FALLRIGHT International has been named WA’s small business of the year in the recently announced Small Business Awards.
FALLRIGHT International has been named WA’s small business of the year in the recently announced Small Business Awards.
The business, run by safety and rescue expert Mack McCormack, was started in 1990 to manufacture safety equipment and provide advice on safety standards.
A former SAS soldier with an interest in climbing, Mr McCormack became dissatisfied with the climbing equipment on offer and decided to make his own.
The business started in a spare bedroom at his home and grew to conquer the garage.
Fallright now has three manufacturing and test facilities in Belmont, South Africa and Houston, Texas.
The company also won this year’s Innovation Award, following wins in the WA and Australian Entrepreneur of the Year categories of the awards in 1997.
Mr McCormack said it was unlikely his business would be taking part in the Small Business Awards again as it was growing to the stage where it could no longer be considered a small business.
Magnet importer, wholesaler and retailer Austmag was named WA Micro Business of the year.
The family owned company has expanded its product range to include rare earth magnets, electro magnets and cobalt magnets.
Paterson’s Landscaping claimed the Business Owner Award for businesses with fewer than twenty employees.
Malcolm and Judith Mallaby took over the business in 1995 to provide services including paving, retaining wall construction, design work, water features, garden kerbing, general planting and ongoing maintenance to their clients.
Accuweigh Australia won the Business Owner Award for businesses with fewer than fifty employees.
Accuweigh is a scale service and weighing engineering business.
Craven Foods partner Kevin Coote was named Entrepreneur of the Year.
Katrina Bercob of Ovations Edutainment was named the inaugural Young Business Person of the Year. She said that being young was an advantage to people starting a small business because it afforded more flexibility.
“We don’t have mortgages, five kids and white picket fences to take care of,” Ms Bercob said.
The winners now represent WA in the national titles on 25 November.