Inland Technology and Roberts and Morrow take top gongs

Inland Technology were the toast of the night after the business took out the Outstanding Employer of Choice award, before owner Peter Ryan lifted the Outstanding Business Leader gong, while Roberts and Morrow were recognised for Excellence in Business.

Tamworth Business Chamber president Jye Segboer said the success of the awards night was a direct reflection of the support shown by sponsors and the business community in general.

Scroll down to see the fill list of business award winners

“The night would not have been possible without the overwhelming support of a record number of businesses that have sponsored the awards this year,” he said.

“We’ve even seen an increase in sponsorship commitment since last year’s record amount.” 

That was not the only record broken by this year’s gala event.

A record crowd witnessed a record 500 individual nominations, which was then shortlisted to a record 200 finalists, across a record 30 individual categories.

Another first for the year was the introduction of the Northern Daily Leader People’s Choice Award.

Birrelee Macs Child Care Centre scooped the pool on the inaugural award, taking 296 of the 2041 votes received.

The fresh approach to the Quality Business Awards has continued to pay dividends following a second successive record breaking gala event.

Last year the Tamworth Business Chamber overhauled the entire process with a revamped judging process, focused member and sponsor engagement program, and broader marketing activities, not to mention adding plenty of spark to the big night, as over 800 locals can attest to this morning.

Chamber President Jye Segboer said the new approach “has meant greater transparency and confidence in the process and organisation.”

“Announcing finalists prior to the night has also played a major role in that success,” he said.

Of those 200 finalists 30 came away with the gongs, including Inland Technology, and owner Peter Ryan, who was most capped with two on the night, while chartered accountancy firm Roberts and Morrow took out the Excellence in Business award.

Other winners included councillor James Treloar taking the coveted Noel Park Award for his commitment to the local business community, while the Telstra Business Centre’s James Gayford gave a glimpse of the future by taking the Outstanding Young Employee gong.

Birth Beat’s Edwina Sharrock swept the pool for the Excellence in Innovation category, as Craig Vincent and his Portable Horse Stables juggernaut picked up the Startup Superstar, while Chantelle Quinn picked up the Young Entrepreneur prize for her work with F45 and Runway.

Tamworth Mayor Col Murray commended the Chamber on the success of the Awards, citing council’s involvement as a natural fit towards continued economic growth and development within the Tamworth region.

“As a former business owner, the Awards are a fantastic benchmarking tool,” he said.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity to take a step back and look at what you’ve achieved throughout the year, and it can also assist in business planning moving forward.”