Perth entrepreneur Ami Appel is different.
Perth entrepreneur Ami Appel is different.
Unlike most business people, his day begins at about 4.30am when he drives to Canning Vale markets to beat the hustle and bustle and select the best fruit on offer.
The Melbourne-born co-founder of Fruit Boost - a service that delivers fruit to health conscious Perth businesses - has made that trek almost everyday since April 2006, when Fruit Boost was incorporated.
Mr Appel is also a supporter of recruiting marginalised and disabled people.
The entire Fruit Boost employee roster has been recruited from specialist employment service Workability, which helps disadvantaged people enter the workforce.
Fruit Boost is the latest business venture for Mr Appel, who has a suite of locally-based companies in his portfolio.
In 1995, he moved to Perth to pursue his ambition of building a business empire and within two years he had purchased 25 per cent equity in Osborne Park-based Persona Publishing.
In 2000, he and a fellow partner at Persona incorporated West Leederville-based Lasso Media, another publishing and entertainment company, which had started on $6,000 and three staff.
"Five years on I sold up, leaving one of the most exciting periods in my life," Mr Appel told WA Business News.
Entering a new phase in his life, Mr Appel ventured into a business borne of innovation and philanthropic spirit.
"As I am already involved in a few very commercial endeavours I discussed with family and friends about starting a company that would have some aspect of health orientation and would work closely with the WA community," Mr Appel said.
"Two of the comments I seem to hear the most relate to either our obesity or heart disease and diabetes epidemics in Australia and the other the continuing social polarisation of our communities."
In 2005, Medibank Private released a study outlining health levels in Australian workplaces and how they impact the work and social lives of employees.
Mr Appel said the study also covered some of the initiatives that could be implemented by businesses to improve productivity, morale and a range of other flow-on business benefits.
"Now, there are many consultancies established that work closely with businesses to introduce initiatives to improve a range of differing issues that exist in the workplace," he said.
"It seemed a good fit to pursue an initiative that was timely from a health awareness perspective and community orientated in terms of the support needed in our community."
Today, Fruit Boost boasts a client list of about 350 businesses, many of which receive either weekly or bi-weekly fruit deliveries.
This year, Fruit Boost is targeting $80,000 in both monetary donations and in fruit through its ongoing sponsorship of The Cancer Council WA and Diabetes WA and support of The Salvation Army Family Support Unit.
Mr Appel believes part of his entrepreneurial spirit came from his experiences working in family business, as well as from supportive parents who always encouraged him to "get out there and have a go."
"I think that from a young age I recognised that my parents and family friends' parents were very business orientated," Mr Appel said.
"I saw many of them start small and grow their family businesses into very successful ventures."
"Some of these afforded both my friends and I the opportunity to work in those businesses as kids for pocket money or over the holidays."
"I love a challenge. Every time my wife asks if a new project is under control I suggest more kids or another venture. She's very supportive."
