to explain it to astranger. But there is no mistaking the

beaming smile on his face when his workmatesjoke with him. He is clearly part of the team atMadCap Cafe in Fountain Gate.

Wendy Beamish, a former executive assistantand now a writer, has no trouble putting intowords what she has gained from working at thecafe. For her, it’s the last stage in a long journeyof recovery from a severe bout of postnataldepression after the birth of her daughterCandice 21⁄2 years ago.

‘‘I wasn’t accomplishing what I wanted atwork and felt I was failing at home. I wouldsometimes start work at 2am just to keep up. Ihad been a very capable person — I even used topreach in the church. Then I reached the pointwhere I couldn’t go to the shops. I didn’t evenwant to leave the house.’’

She says working at MadCap cafe was a con-nection back into the world.

‘‘Really, getting a job here was like the comple-tion of my recovery. Today your job is your iden-tity. I’m earning money and I’m part of thecommunity again. It’s given me back my confid-ence.

‘‘It’s also social interaction with adults . . .there’s only so many ABCs I want to watch onTV. I like the fast-paced work. The time goesquickly and it takes the focus off your own prob-lems. I feel refreshed when I get home.’’

By every measure, MadCap is a good cafe,with better coffee and food than you’ll find inmost suburban shopping centres and awelcoming vibe that’s hard to pinpoint.

It’s only gradually that you realise this is a cafewith a difference. Like the other two MadCapcafes, in Dandenong and Geelong, the FountainGate cafe is operated by ERMHA (formerly the

Eastern Region Mental Health Association) toprovide training and jobs and to break down themyths about mental illness.

Some of the staff and all the trainees here have,or have had, a mental illness, although of course

you wouldn’t know it from watching them atwork.

And that’s the point. As a sign on the wall says,one in five Australians will suffer a mental illnessduring their lifetime. It could be your mother,

brother, girlfriend, boss, friend or you. Mostlyit’s concealed. Here, it’s acknowledged, which isa relief for the staff and for many of the cafe’s reg-ular customers.

MadCap is a not-for-profit organisation.

THE WINNERMadcap Cafe, Fountain Gate

CASEY BUSINESS OF THE YEARAWARD SPONSORED BY

THE WINNERMadcap Cafe,Fountain Gate

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE AWARDSPONSORED BY

THE NOMINEESR&M CusworthMadcap Cafe, Fountain GateWaverley Industries

Congratulations to the winners of the

2011 Casey Business AwardsG4548756AA-dp25Oct

It’s the personalised care that makes us different. At St John of God Hospital Berwick, we care about people

Services include:• Bariatric • Cardiology • Colorectal• Endocrinology • ENT

• Gastroenterology • General surgery • Nephrology • Neurology • Obstetrics / Gynaecology • Ophthalmology

• Orthopaedics • Pain Management • Plastic / Reconstructive • Respiratory medicine • Urology • Vascular

Winner of the Medibank State Silver Award for patient satisfaction as voted by

Medibank Private patients in 2010 and 2011

3 Gibb Street, Berwick VIC 3806 Ph: 9709 1414 Fax: 9707 4135 www.sjog.org.au/berwick

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CASEYBUSINESSAWARDS

the gift of learning to cope

Strength from each other: Madcap Cafe staff in action.

Any profits are fed back into the community.The 20 part-time staff and 10 trainees are paidregular wages but the cafe receives a wagesubsidy from the federal government for thetrainees, who need extra support.

The trainees start work on the dishes. In themorning, it’s a gentle enough introduction,allowing them to get to know their co-workersbefore they interact with customers. But duringthe lunchtime rush, the dishes begin to pile up.

Cafe manager Silvia Sieber says it’s aboutlearning to cope. ‘‘Some have a lot of internalpressure to prove to themselves and to others.They want to do all those dishes and theyphysically can’t. They realise they can’t controlthe situation and they learn to cope with theiranxiety. It’s about doing the best you can. Youcan’t do more than that.’’

She laughs. ‘‘We do sometimes get total melt-down. But they know they can come into my

office and take five. I’ll go and check that they’reOK and see if they want to talk. It can happen atany time. They can be right in the middle ofeverything and it’s going fantastically. Some needto go home; others need to sit and talk.’’

The cafe is a safe environment where the train-ees can make mistakes and gradually learn tocope. It’s about making friends again, teamwork,building confidence, until they are ready to go in-to open employment where their employer might

not be so supportive. ‘‘We have to coach themalong,’’ Ms Sieber says. ‘‘We have to know whento pull back and when to push them a bit further.Some take it on graciously and move forward.’’

She says there are stressful moments but alsojoyful ones. ‘‘Sometimes everyone’s laughing orsmiling. It’s so lovely when the trainees join in thelaughter. Customers say ‘You’re doing a goodjob’ — and you should see the smile on theirfaces.

