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    Peoples Choice award winners Sue and Colin Macaffer with Brendan O'Loughlin
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    Acacia Caravan Park and Holiday Units won East Grampians Business Awards' Innovation and Technology Award. From left, s Ayden, Matt and Kaylene Linsley and Barbara Mills.
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    Pomonal Cottages won Best New Business. Owners Fiona and Gary Boswell.
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    Ararat Dance Centre principal Karly Harris with Regional Development Association representative Stuart Benajamin in Ararat Town Hall. Karly's mum Chris Harris is in the background.
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    Sue and Colin Macaffer from Barney's Bar and Bistro, back, and Fiona and Gary Boswell, Pomonal Cottages. There was a mix up in presentations for Best First Business. Barney's were announced as winner by mistake but Pomonal Cottages was actually the winner. But all were gracious and supportive based on the Pomonal business relationship and Barney's ultimately won People's Choice Award
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    JOINT WINNERS: AME Systems managing director Nick Carthew, left, with Pep and Adam Atchison from Pomonal Estate. They are joint winners of East Grampians Business Awards business of the year. Picture: DEAN LAWSON

Community solidarity in East Grampians Business awards

By DEAN LAWSON

Opportunity born from resilience was an overall message emanating from a passion-fuelled East Grampians Business Awards night in Ararat.

A powerful sense of community solidarity underpinned award presentations at Ararat Town Hall that ultimately led to an announcement of dramatically different enterprises sharing a business of the year award.

Manufacturing firm AME Systems and hospitality business Pomonal Estate won the premier accolade on offer in a night of celebration recognising business and community resilience as well as excellence through the COVID-19 pandemic.



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All category winners spoke with emotion on accepting their awards and it was AME Systems managing director Nick Carthew who left the audience with the most powerful of messages.

Mr Carthew, in charge of a globally recognised electrical-wiring harness and assemblies company with overall staff of about 500, described the prospects facing Ararat, the region and the state as one of the most buoyant in the history of his family business.

In echoing sentiments from guest speaker and Regional Development Australia representative Stuart Benjamin, he said Ararat particularly was moving into a period of growth.

He said after experiencing tough circumstances in the past 12 months that, ‘we’re seeing what is the most buoyant economy that our business, this town and this state has seen in our 40-year history’.

“Start buying, start building, start investing in Ararat,” he said. “AME Systems is going nowhere except up and Ararat is coming with us.”

Mr Carthew said his firm had experienced global recognition, particularly in recent times, but winning the business award represented a ‘badge of honour’.

“To be acknowledged in your own town after the past two years that we have all experienced is a great honour for myself and the legacy of my dad,” he said.

AME Systems production manager Laura White said the awards night had reminded her why she loved the Ararat district community.

“All the speakers have talked about why we are special and we really are,” she said.

Pomonal Estate, a winery, microbrewery and cider house, attracted plaudits throughout the night. 

The win was a back-to-back result for the business and owners Pep and Adam Atchison, who also collected a sustainability award.

The Atchisons, in accepting the award, praised staff and thanked Ararat Rural City Council, Greater Ararat Business Network, sponsors and the Ararat district community – especially Pomonal.

Mr Atchison also heaped praise on fellow finalist Kerrie’s Creations, which produces hand-crafted chocolates and other products.

“We wouldn’t want to live anywhere else,” he said.

“We looked around Victoria and NSW and we’re so glad that we stayed here and started up this business. It’s an amazing community.” Pomonal’s business community, which quickly became evident worked in strong collaboration, was particularly prominent throughout the night, with Pomonal Cottages winning a best new business category and Barney’s Bar and Bistro, also from Pomonal, collecting a highly coveted people’s choice award.

Winners also came from a variety of business sectors. 

Ararat Dance Centre, a dance school offering classes for three-year-olds and up and having a story based on a remarkable effort to adapt to ever-changing
circumstances, won a resilience award.

Perennial award winner and one of Ararat’s business benchmarks Acacia Caravan Park and Holiday Units won an innovation and technology award category.

And the awards’ young person of the year went to Ararat Ballarat Real Estate agent Aidan Moar, with Luke Wilson from AME Systems winning an honourable mention. 

Barney’s Bar and Bistro’s Colin and Sue Macaffer provided some of the most inspirational moments of the night.

Mr Macaffer was full of praise for support he and his wife had received in taking on the business and spoke about the passion of satisfying customers.

“We’ve never experienced such support. Winning the people’s choice is a real honour for us. We are about looking after people and stayed open most of the time to offer takeaway and give something back to staff,” he said.

“I get goose bumps when I hear people say, ‘we had the best time, thank you so much, your staff are wonderful’ and that’s a tribute to our local community. Ararat is the gateway to the Grampians.”

Mrs Macaffer added: “For the younger people that have a business, I want to really encourage you  –  the knocks are going to happen, and we know you have the resilience and strength to get through those tough times and you also have the ability. 

“It’s the people that come through your place, the customers that are important and if you treat them well they will get back to you. The satisfaction they experience will be your satisfaction in owning your business. 

“It is more than any monetary gain will ever give you.”

 

EDITORIAL: United in tapping into optimism

The entire December 1, 2021 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!