Brisbane Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards

CELEBRATING BRISBANE’S BUDDING STARS

THE 2013 Business News Publications’ Young Entrepreneur Awards will showcase the city’s next generation of clever and ambitious business leaders.

Queensland’s premier business and custom magazine publisher, Business News Publications, is again inviting nominations for its prestigious Brisbane Young Entrepreneur Awards.

Business owners operating in the greater Brisbane area, and aged 40 or under in 2013, now have their chance to be acclaimed as one of the river city’s top young entrepreneurs.

The overall winner will be crowned as Brisbane’s Young Entrepreneur for 2013, and will be profiled in a cover story in our November issue of Brisbane Business News.

The runner-up and trail-blazer also will receive prestigious trophies while all finalists will be profiled in that edition.

The 2012 Brisbane Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award winner, Anthony Yap of Good Price Pharmacy, has established a holistic health empire that turned over $180 million in FY12.

His vision is for pharmacies to be a one-stop shop for beauty, health and medicine with proper provisions for medical advice and streamlined services.

2013 will be a year of growth for the company with plans to open new pharmacies nationally, adding to the existing 38 stores.

“We are providing a health solution to consumers, not just products or prescribed medication,” says Yap.

“We provide a higher level of advice where we see potential problems and request pharmacists to counsel on them.”

Phillip Di Bella, of Di Bella Coffee, claimed the 2012 Highly Commended Award for the second time, after taking out the award in 2011. His company achieved growth of 25 percent in FY12 with a turnover of more than $25 million.

Di Bella’s success story began in 2002 when he used $5000 of savings to create a coffee empire that now serves 2.2 million cups of coffee each week.

In 2013, Di Bella has found success in responding to consumer demand, with the launch of online retailing and innovative new products, such as the “coffee in a can” Kick energy drink.

“Parmalat sells a million units each month of the Ice Break drink, so there is definitely potential for us in Australia’s $4.8 billion energy drinks market,” says Di Bella.

The 2012 Trailblazer Award went to LSA Recruitment Group founder Andrew Northcott, who has had an average growth of 173 per cent in the last three years.

The company was founded in 2004 and turned over $52,500 in its first year.

In 2012, LSA Recruitment Group enjoyed a turnover of $34.5 million. The next 12 months will see Northcott expanding white-collar services in areas where the company already has blue-collar operations.

“Our brand has been established for eight years and has a greater market presence,” says Northcott.

“We now want to build our presence in metropolitan areas and have great people, technology and systems in the business to maintain this growth.”

Business News Publications managing director Camilla Jansen encourages ambitious enterprises to nominate for the 2012 awards.

“Positive stories can often get lost in a haze of negative sentiment and our Young Entrepreneur awards radiate optimism by celebrating the achievements of the next wave of business leaders,” she says.

“I encourage the next round of young entrepreneurs to step up and be recognised for their tremendous contribution to the city’s bustling business landscape.”

Nominations open June 2013. Please check here for details then. 

For more information please contact Grace Charlton at gc@businessnewspublications.com.au or (07) 3608 2068