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Media Release: Ernst & Young(MediaNet Press Releases)This is a media release - distributed by AAP MediaNet. Ernst & Young Announces 2005 Australian Entrepreneur Of The Year TWO QUEENSLANDERS WIN PRESTIGOUS ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARDS Friday, November 25, 2005 - Sydney: Ernst & Young has announced the National winners of the 2005 Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards, with two of the five winners representing Queensland. The Entrepreneur Of The Year for the Technology category went to Graeme Wood, founder of Wotif.com and the winner in the Social Entrepreneur Of The Year category went to Dimity Dornan AM, founder of the Hear and Say Centre for Deaf Children After much deliberation, the five national winners in the competitive award categories included Tony D'Antonio & Peter Hosking, Global Machinery Company Worldwide ( Retail, Consumer & Industrial Products ); Jim Cooney, TCI (Services including Financial, Business and Property); Graeme Wood, Wotif.com (Technology, Communications, E-Commerce & Life Sciences); Shelley Barrett, ModelCo (Young Entrepreneur) and Dimity Dornan AM, Hear & Say Centre for Deaf Children (Social Entrepreneur). In announcing the Australian Entrepreneur Of The Year for 2005, James M Millar, Chief Executive of Ernst & Young Australia revealed, "Tony and Peter from the Global Machinery Company Worldwide, like all of the 2005 Finalists across Australia, are part of an extraordinary group of individuals with a diverse range of entrepreneurial talent. One can't help but be inspired by Tony and Peter's vision which has seen them grow their business into a global leader within just eight years." "Through the Entrepreneur Of The Year awards, we celebrate the importance of Australia's entrepreneurs and acknowledge that while only one ultimate Australian Entrepreneur Of The Year winner was selected, ALL of the 2005 regional finalists are already 'winners' in their industries, as well as important role models for the aspiring entrepreneurs of tomorrow." THE 2005 ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR NATIONAL WINNERS ARE: Tony D'Antonio and Peter Hosking, Retail, Consumer & Industrial Products Global Machinery Company Worldwide In 1996, Peter Hosking and Tony D'Antonio left their executive jobs to set up their own business. Giving up the safety of their salaries, the two mortgaged their homes and set up in Peter's garage. Little did they know then that their backyard operation which designs, develops and markets domestic power tools, would grow to achieve 250 million dollars in annual revenue within just eight years. Today Global Machinery Company Worldwide continues to grow and its products are sold all over the world. Graeme WoodTechnology, Communications, E-commerce & Life Sciences Wotif.com Wotif.com is Australia's leading last-minute accommodation website offering travellers value for money by selling hotel rooms available within the next 14 days at a discount. Thought up by Graeme Wood in 1999, in 2000 he and three partners launched the website. After just five years in business, Wotif.com has grown from providing discount accommodation for 60 hotels in Australia to over 6,000 hotels in more than 36 countries worldwide. Jim CooneyServices including Financial, Business & Property TCI Jim Cooney and his partners founded TCI in 1995 after spotting a gap in the market for a company that supplies specialist infrastructure to wireless and telecommunications carriers. TCI has completed a number of high profile projects including developing coverage specifications for the NSW airport motorway, as well as the installation of an optic fibre antenna on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Shelley BarrettYoung Entrepreneur ModelCo At 21, Shelly Barrett was already running a successful boutique modelling agency - Shelly's Management Group. The behind-the-scenes experience she gained from 10 years in the modelling and fashion industries provided the inspiration for Shelley's next company - ModelCo. Supplying a range of quick fix beauty solutions, ModelCo began with one product in 2002. Three years on and the company now has 70 products sold in 500 stores world-wide, including the famous LASH WAND eyelash curler and TAN Airbrush in a Can. Dimity Dornan AM, Social Entrepreneur Founder, Hear & Say Centre for Deaf Children After establishing the Hear & Say Centre for Deaf Children in 1991, Dimity Dornan has campaigned actively for universal newborn hearing screening. An experienced Speech Pathologist, Dimity created the Listen Little Star kit in 2003 and it is now sold world-wide - helping hundreds of parents to teach their hearing impaired babies to listen and speak. 