Celebrating our Businesses

10 May 2024

We celebrated our local businesses and professionals at our inaugural City of Charles Sturt Business Recognition Awards held at Woodville Town Hall.

The event celebrated 39 award winners and many more finalists. The awards themselves received 475 nominations across the 10 award categories, from so many organisations and industries in our local business community. Our businesses nominated in the People’s Choice Awards received 10,219 votes, which shows how much our local businesses are loved in their communities.

The event was a local showcase, hosted by 7 News presenter Mike Smithson, with catering from NNQ, beverages by Bowden Cellars, and florals by Lily West Floral Designers.

Keynote speaker, Sascha Detmold Cox of the Detmold Group, followed Mayor Angela Evans in addressing 300 attendees.

We would like to thank and recognise our esteemed judging panel for the extremely challenging task of assessing this year awards nominations:

Wendy Perry, Switch Start Scale
Lyn Hay, Adelaide Business Hub
Brooke Chinner, Office for Small and Family Business
Linda Lacey, Tourism Industry Council of South Australia

Congratulations to all nominees, finalists and winners as profiled below:

City of Charles Sturt Business Recognition Award Winners

Merit Awards
(selected by our expert judging panel)

Social Impact/ Changemaker Paying it Forward Award

This award recognises a local business who generously gives back to the community, develops innovative solutions to addresses social issues and/or shares their profit with a charitable organisation.

Defence Kidz

Defence Kidz empowers Defence and Veteran children through education, advocacy and creating specific resources that aims to foster a deeper connection within their families, schools and community. They have published a series of highly successful children’s books delving into military life experiences providing a valuable resource for families navigating the challenges of military service and for schools educating children and the wider community about Defence life.

Sustainability Champion Award

This award recognises a local business that prioritises the environment and take action on reducing their carbon footprint, improving substantiality and apply resources to climate change.

Born Again Pallets

Born from the owners backyard in 2016, Adam wanted to build pallet furniture to sell. What he discovered was a world of wasted pallets. Born Again Pallets has a facility the size of your local Bunnings, employs 30 people and recycles 2,500 pallets every week saving almost 20,000 trees a year.

International Business Award

This award recognises outstanding performance in building trade between City of Charles Sturt and global export markets in service, manufacturing or value-add.

Detmold Group

Detmold is a leading manufacturer of paper and board based sustainable packaging product who after rapid growth, the Detmold Group moved to Brompton. After 70 years of continued growth and expansion the Detmold Group now have sales locations in New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, India, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, and USA.

Innovation Award

This award recognises companies demonstrating product or process innovation and competitiveness in the national or global market, regardless of company size.

Whola

A game-changing B2B fashion wholesale platform, Whola wanted to put the power back into retailers’ hands — buying what they needed, when it suited. Whola is now making life better for more than 3,000 registered retailers by making their store instantly relevant to their target market.

Outstanding Entrepreneur Award

This award recognises an individual who has demonstrated their ability to follow through with an innovative idea and turn it into a commercially successful business.

Foodee

Foodee was created by Andy Loy and wife Jenn to help busy family enjoy Authentic Asian recipes even on their busiest days. Their line of frozen Asian ready meals was not merely driven by the need for convenience, but rather by a steadfast dedication to preserving the authenticity and quality of Asian flavours. From the leasing of a 310 m2 food production facility in January 2023 in Ridleyton their products can now be found in 50 stockists across South Australia and Victoria.

Home Grown Award

This award recognises the dedication and motivation in sustaining a home-based business.

Long Way Round Distilling Co

Long Way Round Distilling Co. (LWRD) is a small batch distillery located in Henley Beach. The owners, Richard & Erin Zivkovic started the business from their family home to create unique products using Australian natives and local hand-picked ingredients. What started as a small hobby business, has grown to become a busy operation with commercial and public sales exceeding their forecasts by nearly double. They are regular exhibitors at local markets, holding firm to local quality ingredients, suitability and providing the best possible products they can and all from their home in Henley that is literally their home!

Best Small Business (less than 20 Employees) Award

This award recognises small businesses creating opportunities for growth, stability, a positive working environment, and outstanding client/customer relationships. This category was very competitive and really challenged our judges.

Bowden Cellars

With a combined 30 years experience Josh and Dale recognised there was a gap in the market and a barrier for smaller local brands who were producing world-class products. Through Bowden Cellars they have dared to disrupt the status quo, prioritising quality over quantity and community education over convenience. Both Josh and Dale have held an unwavering commitment to follow through on their innovative vision and generated over $1.6m revenue within their first year of operation (2021).

Best Considered and Sustainable Design Developer Award

This award recognises the commitment to creating a masterplan community, designed for the future.

Nightingale Bowden

“Nightingale Housing, Housing Choices South Australia, Renewal SA, Breathe, and the South Australian Housing Authority all joined forces to make Nightingale Bowden possible and are incredibly proud of the outcome for Adelaide. They hope the project inspires many more like it.”

People’s Choice Awards

These awards are nominated by customers who have experienced service excellence and have taken the time to show their appreciation, by submitting their thoughts in writing and nominating a person/business for this Award. These went to public voting, and many were indeed very close!

People’s Choice Award – Best Café - Henley Breeze Café

People’s Choice Award – Best Creative - Mini Ivy

People’s Choice Award – Best Health and Wellness - Inspire Strength and Wellness

People’s Choice Award – Best Hospitality - Big Shed Brewing

People’s Choice Award – Best Personal Service - Ben the Plumber

People’s Choice Award – Best Retail - Metro Fresh Findon

People’s Choice Award – Best Tourism Operator - The Governor Hindmarsh

People’s Choice Award – Best Café Winner: Henley Breeze Café

People’s Choice Award – Best Creative Winner: Mini Ivy

People’s Choice Award – Best Health and Wellness Winner: Inspire Strength and Wellness

People’s Choice Award – Best Hospitality Winner: Big Shed Brewing

People’s Choice Award – Best Personal Service Winner: Ben the Plumber

People’s Choice Award – Best Retail Winner: Metro Fresh Findon

People’s Choice Award – Best Tourism Operator Winner: The Governor Hindmarsh

Business Legends

These awards acknowledge businesses who have been in the City for more than 25 years and their commitment to doing business within the City of Charles Sturt.