Young entrepreneurs shine

A MURWILLUMBAH-based excavation business owner has won the Tweed Business Excellence Awards Young Business Achiever of the Year.

Peter Sutton and joint winner Hayley Buckner each received postgraduate business study scholarships at Southern Cross University in recognition of their success.

Sutton Excavations started with one bobcat and a truck five years ago. It has since grown to provide ecologically sustainable land-clearing for clients such as national parks and the Tweed and Gold Coast city councils, as well as earthworks and civil contracting for the building industry.

Sutton attributes his success to new and innovative technology.
“The key for us was to look at using new things that other people baulked at. For instance we were the first Australian company to utilise Rayco track mulching machines that allow cost effective large and small scale reafforestation,” he says.

Southern Cross University has supported the Tweed BEX Awards through judging and sponsorship since its inception six years ago.
“The two winners stood out because despite being in very different fields of business, both of their operations were innovative and had a strong community focus,” says Professor Ian Eddie from SCU’s Graduate College of Management.

Buckner was the brains behind Pottsville shop Home, Life and Style and is now putting her skills to use arranging customised packages for working holidaymakers through international company The Global Work and Travel Co.

“I’m really pleased to now have the opportunity to take on some formal study, my interest is in the area of communications, study on subjects like human resources, recruitment and management,” she says.

Sutton and Buckner are just two examples of many successful young business owners across the Gold Coast.

They will potentially join the best young business minds on the Gold Coast when the Gold Coast Business News Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards kick-off in October.

Last year the awards attracted a vast range of nominations from hospitality software to beer brewing and entertainment to construction. The awards were attended by Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan.

2008 winner, Zarraffa’s Coffee founder Kenton Campbell, says the Gold Coast is a dynamic place of opportunity and the awards tap into that entrepreneurial spirit.

“The most beneficial thing was to be recognised after 18 years of being an entrepreneur. It was amazing and to be the inaugural winner meant a lot. It re-ignited something in me,” Campbell says.

Nominations are now open. Don’t miss this golden opportunity to be in the running as the Gold Coast Business News Young Entrepreneur of the Year.