2005 NATIONAL JUDGES COMMENTS ON WINNERS Dimity Dornan AM, Hear & Say Centre for Deaf Children "Dimity Dornan has developed processes of auditory-oral education to bring deaf children into the main stream and is dedicated to solving the issues globally as an international ambassador for this approach." Tony D'Antonio & Peter Hosking, Global Machinery Company Worldwide "In just the last four years, Global Machinery Company Worldwide's sales have increased six fold and profit has increased eight fold. A debt free business, the company spends significant sums on R&D, has great staff retention and Hosking and D'Antonio maintain one hundred percent ownership." Jim Cooney, TCI "Jim Cooney has built a significant niche business from scratch, servicing the telecommunications industry in a field where there are major competitors. The business has had significant growth in sales and profile, maintaining significant market share in Australia against major competition while also expanding internationally." Graeme Wood, Wotif.com "Graeme Wood recognised an opportunity which required innovative thinking and a clear business plan. In just 5 years, Wotif.com has grown to become a niche business with an impressive business model and outstanding financial returns." Shelley Barrett, ModelCo "Shelley Barrett has built a business from zero into a category leader in Australian marketshare, competing against major international companies. ModelCo has an impressive four year track record in building a business in a highly competitive consumer product field while expanding globally and quickly to the US, UK and Japan." The Entrepreneur Of The Year 2005 National Finalists were: Retail, Consumer and Industrial Products Services including Financial, Business and Property Bryan Stokes & Paul Wheeler Tim Vorbach - FAB Australia - Cartridge World Colin Mackenzie Jim Cooney - TCI - Granite Transformations Silvio Pradella - Orrcon Tony Smith - BreakFree Resorts & Holidays Peter Harold - Sally Malay Mining Polly Mazaris - Baxter Group Tony D'Antonio and Peter Hosking Stephen Lauder - AHS Group - Global Machinery Company Worldwide Technology, Communications, E Commerce Young Entrepreneur and Life Sciences James Rice - Urban Construct Simon Hackett - Internode Shelley Barrett - ModelCo Dr Ian Campbell - The CPS Group Trent Davis - NetBox Blue Graeme Wood - Wotif.com Craig Mitchell - Mitchell Corp Nathan Buzza - Commtech Wireless Zahava Elenberg and Callum Fraser - Elenberg Fraser Sandy Gray and Elizabeth Lewis Gray Architecture - Gekko Systems Champion of Entrepreneurship* Social Entrepreneur Robert Champion de Crespigny AC Paul Flynn - CanDo4Kids- Townsend House Bill Ferris AO - CHAMP Private Equity Father Chris Riley - Youth Off The Streets Brian White - Ray White Real Estate Dimity Dornan AM - Hear & Say Clinic Doug Rathbone - Nufarm Limited Sue Robertson - Edge Employment Solutions Jack Bendat Bernadette McMenamin AO - Child Wise *The Champion of Entrepreneurship is a recognition award. As this category in non competitive, the Champions of Entrepreneurship are ineligible for the overall Australian Entrepreneur Of The Year award. About Entrepreneur Of The Year: As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates entrepreneurs who build and lead successful and dynamic businesses, recognising them through regional, national and global award programs in over 100 cities and more than 40 countries. The international recognition of the awards positions winners as world-class entrepreneurs and provides a benchmark for entrepreneurial excellence. Winners are much-admired leaders in their industries and important role models. Launched in 2001, the Australian Entrepreneur Of The Year award program is conducted in five regions with regional winners progressing to the national awards. Selected by independent regional and national judging panels, entrepreneurs are recognized in a number of award categories, with the overall Australian Entrepreneur Of The Year going on to represent Australia at Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year held annually in Monte Carlo. Past Australian winners include Peter Farrell of ResMed Limited (2001), John Rothwell AO of Austal Limited (2002), David Bussau AM of Opportunity International (2003) and Robert Gerard AO of Gerard Corporation (2004). First established in 1986 in the US, international Entrepreneur Of Year award winners have included Scott McNealy, Sun Microsystems (1987), Michael Dell, Dell Computer (1989); Howard Schultz, Starbucks (1991); Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com (1997); Eddie Jordan, Jordan Grand Prix (2000); and Narayana Murthy, Infosys Technologies (2003). The program is founded and produced by Ernst & Young and in Australia is sponsored by the Australian Stock Exchange, Westpac Business Bank and Qantas. The program is also supported by AusIndustry. For further information please contact: Kate Davies, Ernst & Young on 02 9248 5428 or 0421 615 202. Source: Ernst & Young 24-11 2346 |