24 November, 2022
Winners crowned at business and innovation awards
THE Caboolture-based My Berries and Narangba-based Moreton Bay Recycling were among the award winners at the annual Moreton Bay Business and Innovation Awards night.
There were 68 finalists across 15 categories as the awards evening took place at the Eatons Hill Hotel on Friday October 21, with nearly 480 business leaders, employees, entrepreneurs, innovators and community members attending.
New categories included the EPIC Assist Award for Accessibility and Inclusiveness Excellence, Corporate Social Responsibility Excellence Award, and Bishopp Award for Marketing Excellence.
Business of the Year was awarded to the Kippa-Ring based Sesame Lane Care and Kindergarten, which has 14 centres across the community.
My Berries took out the Food and Agribusiness Excellence Award, while Moreton Bay Recycling took out the Environment and Sustainability Excellence Award.
My Berries director Stuart McGruddy said the Food and Agribusiness Excellence Award capped off a break-out year for My Berries, after being named an #eatQld champion by the State Government for sustainably sourcing and showcasing Queensland produce.
“We’re proud to be expanding our facilities in Caboolture and investing in the innovative processing and packaging techniques that support local farmers and minimise food waste,” Mr McGruddy said.
“An example of our team’s ingenuity is our latest product Freeze Dried Fruit Bites where we take perfectly ripe juicy berries and turn them into a crunchy, highly nutritious snack packaged like popcorn.”
My Berries is stocked in more than 1,100 independent stores around Australia.
Moreton Bay Recycling managing director Rory Crundall said, “We owe this award to our incredible team that put the work in every day, allowing us to maintain such a high level of quality in our products and service.
“Of course, we would also like to acknowledge our amazing customers and suppliers which we love working with on a daily basis.”
MBRC Mayor Peter Flannery said, “As Mayor this is one of the events I look forward to most each year because when local businesses succeed, Moreton Bay succeeds.
“In fact 90% of businesses in our region are small local businesses, which is why Council is committed to being a top performing Queensland Small Business Friendly Council.
“It’s why we keep releasing products and services to help your business, like Ask Morty.
“This free, Australian-first, data-concierge service helps small business locate more customers.
“It’s why we ran ‘back a local’ campaigns to get everyone to eat, shop and support local businesses in 2022.
“And it’s why we’re asking businesses to sign onto our new ‘Moreton Money’ initiative in partnership with six local Chambers of Commerce, which will launch in 2023.
“Steve Jobs was right when he said ‘innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower’, but that was in a pre-covid world.”
Cr Flannery said recent experience “taught us all” that innovation alone was not enough, and that it also required grit, determination, and even blind optimism in the face of seemingly impossible odds.
“These awards are a celebration of not only the successes of those who took home a trophy, but the triumph that is surviving the covid era,” he said.
Moreton Bay Region Industry and Tourism (MBRIT) chief executive officer and founder Shane Newcombe said all 68 finalists should be proud of what they had achieved in challenging economic conditions this year.
“For many, 2022 has been the toughest year of all, which began with high COVID cases, staff shortages and floods. Each finalist continues to demonstrate their resilience and perseverance in the face of ongoing economic uncertainty,” Mr Newcombe said.
“The task for this year’s judges was challenging too, with such a high calibre of entries in all categories. This proves what we know, the Moreton Bay Region is emerging as a business and innovation powerhouse and the future is bright.”
The full list of award winners and finalists can be found at https://www.moretonbaybusinessawards.com.au/news/2022-winners-announced
