Warrigal took out the top gong and two other accolades at the 2024 IMB Bank Illawarra Business Awards. Photo: Josh Brightman/Balanced Image Studio.
Illawarra aged care service Warrigal has pulled off a hat-trick at the 2024 IMB Bank Illawarra Business Awards, claiming three prestigious awards including Business of the Year.
The who’s who of the Illawarra business community gathered in full force at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong to mark the event’s 30th anniversary, where the person-centred aged care service claimed the top gong in the pinnacle moment of the night, along with Excellence in Workplace Culture and Excellence in Large Business.
Business Illawarra Interim Executive Director Paula Martin said the organisation had demonstrated its ability to “navigate industry challenges with resilience, strategic foresight and an unwavering commitment to person-centred aged care”.
Warrigal CEO Jenni Hutchins said the Warrigal team was “incredibly honoured” by the outcome of the night, which marked a significant milestone in Warrigal’s journey and commitment to its purpose: ensuring that older people live great lives, on their terms.
“As a community-owned organisation, this recognition reflects the passion, dedication and commitment of our entire team,” she said.
“At Warrigal, we believe that fostering a culture of care, respect and innovation is crucial to offering older people the opportunity to live great lives. These accolades are a tribute to the hard work of our staff and the trust placed in us by our community.
“We are excited to share this moment with everyone who contributes to making Warrigal such a special place.”
Warrigal was far from alone in claiming multiple awards.
Symbio Wildlife Park won Excellence in Customer Service and Outstanding Employee for keeper Amber Harrison, and a highly commended in the Excellence in Tourism & Hospitality category.
Joint Vision Orthopaedic Group CEO Wynter Dares was named Outstanding Business Leader, and the company also picked up a highly commended in the Excellence in Customer Service category.
Working Berry vineyard Silos Estate won Excellence in Tourism & Hospitality and Excellence in Sustainability, renewables technology innovator Green Gravity walked away with Excellence in Small Business and a highly commended in Excellence in Innovation and battery technology pioneers Sicona Battery Technologies took home Excellence in International Business and Excellence in Tech.
In an exciting outcome for the Excellence in Micro Business category, Banksia Support Services and Stand-Up Paddle Boarding Shellharbour were awarded joint honours, recognising their outstanding contributions to the region.
Symbio Wildlife Park walked away with three awards including keeper Amber Harrison’s award for Outstanding Employee. Photo: Josh Brightman/Balanced Image Studio.
The IMB Bank Illawarra Awards celebrate business excellence and recognise the outstanding achievements and continued success of the region’s most innovative companies and professionals across 15 categories. This year’s awards attracted a record number of submissions.
“Celebrating 30 years of the Illawarra Business Awards builds a strong legacy. The resilience, creativity, and determination of our business leaders are a testament to the strength of our region and we are proud to showcase their talent and our regional expertise,” Ms Martin said.
“In a challenging business environment where businesses of all sizes continue to face increasing energy, insurance and business costs, it was wonderful to celebrate how businesses who have succeeded locally, nationally and internationally – and from across sectors like tourism through to advanced manufacturing – have overcome their obstacles and succeeded in their goals.
“There is no doubt that Illawarra Shoalhaven is poised to provide market-leading products and services across health, community, renewable energy and tourism and we can be a leading region for NSW.”
The complete list of 2024 IMB Bank Illawarra Business Awards winners is as follows:
- Outstanding Community Organisation
Winner: Escabags - Excellence in Tourism & Hospitality
Highly commended: Symbio Wildlife Park
Winner: Silos Estate - Excellence in Customer Service
Highly Commended: Joint Vision Orthopaedic Group
Winner: Symbio Wildlife Park - Award four: Excellence in Innovation
Highly commended: Green Gravity
Winner: IRT Group - Outstanding Young Business Leader
Winner: Jack Dinnie, Bumpy Road Catering Events - Excellence in Workplace Culture
Winner: Warrigal - Excellence in International Business
Winner: Sicona Battery Technologies - Outstanding Employee
Winner: Amber Harrison – Symbio Wildlife Park - Outstanding Business Leader
Winner: Wynter Dares – Joint Vision Orthopaedic Group - Excellence in Tech
Highly commended: Ericom
Winner: Sicona Battery Technologies - Excellence in Sustainability
Winner: Silos Estate - Outstanding New Business
Winner: Crime Story - Excellence in Large Business
Highly Commended: Joint Vision Orthopaedic Group
Winner: Warrigal - Excellence in Small Business
Highly commended: Burnetts on Barney
Winner: Green Gravity - Excellence in Micro Business
Winner: Banksia Support Services and Stand-Up Paddle Boarding Shellharbour - 2024 Business of the Year
Winner: Warrigal
All the winners from the IMB Bank Illawarra Business Awards will go on to compete at the NSW Business Awards held on Wednesday 30 October in Sydney.
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