Best and brightest of Karratha business celebrate

Local family-run business KBSS Engineering took out top honours at the Karratha and Districts Chamber of Commerce and Industry Business Excellence Awards this month, which celebrated the best and brightest entrepreneurs in the City of Karratha.

The win gives the specialist engineering services provider another reason to celebrate, topping off a stellar year which included being named WA Telstra Business Awards Best New Start-Up.

KDCCI President Grant Reilly congratulated KBSS Engineering for getting ahead of the game and looking to long-term maintenance contracts at a time when construction work was drying up.

He said KBSS Engineering’s ability to think strategically ensured the company “survived and thrived” in the tough local economic environment.

“Three years ago KBSS Engineering was a two-man operation, today it provide employment and training opportunities for more than 100 local people,” he said.

KBSS Engineering was also named Best Business 20 + Employees while KBSS Project Engineering Manager, Justin Angove, caught the judges’ eye and was awarded Employee of the Year.

KBSS Engineering director Mark said to go from Best New Business at the 2014 Business Excellence Awards to the Best Overall business was a testament to the family’s hard work over the past year.

“Since last year’s awards we have come such a long way, it makes all the hard work and long hours’ worth it,” he said.

“Since then we have secured a two year maintenance contract with Yarra and a contract down at Wheatstone, the future is looking very bright for us.”

Last year’s big winner, Wrapped Creations, picked up another gong at this year’s awards bringing home Best Micro Business 0-4 Employees for the second year in a row.

Karratha’s burgeoning food and beverage sector stepped up to the plate with four of the town’s favourite eateries getting a ‘thumbs up’ from the judges.

They included Yo-Get It – Best Franchise; Blanche Bar - Hospitality and Tourism Award; Onyx Events – Best Business (11-20 Employees); Empire6714 – Best New Business and Bart Parsons from Blanche Bar for Young Business Achiever.

Pilbara Site Pics reclaimed its title as Best Home Based Business following a win at the 2015 Australian Small Business Champion Awards earlier in the year.

Mr Reilly said it was fantastic to see a diverse range of local small businesses being recognised at this year’s KDCCI Business Excellence Awards.

“While we are still a long way off achieving the national average for small business numbers these new businesses are making a valuable contribution to the local economy providing more jobs, more choices and more opportunities,” he said.

“I encourage you to support these small businesses whenever and wherever you can and congratulate them on this significant achievement with your patronage.”

Winners from the 2015 KDCCI Business Excellence Awards:

• Best Franchise Business – Yo-Get-It

• Best Home Based Business – Pilbara Site Pics

• Aboriginal Business – Beautylicious by Chelsea

• Best Community Organisation – LINK

• Tourism and Hospitality Award – Blanche Bar

• Micro Business (0-4 Employees) – Wrapped Creations

• Best Business (5-10 Employees) – Comine Safety and Training

• Best Business (11-20 Employees) – Onyx Events

• Best Business (20+ Employees) – KBSS Engineering

• Young Business Achiever – Bart Parsons – Blanche Bar

• Best New Business – Empire6714

• Employee of the Year – Justin Angove – KBSS Engineering

• Business of the Year – KBSS Engineering