Gold Coast Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards

CELEBRATING THE GOLD COAST'S BUDDING STARS

THE 2013 Business News Publications’ Young Entrepreneur Awards will showcase the city’s next generation of clever and ambitious business leaders.

Queensland’s premier business and custom magazine publisher, Business News Publications, is again inviting nominations for its prestigious Gold Coast Young Entrepreneur Awards.

Business owners operating in the Gold Coast region, and aged 40 or under in 2013, now have their chance to be acclaimed as one of the glitter strip’s top young entrepreneurs.

The overall winner will be crowned Gold Coast’s Young Entrepreneur for 2013, and profiled in a cover story in our November issue of Gold Coast Business News.

The runner-up and trail-blazer will also receive prestigious trophies while all finalists will be profiled in that edition.

The 2012 Gold Coast Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award winner, Randall Deer of Ignite Travel Group, used his savings of $50,000 to build an international marketing empire, covering Broadbeach, Sydney, New Zealand and South Africa.

The company, formerly known as RewardsCorp, also clinched the award for Deer in 2011. The rebranded business sustained a 63 per cent growth in revenue to almost $62 million in FY12.

“It is not a matter of pinching myself for how far the business has come already, because we are always focusing on how far we could go with what we have,” says Deer.

“My biggest concern is not capitalising on the opportunity we see in front of us.”

Stuart Stratton of Bsmart and Con-X-ion claimed the Highly Commended Award for growing two businesses into multi-million dollar enterprises over the last 10 years.

Stratton started marketing business Bsmart Group which turned over $15.7 million dollars last year and is aiming for 50 percent growth in FY13.

In 2003, he took charge of his parents’ company, Petty’s Transport, on their request, and has built it into the Gold Coast’s largest airport transport operation, rebranded as Con-X-ion. He grew turnover from $150,000 to $10 million in less than a decade.

The 2012 Trailblazer Award went to construction industry success Garrick Bull.

G Developments and GM Homes have surged ahead in challenging times for the building industry. The entities have grown revenue by about 34 per cent to $101.5 million.

“We have expanded into Sydney and Melbourne and the regional areas around there to drum up a bit of work,” says Bull.

“We are always looking at the product we are selling and evolving it. It is a tough market, but there are still buyers there, they are just more educated now. You have just got to give them the right stuff.”

Business News Publications managing director Camilla Jansen encourages ambitious enterprises to nominate for the 2013 awards.

“Positive stories can often get lost in a haze of negative sentiment and our Young Entrepreneur awards radiate optimism by celebrating the achievements of the next wave of business leaders,” she says.

“I encourage the next round of young entrepreneurs to step up and be recognised for their tremendous contribution to the city’s bustling business landscape.”

Nominations open June 2013. Check here for details then.  

For more information please contact Grace Charlton at gc@businessnewspublications.com.au or (07) 5575 7400

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