SW makes good showing

THE South West will be strongly represented at the 1999 WA Telstra Small Business Development Corporation Awards.

The award coordinators have announced that seven of the twenty-four finalist businesses in the State competition are from the South West.

Leschenault Business Enterprise Centre manager Alison Lannin said this was an exceptional result given the region had less than 8 per cent of WA’s businesses, yet represented 30 per cent of the State’s finalists.

“It is terrific to see the South West feature so well at the State level in these awards,” she said.

Ms Lannin said BEC and the industry development adviser at the South West Development Commission had worked hard to ensure the South West’s businesses from Yarloop to Augusta and Pemberton were encouraged and assisted to compete in the competition.

“The process of entering the awards involves businesses taking a good look at their performance and their direction for the future,” Ms Lannin said.

In 1995 the South West achieved seven out of eighteen state finalists and two out of four state winners. In 1996 the region achieved five more state finalists, and in 1997, eight out of twenty-two finalists.

In 1998 the region had five of the twenty-three finalists, including the major winner, Lamac Plumbing & Drainage, which was named WA Small Business of the Year.

Finalists for businesses with fewer than five employees are:

• LAD Machining of Capel

• Manjimup Veterinary Clinic

• South West Audiology of Bunbury.

Finalists for businesses with fewer than twenty employees are:

• Swift Fencing of Australind

• Paterson’s Landscaping of Gelorup.

The finalist for the business with fewer than 100 employees category is South West Group Holdings of Bunbury.

Finalist for the Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year category is Kevin Coote of Craven Foods of Bunbury.

Winners will be announced at the Burswood Convention Centre on 5 November.