I was proud to represent the North West Star at the 2020 Jemena Northern Outback Business Awards on Saturday.
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It is always good to celebrate great work in business and this year was no exception but the overwhelming feeling this year was just to celebrate the normality of going out and networking with friends and colleagues.
The year 2020 has curtailed so much of our social events, it was heartening it was even held at all.
it was a fantastic effort by Commerce North West to come up with a COVID-safe event, meaning they were only able to accommodate 100 people instead of the usual 400 or so.
It all went off without a hitch and my congratulations to Chris Boshoff and his committee and especially to Emma Harman, who has really shown the value of the chamber having a (near) full time employee to give focus to their work.
Special congratulations too go to all the winners on the night. Nominations may have been down this year but the quality of the entrants was as high as ever.
Top marks and the top award of 2020 Business of the Year (as well as two other awards) went to the innovative Richmond butchery Moselle Meats.
Owners Keegan Nelson and Lorrae Johnston were unsurprisingly in high demand after they won the trophy but I managed to get a few minutes on the record with them and they were both lovely people who put their customers first and are now reaping the rewards.
I asked the excellent MC Belinda Murphy whether she knew them from her time as mayor of next door McKinlay Shire.
She said she did and their shop would not have looked out of place in Brisbane.
Congrats too to serial winners Mt Isa Isuzu Ute who this year were entered into the Hall of Fame while a particular shout out to Beltech Engineering who took out the Rising Star - More than Five Employees award.
The award was proudly sponsored by the North West Star and I was privileged to hand it out.
To them, and to all winners, may you continue to do great work in these difficult times.
Derek Barry