2023 RISE winners announced
Lifeline WA has won the major award as Western Australian Business of the Year at Business News’ annual RISE Business Awards.
The suicide intervention and mental health service provider also won Not For Profit/Charity of the Year for its work supporting people through periods of emotional crisis.
Lifeline WA is a charity underpinned by a commercial mindset and has strengthened its financial and organisational structure in recent years.
The other finalists in this category included Good Sammy Enterprises, Melville Cares, Disaster Relief Australia and Dismantle.
The RISE awards function was hosted at the Crown Perth Grand Ballroom on Thursday evening over a formal dinner, in front of nearly 700 people.
Large Business of the Year was awarded to Bestbar Reinforcements, the category in which the steel reinforcement manufacturer was a finalist in 2022.
Bestbar Reinforcements won large business ahead of Primero Group, Zenith Energy and Civmec.
Revo Fitness took first place as Medium Business of the Year, a category including InterGrain, Odyssey Group, Epigroup and Monford Group.
Small Business of the Year was won by iCatalyst, followed closely by Leach Legal, Plico Energy, Custodian Work Assist and Technical Resources Australia.
Meanwhile, Micro Business of the Year was won by Silverstar Marine ahead of Julia Ewert, Paemac, Get Your Visa and Pilbara Kimberley University Centre.
MCT Equipment emerged as Startup of the Year, a category including BMR Piping & Civil, Space Collective Architects, Bobaboba Franchising and Xplorate Pacific.
Topdrill took home Regional Business of the Year ahead of strong competition from Pilbara Ports Authority, Odyssey Group, Catalpa Group and EK Services Group.
Indigenous Business of the Year was awarded to Eastern Guruma, while finalists in this category included Benang, KingKira Group, Cundaline Resources and Bidi Facility Services.
Employer of the Year was awarded to Mader Group, the category in which the ASX-listed company won in 2021.
Mader took first place ahead of IMDEX, AWB Co, acQuire Technology Solutions and Pritchard Francis.
The judging panel included 18 of Western Australia’s business leaders: Mark Beyer, Paula Connell, Marec Van Wyk, Kate O’Hara, Michael Still, Jocelyn Da Silva, Bernard Chia, Mathew Rigby, Georgina Gabelich, Lauren Gonzalez, Joe Bassford, Chiara Pacifici, Julie Kirby, Grant Erskine, Bhavesh Kotecha, Alison Taylor, Steven Patino, Nick Sertis and Patrick Smit.
Judges for the awards were required to abstain from voting if they had been involved with any of the entrants.
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: Lifeline WA
LARGE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: Bestbar Reinforcements
MEDIUM BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: Revo Fitness
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: iCatalyst
MICRO BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: Silverstar Marine
STARTUP BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: MCT Equipment
REGIONAL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: Topdrill
INDIGENOUS BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: Eastern Guruma
NOT FOR PROFIT/CHARITY OF THE YEAR: Lifeline WA
EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR: Mader Group