Published Thursday, 07 June, 2007 at 11:00 PM
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
OAKEY ABATTOIR TAKES FIRST-CLASS HONOURS IN SMART AWARDS
Oakey Abattoir took out first prize in its chosen category tonight at the gala dinner for the 2007 Premier of Queensland Smart Awards.
For the fifth year the gala dinner, held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, shined a light on Queensland’s smart companies and rewarded organisations that have shown the business know-how and sheer tenacity to turn a smart idea into a reality.
Premier and Minister for Trade Peter Beattie said Texas-based Oakey Abattoir won the Premier’s award for the Food and Agribusiness category. He said their innovation – a comprehensive product traceability system – was a stand-out winner.
“Oakey Abattoir has developed a quality system that is able to trace each piece of meat back to its property of birth. This system will provide the abattoir with vital defect and yield feedback within its high volume environment,” Mr Beattie said.
Mr Beattie said the abattoir processed more than 1000 cattle per shift, supplied largely from the company’s feedlot in Texas, Queensland.
“Oakey Abattoir services the Japanese, Korean and other markets,” Mr Beattie said.
“They’ve recently received a Regional Business Development Scheme (RBDS) grant to fund two important projects that will generate new jobs and save up to 90 million litres of water each year.”
Premier Beattie said two other companies from the Toowoomba region, though not winners, also placed well in the competition.
He said Toowoomba-based Easternwell Group and Dalby-based Dingo Australia were both finalists in the Large Manufacturing or Mining category.
“Easternwell Group is Australia’s largest onshore oil and gas well servicing company. Based in Queensland, the company is a multi-faceted corporation that operates and manages 11 workover rigs Australia-wide,” Mr Beattie said.
“And Dingo Australia is the market leader in mini diggers in Australia, exporting to distributors in the UK, South Africa, Switzerland and New Zealand. Their exports are worth millions of dollars to Australia with the market expected to grow by about 20 – 30 per cent a year.”
Mr Beattie said he was impressed with Queensland’s innovative prowess at this year’s awards and thanked all applicants for their participation in the event.
Since 2003 the Smart Awards have recognised more than 80 innovative Queensland businesses.
Full list of winners and finalists in the 2007 Premier of Queensland’s Smart Awards follows:
Food and Agribusiness
• Winner – Oakey Abattoir Pty Ltd, Oakey (4691 1277)
• Finalists – Di Bella Coffee, Bowen Hills (3252 5858); Australian Country Choice, Morningside (3902 4141)
Large Manufacturing or Mining
• Winner – Ludowici MPE, Banyo (3292 4444)
• Finalists – Easternwell Group, Toowoomba (4659 1555); Dingo Australia, Dalby (4672 5400); Rio Tinto Aluminium, Brisbane (3867 1698)
Rising Star
• Winner – Firewire Limited, Burleigh (5587 7700)
• Finalists – Broadcast GP, Milton (1300 761 956) ; Grabba International Pty Ltd, Coopers Plains (3344 6599)
Science Innovation and Technology
• Winner – Mincom Ltd, Brisbane (3303 3716)
• Finalists – Biolytix Technologies Pty Ltd, Maleny (5435 2700); Micreo Limited, Eight Mile Plains (3340 6245)
Services
• Winner – Brisbane Airport Corporation Pty Ltd, Hamilton Centre (3406 5702)
• Finalists – Signmanager Pty Ltd, Milton (3876 2411); Mincom Ltd, Brisbane (3303 3716)
Small to Medium Manufacturing and Mining
• Winner – BSD Robotics, Acacia Ridge (3273 0273)
• Finalists – Fibre King Pty Ltd, Clontarf (3889 4400); JKTech Pty Ltd, Indooroopilly (3365 5842); Platypus Graphics, Stafford (3352 0300)
Smart Award of the Year
• Winner – Mincom Ltd, Brisbane (3303 3716)
Media Contact: Premier’s office 3224 4500
7 June 2007
For the fifth year the gala dinner, held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, shined a light on Queensland’s smart companies and rewarded organisations that have shown the business know-how and sheer tenacity to turn a smart idea into a reality.
Premier and Minister for Trade Peter Beattie said Texas-based Oakey Abattoir won the Premier’s award for the Food and Agribusiness category. He said their innovation – a comprehensive product traceability system – was a stand-out winner.
“Oakey Abattoir has developed a quality system that is able to trace each piece of meat back to its property of birth. This system will provide the abattoir with vital defect and yield feedback within its high volume environment,” Mr Beattie said.
Mr Beattie said the abattoir processed more than 1000 cattle per shift, supplied largely from the company’s feedlot in Texas, Queensland.
“Oakey Abattoir services the Japanese, Korean and other markets,” Mr Beattie said.
“They’ve recently received a Regional Business Development Scheme (RBDS) grant to fund two important projects that will generate new jobs and save up to 90 million litres of water each year.”
Premier Beattie said two other companies from the Toowoomba region, though not winners, also placed well in the competition.
He said Toowoomba-based Easternwell Group and Dalby-based Dingo Australia were both finalists in the Large Manufacturing or Mining category.
“Easternwell Group is Australia’s largest onshore oil and gas well servicing company. Based in Queensland, the company is a multi-faceted corporation that operates and manages 11 workover rigs Australia-wide,” Mr Beattie said.
“And Dingo Australia is the market leader in mini diggers in Australia, exporting to distributors in the UK, South Africa, Switzerland and New Zealand. Their exports are worth millions of dollars to Australia with the market expected to grow by about 20 – 30 per cent a year.”
Mr Beattie said he was impressed with Queensland’s innovative prowess at this year’s awards and thanked all applicants for their participation in the event.
Since 2003 the Smart Awards have recognised more than 80 innovative Queensland businesses.
Full list of winners and finalists in the 2007 Premier of Queensland’s Smart Awards follows:
Food and Agribusiness
• Winner – Oakey Abattoir Pty Ltd, Oakey (4691 1277)
• Finalists – Di Bella Coffee, Bowen Hills (3252 5858); Australian Country Choice, Morningside (3902 4141)
Large Manufacturing or Mining
• Winner – Ludowici MPE, Banyo (3292 4444)
• Finalists – Easternwell Group, Toowoomba (4659 1555); Dingo Australia, Dalby (4672 5400); Rio Tinto Aluminium, Brisbane (3867 1698)
Rising Star
• Winner – Firewire Limited, Burleigh (5587 7700)
• Finalists – Broadcast GP, Milton (1300 761 956) ; Grabba International Pty Ltd, Coopers Plains (3344 6599)
Science Innovation and Technology
• Winner – Mincom Ltd, Brisbane (3303 3716)
• Finalists – Biolytix Technologies Pty Ltd, Maleny (5435 2700); Micreo Limited, Eight Mile Plains (3340 6245)
Services
• Winner – Brisbane Airport Corporation Pty Ltd, Hamilton Centre (3406 5702)
• Finalists – Signmanager Pty Ltd, Milton (3876 2411); Mincom Ltd, Brisbane (3303 3716)
Small to Medium Manufacturing and Mining
• Winner – BSD Robotics, Acacia Ridge (3273 0273)
• Finalists – Fibre King Pty Ltd, Clontarf (3889 4400); JKTech Pty Ltd, Indooroopilly (3365 5842); Platypus Graphics, Stafford (3352 0300)
Smart Award of the Year
• Winner – Mincom Ltd, Brisbane (3303 3716)
Media Contact: Premier’s office 3224 4500
7 June 2007