In This Gold Coast Business News Issue

	Sourcing capital The Gold Coast is set to grow up with private equity, reports Jason Oxenbridge FAT private equity cash cows are grazing on a fertile capital-raising landscape underpinned by strong economic growth. There's more money in private equity coffers, including cashed-up super funds, than there is being spent on large-scale buy outs or investment opportunities in the robust small to medium-sized...
	Editors Message PIONEER Henry Ford once said, 'the highest use of capital is not to make more money, but to make money do more for the betterment of life'. It's a quote that can also apply to the process of 'bettering' your business. Cashed-up super funds, riding high on the back of a strong Australian economy, have become one of the primary sources for raising capital via private equity. In our July cover...
	Sky-high boost for business Last year, passengers using Gold Coast Airport spent an estimated $1.08 billion in the Gold Coast and Hinterland. As the airport undergoes an substantial upgrade, that figure is sure to increase. FIVE million passengers are expected to pass through the new-look Gold Coast Airport in 2008. The $120 million infrastructure upgrades will see the existing terminal building double in size. As...
	Coast Telco thinks big Mobile phone company eyes a share of market in capital cities GOLD Coast-based mobile phone company Think Mobile is expanding into Australia's capital cities. The privately owned Think Mobile - a sister operation to satellite phone company Globalstar - was launched in September 2005 and has captured a slice of the Gold Coast and regional Australian mobile phone markets. Peter Bolger,...
	Service stations fuel competition FLOURO-lit convenience stores in service stations are outperforming the humble corner shop in the ultra-convenient route trade market. A new survey, by forecaster and analyst BIS Shrapnel, shows chain convenience stores and independent convenience stores, milk bars and delis are the sector's strongest-performing channels. The route trade market competes in price, location and product range...
	Crackdown on software piracy A COMPANY involved in the construction of the crown of the Q1 Tower has been caught out by the Business Software Alliance in a software piracy sting. Orrcon Operations, one of Australia's largest steel tubing manufacturers, settled with the BSA for $200,000 after an audit found it had been using unlicensed versions of Adobe, Microsoft, Autodesk and Symantec software. The problem had been...
	Economic overdrive THE boisterous Queensland economy is forecast to grow faster than those of many industrialised national economies - such as Japan, Germany, the UK and the US - in 2007-08. Deputy Premier and Treasurer Anna Bligh predicts the economy will strengthen to an above-average rate of 5.5 per cent by the end of the current financial year and to exceed growth nationally for the 11th successive...
	IR warning Emperor's new clothes well worn A LEADING commentator in the fields of industrial relations and human resources has cautioned employers to carefully consider their options when voting at the next Federal election. Consultant Leigh Bernhardt, a one-time advisor appointed to the Business Council of Australia Employee Relations Advisory Committee, has taken a swipe at Opposition employment...
	Kiwi connection MFS Living and Leisure Group (MPY) has listed in New Zealand, trading on the NZSX. The overseas listing of ASX-listed MPY gives New Zealand-based investors the chance to buy and sell securities through a New Zealand broker in New Zealand dollars. MPY chief executive Marshall Vann says the company first expressed its intention to list in New Zealand two months ago, as part of a takeover...
	Blitz on bling JEWELLERY traders have been told not to advertise stocktake sales as part of an industry crackdown. Fair Trading Minister Margaret Keech says mid-year sales may seem the best time to splurge on jewellery, but consumers need to be sure advertised bargains are real savings. "The Office of Fair Trading is monitoring advertising material from jewellery retailers across Queensland to ensure...
	Positions vacant Queensland jobs pitched to interstate workers AN employment exhibition company is taking the skills crisis message interstate to lure professionals to Queensland. Queensland on Show general manager Robin Grundon says a surge in employment advertising has highlighted the need for businesses to be more strategic in combating the skills crisis. He says the latest ANZ Bank Job Ads Survey...
	Worldwide tourism Please take me to - a funky town A VIRTUAL online tourism website is set to do more than put the Gold Coast back on the map. The website will allow domestic and international travellers to research, plan and book an Australian holiday from the one site. It allows free access to more than 500 location-specific video clips, 10,000 photos, and around 24,000 listings for accommodation,...
	Rub a dub dub A new program helps small business reap bigger rewards THE thriving small to medium enterprise (SME) market is benefiting from a free Australian Government initiative delivered under AusIndustry's Building Entrepreneurship in Small Business program, in partnership with the Gold Coast City Council. The Gold Coast Region Area Consultative Committee (GCRACC) fosters links between government,...
	Conference capital Coast cashes in on meetings market WHEN it comes to corporate conferencing, the Gold Coast is a market leader in the industry for long-stay business tourism. Griffith University Tourism Leisure Hotel and Sports Management Professor Michael Davidson says Queensland's famous charm and strong economy promote longer stays and incentives for business meetings. He says demand for the Coast's...
	Designing a dream A little Love from Lucy EMMA Milikins lives to create and creates to live. The Nobby Beach designer, 30, owns the accessories label Love from Lucy and has been turning heads in the competitive world of fashion since she opened a store at Burleigh Heads in November last year. Chat with the convivial Ms Milikins for a few minutes and it's quickly apparent she's worked hard to attain her...
