Bowden takes top spot at 40u40 awards

By Liv Declerck

03/05/2024 - 22:17

Events, Free to read

The 40under40 Awards celebrated young Western Australian business talent on Friday night. Photo: Matt Jelonek

Emyjor Services managing director Greg Bowden was revealed as First Amongst Equals at the 40under40 Awards for 2024, winning first place ahead of a diverse cohort of Western Australia’s young business and community leaders.

This year marked Business News’ 23rd annual 40under40 Awards, with the winners being announced at a gala dinner at Crown Perth on Friday night.

Speaking at the event, Business News senior journalist and chief judge Mark Pownall said the 2024 nominees revealed the diversity of business excellence in WA.

“There is a wide range of different business types, from careerists to startup entrepreneurs,” Mr Pownall said.

“The judges were looking for the entrepreneurs – people who were willing to take a risk rather than follow the safe path, those who have stepped outside their comfort zone.”

Mr Pownall said the judging panel was faced with a difficult challenge of selecting the winning 40 applicants among a vast group of quality entries.

“The judges are always impressed by people who find time, in their busy lives, to contribute to their community,” Mr Pownall said.

“We were also looking for people with a track record of success, over several years.”

Mr Bowden was announced as Business News’ 40under40 First Amongst Equals and also won the Medium Business category for his plumbing business Emyjor Services.

In the first part of his career, Mr Bowden worked with a relative in Kalgoorlie doing his apprenticeship and developing his plumbing skills in the outback city’s residential sector.

By the age of 24, he had gone out on his own, choosing to focus on commercial and industrial plumbing, which did not compete with his former employer in their shared hometown.

Over 15 years at the helm of a business Mr Bowden eventually registered under the banner of Emyjor, after his two oldest children, Emily and Jordy, the plumber and Kalgoorlie business leader has put what he has learned to work establishing a major business.

Emyjor, which offers complementary services in excavation, controlled waste and carpentry, now employs more than 65 people and operates well beyond its Goldfields base, including branches in Albany and Perth.

“I was fortunate enough to be born in a town full of opportunities,” Mr Bowden said.

“With no support network, to be successful I had to hang on every word a potential mentor offered me. I needed to utilise information to achieve positive results.

“I knew I needed to surround myself with good people, and I did.”

The three other finalists for the First Amongst Equals award were Tracey Batt of Adventure Snacks, Brad Young of The Grout Guy and Angela Tran of BOBABOBA FRANCHISING.

Ms Batt also won APIL People’s Choice Award and took first place for the Small or Start-up category, while Mr Young won for the Large Business category.

Healthengine co-founder and chief product officer Darius Wey was awarded The City of Perth Strategic Alliance Award.

Other category winners were: Stirlings Performance Steels executive manager Michael Stirling (Family Business); Benang managing director Jasmine Kadic (Indigenous); VenuesLive - Optus Stadium head of meetings and special events Nadia Owen (Intrapreneur); Carbon Group partner Michelle Maynard (Professional Services); and Fiercely Infertile owner Cassie Silver (Community, Social Enterprise or Not for Profit).

You can read more about Mr Bowden’s story and all the 40under40 winners in our next print edition on May 13 and online next week.

Congratulations to the 40under40 winners of 2024

Angela Tran: BOBABOBA FRANCHISING

Anita Barnes: Blaze HFS

Brad Young: The Grout Guy

Brendan White: Equinox Ventures

Brendon Habak: Inhabit Property

Cassie Silver: Fiercely Infertile

Cecily Rawlinson: CyberWest Hub

Darius Wey: Healthengine

David Toby: Pathfinder Marketing

Elsie Blay: Ruah Community Services