‘‘Some of them are excited to have an incomeagain and they ask for the extra hours. Someonesaid it was so exciting to be a taxpayer — it madeher feel part of the community again.’’

The support doesn’t stop at the staff. Almostevery day Ms Sieber or one of the other staff isapproached by a customer talking about theirown mental illness or that of a friend or familymember.

‘‘They feel they can talk about that here, pluswe have information on the wall. People cancome and look and not feel labelled because it’sjust a cafe.’’

Wendy Beamish says the support from otherMadCap staff has been crucial in her own recov-ery. ‘‘It’s hard for people who haven’t had a men-tal illness to understand what you’re goingthrough. People tell you to snap out of it but youjust can’t do it.

‘‘The staff here draw strength from oneanother. Even though we don’t have the samemental illness, we all face the same issues. Somedays it’s still hard to get up and you just have tohope things are going to get better.’’

Ms Sieber says there have been many successstories.

‘‘I recently had one trainee who hadn’t evenfinished his training. He went out off his own batand got a job.

‘‘He rang me in tears to say he was sorry hecouldn’t make it to work the next week. He felthe was letting me down.’’

MadCap Cafe is at Fountain Gate (next toColes). Call 87949669 or visit madcapcafe.org

Proud sponsors of the Casey Business Awards

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Solid sales: Somali Peiris and her mother began with a jar of mustard.

Hot idea cutsthe mustardHome Based Business Award

It all began with a jar of mustard. Not just anyordinary mustard, but a traditional familyrecipe handed down through four generations

of Sri Lankan women.Somali Peiris and her mother Maryse took 125

jars of the homemade mustard to a corporateChristmas function in 2005. Within an hour,they’d sold them all and the guests wanted more.

‘‘We couldn’t believe how much people lovedit,’’ she said. ‘‘The next few weeks the phone didnot stop ringing.’’

This carefully blended mix of exotic spices,fresh herbs and humble mustard seeds combinedwith a secret ingredient called miris — meaningchilli in Sinhalese — changed everything, ignitinga desire in Ms Peiris to make a change.

After more than 24 years working in IT, shebegan a quest for the perfect mustard recipe.

‘‘I spent almost a year going to farmers’markets and speaking to people who are expertsin the industry,’’ she said.‘‘They gave me inside knowledge and tips andwhat started off as quest for mustard became ajourney to creating gourmet chutneys, sauces,exotic condiments and curry pastes.’’Ms Peris’ home business has now become aphenomenon and she says the key to her successis constantly evolution.

‘‘I’ve taken influence from a range of culturesnot just my own Sri Lankan heritage,’’ she said.‘‘I have incorporated touches of Morocco and theMiddle East to cater for a wider range of tastes.’’

Her products have won numerous awards atthe Royal Melbourne Find Food Awards.

Her cranberry and port chutneys, red currypaste, gourmet mustard and unique chilli chocol-ate sauce have won titles including the Ethnic

Business Award in 2008, second place for pre-serves and chutneys in 2011, second place in thepreserves cottage industry in 2005 and manymore.

Ms Peiris’ favourite condiment remains hermustard, which she says was a special part of herlife growing up.

But there’s also space in her heart for her newlycreated range of chilli chocolate sauces.

‘‘My mother was always creating exotic sauceswhen I was growing up and she has always beenmy inspiration to make the business work,’’ shesaid.

‘‘Everything I’ve learnt has been influencedby her.’’ Ms Peiris offers a range of cookingclasses and her products are readily available at

high end gourmet food stores across the state.Miris Products: Call 9702 4903 or visit

miris.com.au

THE WINNERMiris Products

SPONSORED BY

THE NOMINEESMiris ProductsEcofutureJotterbug Creative

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Protecting endangered species

Finding sanctuary: Ranger Lucy Tuthill feeds a wallaby during the Roland Johnson Wallaby Walk openinglast month.

Hospitality and Tourism Award

A Pearcedale-based park is providing asanctuary for Casey’s increasinglythreatened native species.

Moonlit Sanctuary houses more than 200animals, comprising 30 species, including theendangered fluffy glider and threatened easternquoll, southern bettong, squirrel glider and JuliaCreek dunnart.

About 80 per cent of the sanctuary’s animalsare locally indigenous species.

Responding to a lifelong passion, head rangerMichael Johnson has transformed the10-hectare park since buying what werepaddocks in 1998.

Since then, 10,000 trees have been plantedand a wetlands, an electrified perimeter fenceand more than 30 animal enclosures have beenbuilt with the help of committed volunteers.

The latest project is a 500-metre ‘WallabyWalk’, housing five species of hospitablewallabies.