	Kick start for start-up company STOCKBROKER Andy Semple has successfully set up a funds management company by way of private equity after raising $900,000 in two months. Managing director of Gold Coast stockbrokers ANDIKA, Mr Semple established Xcelerator Capital Ltd, a funds management firm, with three other directors after raising the required funds through existing clientele. The directors created an unlisted public...
	Search for State's winning exporters EXPORTERS from across the State are being encouraged to throw their products into the ring for the 2007 Premier of Queensland's Export Awards. A search for the state's most innovative and successful exporters is under way for the 18th annual awards. "The awards are the Government's way of recognising the achievements of Queensland's top exporters - those smart, innovative businesses that...
	Nev's team is on fire A BURLEIGH heads surfboard manufacturer has been named one of Queensland's 'smartest' new firms. Firewire Surfboards won the rising star category at the Premier of Queensland's Smart Awards 2007, presented at a dinner at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. "Firewire is using fibre composite technology, not fibreglass, to manufacture the next generation of surfboards that are...
	Off the hook Extra jobs for Robina call centre CALL centre operator Excelior says jobs will be created at its Robina call centre after it took over the customer contact operation from AAPT. Excelior all has retained all 350 staff at the Robina centre in the same roles and under the same conditions. Excelior chief executive officer Greg Scott says he expects staff levels to increase as the business...
	Back to the boardroom Burleigh company BASE has landed a lucrative deal with surf industry giant Rip Curl. John Cross gives us the background on the business milestone. When did BASE get off the ground? BASE stands for Boards and Surf Equipment and represents a conglomerate of surfboard shaper brands and businesses. The group represents five internationally recognised surfboard brands and commenced in business...
	Join the Web 2.0 revolution Website Standards Association president James Greig sheds light on Web 2.0 WEB 2.0 is still the Internet, but it's different to everything we've become used. It's a movement away from websites as simple information resources to a new web platform characterised by freedom, participation and interactivity. With Web 2.0, users participate in the World Wide Web via web-based communities which...
	City Pacific confirms commitment to CP1 CITY Pacific Limited has sold a 19.9 per cent share in CP1 Limited in two transactions worth about $38 million. The transactions involve the sale of 17.9 per cent of the issued shares in CP1 to a Grocon Pty Ltd related entity as part of a strategic alliance between CP1 and Grocon. A further two per cent of CP1's issued capital will be sold to a third party. City Pacific chief executive...
	Coast needs more data storage centres A DATA centre shortage on the Gold Coast could be dangerous for businesses, says a leading technology expert. OntheNet managing director Tak Woo says the shortage of data centres will affect the Coast's business economy. "Many companies, especially larger ones, want to store their data locally in world-class facilities, but the fact is, there are no other data centres on the Gold Coast...
	Appreciate depreciation Napier & Blakeley director Alastair Walker offers some tax time advice on claiming deductions against your investment property FOR centuries, property ownership has symbolised wealth and provided government a stable source of tax revenue. We pay income tax, GST, capital gains tax, stamp duty, land tax and local government rates. Almost every level of government wants a share of the...
	Malaysian market opening for PIS FINANCIAL advisory group Professional Investment Services is looking to grab a bigger stake in its Malaysian operations after announcing its intent to list on the Australian Stock Exchange in March next year. The move comes as Malaysian authorities hint they will free up the country's financial planning regulations. PIS owns 30 per cent of Malaysian financial planning operation Standard...
	Plaza sells for $16.85m INVESTMENT in the tightly held Gold Coast commercial sector continues with the sale of Ashmore Plaza for $16.85 million to Tsuen Fung Holdings. The sale represents a passing yield of about six per cent and a sale rate of $4638sqm. Agents Simon Rooney and Jacob Swan, of Jones Lang LaSalle, negotiated the sale after fielding intense national interest. Mr Rooney says the current market,...
	Bluechip office building sells LANDMARK Southport office building McLaughlins House has sold to an undisclosed buyer for $3.75 million. More than 52 potential investors registered their interest in the blue-chip property during an expression of interest campaign. On the corner of Hicks and Davenport Street, the office sold on a lease back arrangement to McLaughlins Solicitors. The premises were purposely remodelled...
	Sonata passed in at auction A PRIME retail space in the tightly held Broadbeach restaurant and commercial precinct has failed to sell at auction - after being passed in at $1.3 million. The 191sqm holding, in the luxury, mixed-use building Sonata, has a landscaped courtyard and is opposite a park. Located at Lot 7-20 Queensland Avenue, the property is being sold as vacant possession and includes 30sqm of freehold...
	Eco investors eager Green-change buyers ready to retreat CONSTRUCTION is almost complete on O'Reilly's Mountain Villas development - nestled in the World Heritage-listed Lamington National Park. The project represents an exciting new era for the O'Reilly family, who successfully pioneered ecotourism in Australia and won the Best Deluxe Accommodation category at the 2006 Queensland Tourism Awards. O'Reilly's...
