SUPERIOR JETTIES NAMED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

MARINE infrastructure company Superior Jetties has been named the Gold Coast’s business of the year at the annual business excellence awards.

The Arundel-based marina and jetty builder took the coveted top gong at the 15th Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards annual gala dinner at Jupiters Hotel and Casino on Saturday night.

Superior Jetties has been one of the standout companies of the Gold Coast’s thriving marine industry for several years.

Its strong export offerings and constant presence at international trade shows saw the company sign a cooperative agreement with Chinese company Raylink Yacht Management Group earlier this year.

The deal gave Superior Jetties export traction for its IP and engineering expertise with all products to be manufactured in China.

Speaking to Gold Coast Business News shortly after signing the deal, managing director John Hogan (pictured), says various challenges did not prevent him from cracking the marina market in China.

“It’s a greenfield operation, we need to do the hard yards first before we see the benefits. It would be premature to be crowing about it as we are working the market together,” says Hogan.

“The opportunity for us to work with a professional company such as Raylink, is very exciting for us. We are already well into the planning process for market expansion into China with Raylink.”

Accepting the award in front of 500 event attendees, Hogan paid homage to the strength of the Gold Coast’s wider business community and accredited his ‘outstanding team’ with the company’s success.

Earlier in the night property industry identity Max Christmas was officially inducted into the Gold Coast Business Hall of Fame.

Dubbed ‘Mr Gold Coast’, Christmas moved to the Gold Coast from humble beginnings but went on to be involved in some of the city’s most defining real estate deals.

For five years from 1985 he introduced more than $3 billion worth of investment from Japanese property moguls including the purchasing of four international hotels and three golf courses.

During the 1980s he was involved in deals that led to the development or rejuvenation of Sanctuary Cove, Marina Mirage, Sea World, Bond University, Movie World and Hamilton Island.

In his acceptance speech, Christmas attributed his success to the opportunities offered by the Gold Coast.

“My question to everyone here is when do we really know who we are? How do we know what we can achieve without ever trying?” said Christmas.

“Everything I’ve achieved, I’ve done so because of the Gold Coast. There is an old saying that those who say they can’t do something are passed by others doing it.”

The 15th Annual Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards full list of category winners is:

- Emerging Business: DockPro
- Family Business: John Henderson Real Estate
- Tourism, Hospitality and Recreation: Gold Coast Airport Marathon
- Mayor’s Innovation: Technigro
- Retail, Wholesale and Distribution: Morlife
- Trades, Professions and Services : Australian Work and Leisure Canopies
- Environmental Management: Eco-Kinetics
- IT and Multimedia: GCOMM
- Mayor’s Corporate Responsibility: Mantra Group, 3Dme
- Encouragement: Burleigh Brewing Company