It was opened last month to coincide with thesanctuary’s 10th anniversary.

Mr Johnson said most visitors to thesanctuary arrived by day but the place was mostalive during the night guided tours.

‘‘It’s a shame more people don’t come atnight. The animals are different in the way theyact and interact, and you usually see more ofthem.’’

About 30 per cent of the sanctuary’s visitorswere overseas tourists looking for the chance topat a koala or feed a kangaroo, Mr Johnsonsaid.

A lot of local species had become extinct anda number were under threat, such as the south-ern brown bandicoot, as Casey’s human popula-tion swelled.

‘‘The past few years we’ve been establishingourselves and now I want to get more heavilyinto conservation projects such as for theorange-bellied parrot.

‘‘I don’t think about how hard it’s going to be.‘‘You’ve just got to go for it.’’Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation

Park is at 550 Tyabb Tooradin Road, Pear-cedale. Call 59787935 or visitmoonlit-sanctuary.com

THE WINNERMoonlit Sanctuary Wildlife

SPONSORED BY

THE NOMINEESMoonlit Sanctuary WildlifeConservation ParkEighty One Fine Food and WineChifley Doveton Hotel

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CASEYBUSINESSAWARDS

Taking a riskand doing it well

Risk-takers: Design Unity’s Warren and Leah Jenkins in front of Villa Noosa, one of their proudestachievements.

Trades and Construction Awardand Innovation Award

Building designer Warren Jenkins prideshimself on taking risks. The benefit, hesays, is a more exciting result for the clients

of his firm, Design Unity.‘‘They give us a list of their requirements and

we respond to that list and to the site. When wepresent our design, very often it includes thingsthey haven’t even thought of. I really love it whenour clients skip away from the meeting becausethey are getting much more than they expected.’’

Mr Jenkins began his working life as adraughtsman in an architectural firm but foundtoo little opportunity to pursue his own passionfor residential design.

In 1999 he and his wife Leah decided to go outon their own and started Design Unity. Now witha staff of seven, including Mr and Mrs Jenkins,they design about 20 new houses and renova-tions a year, most in the south-eastern suburbs.

Mr Jenkins said the Design Unity years hadbeen ‘‘a wonderful journey’’ which has resultedin a host of industry awards, including for bestdisplay home between $175,000 and $250,000in the 2010 Master Builders Association of Vic-toria awards, best display home between$200,000 and $300,000 in the 2010 HousingIndustry Association awards, an AustralianAchiever Award in 2009, best display home up to$300,000 in the 2009 HIA awards, and best dis-play home under $200,000 in the 2009 MBAVawards. While the industry recognition is satisfy-ing, Mr Jenkins says he gets even more pleasurefrom interacting with his clients.

‘‘I love the building process and the way youcan design something and quite quickly see the

results. It’s quite a personal process as well.You’re making people’s dreams come true.

‘‘We pride ourselves on our ability to reflectour clients’ character in their home. I see that as a

big responsibility — to respond to the environ-ment and to respond to them as a family andtheir lifestyle.’’

The aim, he says, is to add value to every pro-ject by thinking outside the typical realms ofbuilding forms and functions.

‘‘Every project we take on, we’re risk takers.‘‘We offer solutions that test normality and

create spaces that live and breathe with theiroccupants and their environment, everydayspaces where people live, work and play.’’

One of his most satisfying projects was arenovation of a 1970s cream brick house he com-pleted for a Berwick family eight years ago. Thenovel transformation was highly commended inthat year’s Building Designers Association ofVictoria awards. ‘‘It’s now known as Villa Noosabecause for the owners it’s like being on holidayevery day of the year.’’

Design Unity is at 1/16 Langmore Lane,Berwick. Call 9769 4933 or visit designunity.com.au

THE WINNERDesign Unity

TRADES AND CONSTRUCTIONAWARD SPONSORED BY

INNOVATION AWARD SPONSORED BY

THE WINNERDesign Unity

THE NOMINEESBotanic HomesPlus One GroupDesign Unity

CASEYBUSINESSAWARDS

Bringing gizmos back from the tip

Resurrection squad: The minds behind Injectronics.Wire work: Dilshan Munasinghe works on anelectronic control unit

Careful hands: Gina Orpen solders a control modulecircuit board.

Manufacturing Award

The motto ‘Waste not, want not’ has provenprofitable for a Hallam manufacturer.Injectronics breathes life into broken

electronic auto parts, tapping into an under-serviced international market.

It sells about 5000 types of remanufacturedelectronic auto parts otherwise bound for land-fill, including a replacement for a commonly fail-ing Mercedes Benz engine circuitboard, toworkshops around the world.

It makes and resurrects parts such as instru-ment clusters, ABS modules and engine controlunits.