	X ray vision Medical centre fully leased A NEW medical centre at Southport is fully leased following the inclusion of new tenant Queensland X-Ray. A subsidiary of Sonic Healthcare Limited, the company has opened on the 697sqm ground and first floor premise and secured naming rights to the building. The group joins Pacific Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, a specialist surgical practice dealing with...
	Stella acquisition Hospitality giant acquires hotels STELLA Hospitality Group has boosted the presence of its accommodation brands with the addition of several marquee properties following the recent acquisition of Sunleisure Group Limited. The former Sunleisure properties joining the group are Q1 Resort & Spa, Legends Hotel, Circle on Cavill, Avalon Riverfront Apartments and Lumiere Apartments. Stella...
	A Holiday Inn paradise RAPTIS Group's new-look Holiday Inn Surfers Paradise is the way of the future for the developer as it sets its sights on renovating older-style CBD buildings. The Holiday Inn is the result of a $15 million refurbishment of the former ANA Hotel. The 12-month renovation has breathed new life into the exterior and interior of the iconic hotel, one of the most recognisable on the Gold...
	Award night heats up THE theme is Hot, Hot, Hot and the heat is on in preparation for the culinary night of nights, the 2007 Restaurant & Catering Queensland HOSTPLUS Gold Coast Awards for Excellence. Celebrating the quality and culinary diversity of the Gold Coast, hospitality professionals will converge on the The Function Centre, at Southport Sharks, on July 23 to see who the hotshots of our...
	Tips for legal internet eagles FINDLAW Australia will present a Web Sites & Internet Marketing for Law Firms breakfast seminar at the Sheraton Mirage on Tuesday, July 10, from 8am. Law firms can attract new clients and communicate more effectively with existing ones with a smart web presence. Michelle Rhodes, from Thomson-FirmSite, a website solution company for law firms, will show lawyers and firms how to...
	Better business uses senses MICHELLE Hamer, chief executive officer of Smart Advice, has always practiced what she preaches - you have to work on yourself to reach your potential. Ms Hamer will speak at next the WID communications seminar and participate in a questions and answers sessions afterwards. She says business people often think communication is about the written and/or verbal function, when it can be much...
	Economic update QUEENSLAND Investment Corporation chief executive officer Doug McTaggart will be guest speaker at the 12th Annual Gold Coast Economic update breakfast, at Conrad Jupiters on July 24. The former professor of economics at Bond University will brief members on developments in the Australian economy. With the recently announced record budget surplus, no government net debt, record low...
	Radisson tips its hat to a top team RADISSON Resort Gold Coast is now one of the group's top-performing hotels and resorts after winning the annual President's Award in Paris. The hotel was honoured in front of 1300 delegates from about 600 hotels at this year's Carlson properties annual Brand Conference, in May, where It was also named hotel of the year. The Radisson was one of 42 best properties from more than 240...
	Business brains trust THE Sheraton Mirage, at Main Beach, will host 13 of Australia's best business and leadership minds at the Your Business Success Seminar from August 3-5. Tickets for the three-day event - Channel Nine's Your Business Success and ICMI Speakers Bureau - are $1995 (fully tax deductible), with a veritable who's who of business and leadership to address delegates. They include: • Key-note...
	Ooh la la - the south of France sounds nice FANCY the good life in your own French residence - as depicted in the Russell Crowe film A Good Year? Quaint homes, country houses, apartments, vineyards and chateaux properties in Languedoc-Roussillon, in the south of France, are being offered for sale by Pierres au Soleil. Thirty minutes' drive from the Mediterranean and three hours from ski fields, the region is steeped in history,...
	Toasting success The race for the perfect Queensland wine FAST cars, fine wine and diverse property interests are the strategic parallels driving the success of local businessmen Craig Gore and Terry Morris. Both are astute, savvy deal makers who revel in the Queensland lifestyle and pitch the beauty of their beloved Gold Coast to boardrooms and race tracks around the world. Gore, 40, and Morris, 67, also...
	Salary hotspots FINANCE, construction, office support and sales and marketing are the winning professions, a salary increase survey by Hays has found. The survey covered 14 sectors and hundreds of roles in Australia and New Zealand, including the Gold Coast. It found the biggest salary increases were on the back of the resources and the mining boom, in Western Australia and Queensland. Hays Queensland...
	A dog-gone career idea VIP Petfoods founder Tony Quinn shares his ideas about business and leadership YATALA-based VIP Petfoods employs more than 140 staff. Its founder, Tony Quinn, says juggling the pet food industry with the competitive world of motorsport is as much about accessing offshore markets as hanging on for the ride. As Australia's top producer of fresh, chilled pet foods, how do ensure your staff are...
	Bright idea Local company set to light up the world A BURLEIGH Heads company is about to throw some serious light on the billion-dollar refrigerated confectionary display industry in the US and Europe with its world-first, energy-efficient fibre optic lighting system. The innovative system does not produce heat, contains no fragile glass, consumes less energy and lasts 10 to 20 years with little or no...