Tana named EY Champion

EY has named Nick Tana as its Champion of Entrepreneurship at the 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year Western Region awards, while Jim Fitzgerald, Iris Smit and Daniel Morrison were among the seven other winners in Western Australia.

Mr Tana owns agribusiness Sumich Group, which produces more than 140,000 tonnes of vegetables annually, and is Australia’s biggest producer of carrots, celery and onions.

Mr Tana was a majority owner of Australian Fast Food Group, which owned the Red Rooster and Chicken Treat chain of around 450 stores.

In 2007, he sold his stake in Australian Fast Food Group to Quadrant Private Equity for $180 million.

Additionally, Mr Tana was a driving force behind the establishment of the Perth Glory Soccer Club in 1995.

The other winners announced at the event at Optus Stadium last Thursday night included Civmec’s Jim Fitzgerald and Pat Tallon.

The pair founded the construction and heavy engineering company in 2010, following a decline in Australia’s manufacturing industry.

From its first project involving fabrication work at a new facility at the Australian Marine Complex, Civmec has grown to more than 2,500 employees.

Iris Smit was another to receive an accolade, following her creation of a ‘winged eyeliner’ product called The Quick Flick while at university.

Only 14 months after launching in mid-2017, The Quick Flick was stocked in 450 Priceline stores nationwide, and the business is now worth around $10 million.

FBR co-founders and cousins, Mark and Mike Pivac, were also winners, after the development of the Hadrian X autonomous bricklaying robot, which they hope will revolutionise the building industry.

FBR has a non-binding memorandum of understanding with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to build 50,000 homes with the Hadrian X by 2022.

Daniel Morrison earned an award for his work as the chief executive of the Wungening Aboriginal Corporation, which provides family support services, youth and adult programs, and manages four prison family visitor centres and a refuge for women and children.

The organisation has expanded to nine locations across WA, with 189 employees, 70 per cent of these having an Aboriginal background.

Mr Morrison was a 40under40 winner in 2018.

PC Locs general manager James Symons also was named an EY winner, after he successfully took his father’s small security lock business global under the LocknCharge brand.

EY Perth managing partner Fiona Drummond said this year’s winners embodied WA’s famous entrepreneurial spirit and ability to recognise opportunity where others only saw problems.

“They generate employment and contribute to the economy, while also helping to put WA business ingenuity firmly on the world stage,” she said.

The winners from the Western Region will be nominated for this year’s ultimate prize of 2019 EY Australia Entrepreneur of the Year, which is to be held on October 31.

The Australian winner will then continue onto the global program, travelling to Monte Carlo in June 2020 to compete for the title of EY World Entrepreneur of the Year.