Congratulations to the Influential Women in Business Award Winners in 2010

7th June WIB Business Awards Winners Announced (PDF- 0.244Mb)

BEST SMALL BUSINESS:
Kalangadoo Organic – Michelle McColl

Michelle is the owner/manager of Kalangadoo Organic which aims to supply the local community with the tastiest and most nutritious apples and apple products available.
Michelle focuses on the long term planning, quality control and presentation of products, labels etc. as well as the physical work of picking, pruning, thinning and making juice and selling.
During the past twelve months Michelle has initiated a trial organic vegetable growing project on a share farming basis with the Koren Karenni Community Group to provide meaningful employment and business skills for self determination.

She has significantly expanded the heritage apple variety side of the business to help conserve the genetic resource and preserve our cultural heritage.

Michelle was successful in securing funding from the Food and Beverage Development fund to obtain technical training in apple juice production and will be travelling to the UK in August this year.

BEST HOME BASED BUSINESS:
Gretel Sneath – Gretel Sneath

Gretel Sneath is a university trained journalist, writer and public relations consultant who works on a freelance basis for a range of national publications and large regional companies. She shares achievements and stories of inspirational people and places in a range of magazines including Australian Country Style, SA Life, Sumptuous and Out There.

In the past twelve months she has written articles for four national horticulture publications, volunteered over 100 hours on the historic publication “Ordinary People – The Settlers of Port MacDonnell & District, taken a page one photo for the Australian Newspaper on a Mary McKillop article and produced a web based promotional video for a Coonawarra winery.

BEST BUSINESS:
Hollick Wines – Wendy Hollick (Wendy is currently overseas so Mel and Kate Hollick represented Wendy for this award)

Hollick Wines is a small family run business in the Coonawarra region and includes three vineyards, a cellar door sales and restaurant facility. Wendy plays a major role in managing all aspects of the business which has a significant place in promoting tourism in the Limestone Coast region.

In the past twelve months Wendy has participated in the carbon emissions audit conducted by Think Climate consulting, held Tasting Australia’s Coonawarra Master class in Upstairs at Hollick and regularly presents on the ABC Radio promoting the Limestone Coast Food Group members and their produce.

Wendy has been the instigator of a major fundraising campaign which has given $14,000 from wine sales for research into the rare disease L.A.M.

Wendy and her staff support Café 43 to assist in the up-skilling of Penola High School students and is a member of the organising committee for the upcoming celebrations of the canonisation of Mary MacKillop.

YOUNG BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR:
Leah Sourris – Cape Jaffa Wines

Leah is brand manager at Cape Jaffa Wines and has 9 years of tourism marketing experience from SA, NT, Queensland and Western Japan. Her role encompasses the management of all aspects of the Cape Jaffa brand and product image including cellar door sales, customer and distributor correspondence, media relations and wine bottling management.

Leah took the initiative to extend the scope of their biodynamic vegetable garden by working with Kingston Supported Employment Services and providing produce for Grandmas pantry products.

Leah has increased the size of the winery’s native woodlot by 40% with 400 seedlings planted on National Tree Day involving the Robe Primary School children.

Leah has been involved in the Cape Jaffa Seafood and Wine Festival and is a current Limestone Coast Tourism Board member. Leah was interviewed on ABC radio by Tim Gerritsen and you can see the article and listen to the interview on the ABC website.

BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR:
Lynda Croser – Live Life Designs (Lynda is currently overseas so Kate Noonan, her daughter represented Wendy).

Lynda is the owner, designer, marketer and director of Live Life Designs, a vertically integrated company which involves clothing design manufacture and retail throughout their concept stores located in Penola and Robe which offer 7 day trading.

This South Australian label grew from a small home based business to a nationally recognised and highly personalised company including a mail order catalogue distributed to over 12,000 customers.

In the past twelve months Lynda was the only woman selected from the Limestone Coast region to be one of 50 women to tell her success story for a coffee table book called Lounge to Boardroom. The aim of this book was to motivate and demonstrate the unique and high achievements of South Australian women.

Lynda was involved in the Red Cross High Tea and Fashion event which gave local high school students the opportunity to design and model their own creations and is currently investigating the possibility for model tuition for local High School design students.