The parts cost as little as the tenth of the priceof new parts, and are marketed on the world’sfirst searchable online catalogue of remanufac-tured components.

The firm employs 32 staff and is the biggestmanufacturer of its kind in Australia.

The team includes a research and developmentwing that designs, repairs and tests parts, partic-ularly the parts that repeatedly fail.

‘‘I think Australians are generally innovativelike that,’’ owner Rex Vandenberg said.

‘‘Traditionally, we don’t have access toproducts like they do in the US and Europe.

‘‘We think about what can we do to fix whatwe have rather than just getting a new one.’’

Mr Vandenberg started work 28 years ago in acar-repair workshop.

During the 1990s he started to specialise inelectronic fuel injection and other components —marrying his love of electronics and mechanics.

He said he liked bucking the trend of a throw-away society.

‘‘There’s a culture these days that if your phonebreaks you throw it away. They’re so cheap toreplace that you just go and get a new one,’’ hesaid.

‘‘In cars, they’re filled with electronics fromfront to back,’’ Mr Vandenberg said.

‘‘Occasionally you get some part that failsbecause of a design flaw. Many of them can be

resurrected. And because electronics are so ram-pant, there’s plenty of work out there.’’

The firm also supply parts that can’t otherwisebe sourced or replaced.

‘‘We can make new parts which are better thanthe original by using up-spec components.

‘‘It involves labour and a few components.‘‘It’s a bit more complicated but at least

you’re not throwing a whole unit intolandfill.’’

Injectronics is at 8 Becon Court, Hallam.Call 8792 6999, visit injectronics.com.au

SPONSORED BY THE NOMINEESInjectronicsGalaSuccessful Endeavours

THE WINNERInjectronics

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Contact Jessica for course enquiries: Phone: (03) 5995 3344 Email: jessica@tbmtraining.com.au Website: www.tbmtraining.com.au

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CASEYBUSINESSAWARDS

Cleaning up inso many ways

Super clean: Ecofuture’s Marlene Hargreavesdemonstrates the cleaning products that

have earned the business anotherCasey Business Award.

Sustainability Award

It’s been another whirlwind year of success forEcofuture.After winning two prizes at last year’s inaug-

ural Casey Business Awards, the Tooradin-basedbusiness has done it again, taking out the Sus-tainability Award this year.

For the business’s directors, MarleneHargreaves and David Forscutt, winning back-to-back recognition for their fledgling companyis just as much of a thrill the second time around.

‘‘The awards are very prestigious within Caseyso to do well in them is excellent,’’ MsHargreaves said.

‘‘We’re absolutely thrilled. It’s a new panel andanother year has gone by with many businessesstriving to get ahead, so it’s good to know we arekeeping ahead of the pack.’’

Ecofuture specialises in a range of zero waste,hypo-allergenic, food-grade cleaning productsthat are unique in Australia.

It is now the master dealer of Bio+GreenCrystals and LessPak products in Australia

and New Zealand.In the past year, the business has expanded at

such a rate it now boasts clients including theAustralian Antarctic Division and MelbourneZoo, and they are just about to roll-out intoFoodworks stores.

Individual customers can also buy theproducts online.

Ms Hargreaves said the pair were interested inenvironmental issues and were keen to investtheir energy in a product that could make adifference, making them ‘‘pioneers in the newgreen economy’’.

‘‘We knew there was room for improvement inthe cleaning industry and the time has come for

people to turn away from the more traditionalharmful products,’’ she said.

‘‘We’re thrilled with the success. It endorsesour judgment that the time is right for thisproduct.’’

And who knows — if Ecofuture continuesbuilding on this foundation, it may just make it ahat-trick at next year’s awards.

Ecofuture: call 5998 3641 or visitourecofuture.com.au

SPONSORED BY

THE WINNEREcofuture

Our market expertise and local knowledge is a drivingforce behind the success of many businesses in Casey.

To find out how we can help your business,talk to us today.

Nicola England Jim PapadopoulosRelationship Executive Local Business Banker0414 337 943 0405 110 453

Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 123 123 124.

A proud sponsorof the 2011Casey BusinessAwards.

commbank.com.au

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Selandra Rise is the result of an innovative partnership between Stockland, the Planning

Institute of Australia (PIA), the Growth Areas Authority (GAA), the City of Casey and the

local community. Together, we’re working to deliver one of the most liveable communities

ever developed in Victoria.

A BETTER WAY TO LIVE

LAND NOW SELLING FROM $175,000

Proposed home office district gives you the flexibility to work from home

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Call 13 LAND or visit selandrarise.com.au*Price and lot availability are dependant on specific land release. Correct at 7/10/11.

CONGRATULATIONS

TO ALL CASEY BUSINESS

AWARDS FINALISTS

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