OTHER winners to join Reynolds Soil Technologies in the last round of the Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards include Health Protect International for emerging business (see our Young Entrepreneur story on Page 22). Health Protect International operates a network of more than 75 licensees who provide mattress sanitisation for hygiene and allergy relief.

Tamborine Mountain Distillery scooped the award for best family business. The unique distillery, tucked away in the Gold Coast's Hinterland, uses fruits from its own property to create a range of liqueurs, vodkas and schnapps presented in hand-painted bottles.

The Mayor's innovation award went to Cypher Plastics Recyclers, who have developed recycling services targeted at industries generating copious amounts of waste - saving the environment the burden of copious amount of landfill each year. After three years of research and development, Cypher has developed an environmentally friendly building product using materials previously considered non-recyclable. This alone reduces an additional 8000 tonne of waste going to landfill each year and is set to catapult Cypher into the global arena.

A Varsity Lakes health product company won the retail, wholesale and distribution award for products including Ocean Milk Coral Calcium, Mr Wolfberry Goji & Feelgood Botanicals. Coral Cay Health now has sales in 13 countries and distribution agreements for 18 new countries in the final stages of negotiations.

The tourism, hospitality and recreation gong went to Spas of Serenity Australasia - now the largest Day Spa operator in Australia after just three years. SSKB Body Corporate Management was awarded in the trades, professions and services category for providing innovative solutions to the community via added services such as bulk energy, community broadband asset management and community banking.

Bundall-based Simptel Communications won the IT and multimedia award.