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Ethnic Business Awards 2005 Winners Announced, Sydney Australia

Ethnic Business Awards 2005 Winners Announced, Sydney Australia

Sydney, Australia - The 2005 Ethnic Business Award Winners were

officially announced at an exclusive gathering in Sydney,

Australia.

The Awards were created 17 years ago by Mr Joseph Assaf, to

recognise the contribution of migrants to Australian Business.

They have since become one of the longest running awards in

Australia, which is a testament to their success and prestige.

This year's winners were migrants from Portugal, Zimbabwe and

Turkey, who all now proudly call Australia home.

The winners of the 2005 Ethnic Business Awards were announced

during a gala dinner held at Le Montage, Sydney. This year, the

following businesses were awarded:

- Large Business Award: Wideform Group of Companies - received

by Mr Fred Ferreira, Managing Director, from Portugal. - Small

Business Award: Green Sprouts - received by Zimbabwean born

owners Roger Green, Alasdair Irvine and Barry O'Dwyer. - Special

Initiative Award: Nu - Door Pty Ltd - received by Turkish born

Mehmet Karamemis, Director.

An eclectic mix of prestigious guests attended, each one a

leader in their own right. The Hon. John Cobb, Minister of

Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, represented the Prime

Minister of Australia and joined corporate sponsors, Consul

Generals, community officials and media owners, to celebrate

multicultural Australia.

Attendees listened to the finalists inspiring tales of

innovation and creativity and how they adapted their skills to

achieve success. After arriving in Australia, these men and

women conquered social and financial obstacles and battled for

their voices to be heard in a language they could not speak.

Their individual contributions have fuelled our economy and

their collective contributions have helped create our country.

Mr. Joseph Assaf, Chairman of Etcom (Ethnic Communications),

created the Ethnic Business Awards 17 years ago so that migrant

success could be recognised and rewarded, and Etcom has staged

all aspects of the Awards since their inception. They are the

longest running Business Awards in Australia, a testament to

their success and prestige.

"Australia was built on migration, and the Ethnic Business

Awards are a continuous reminder and celebration of this fact.

They allow each of us to recognise the great and positive

contributions of migrants to our country," said Mr. Assaf.

Green Sprouts owners, Roger Green, Alasdair Irvine and Barry

O'Dwyer, proudly accepted the Small Business Award, presented by

Mr David Moffatt, Group Managing Director Consumer & Marketing

of Telstra.

Having started as a backyard business in 1989, Green Sprouts

today has 30 employees who work to supply safe, healthy salad

ingredients to markets and chain stores from Darwin to Sydney.

This tireless partnership consists of three families who

emigrated from Zimbabwe - and for their latest venture, have

started exporting to New Zealand.

"It is truly a proud moment for us to be recognised in our

adopted country by the Ethnic Business Awards. To be nominated

by the National was a huge honour, to win is truly the pinnacle.

Whatever the imperative that has made us search for a new home,

it can only be described as a true blessing that we landed in

this wonderful, truly lucky, country. We will forever be

grateful for the generosity, the inclusiveness and the

encouragement of the Australian people and the Australian

Government," said the owners of Green Sprouts.

Mr Ahmed Fahour, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer,

National Australia Bank presented the Large Business Award to Mr

Ferreira, Wideform Group of Companies.

Originally from Portugal, Fred Ferreira immigrated to Australia

in 1970. With no experience in business or finance, he found

work as a brick labourer. After 31 years of trading, the

Wideform Group of Companies has grown to become Australia's

largest formwork company and a leader in the building and

construction industry, employing more than 500 people throughout

NSW and Queensland.

"What an honour it is to win the 2005 Ethnic Business Awards and

to be recognised for our contribution to the Australian

community and economy. The Wideform Group of Companies has come

a long way since I immigrated to Australia from Portugal and

founded the company. I am very proud of the growth and success

the Group has achieved over the past 31 years and appreciate the

acknowledgement from the Ethnic Business Awards," said Mr.

Ferreira.

This year's Initiative Award was presented to Turkish born

Mehmet Karamemis, Director of Nu- Door Pty Ltd, by Gulf Air's

General Manager, Australia and South Pacific, Mr Cramer Ball.

The Initiative Award recognises outstanding determination,

growth and potential.

Mr Karamemis started the company in 1996 with poor English

skills, a very limited understanding of borrowing and a family

to support. With diligence and adapting to the constantly

changing needs of the market, Nu - Door Pty Ltd has become one

of the premier manufacturers of vinyl wrap doors and post

forming of laminates for bench tops. Exports to Turkey are

expected to grow exponentially.

"I am very happy to have won this award. This will only make me

stronger in being able to export Australian products around the

world. These awards show Australia and the world that you can

achieve what you want if you want it enough," said Mr Karamemis.

All winners received AUD$5,000, two return business class

tickets flying Gulf Air to anywhere on their network and a

crystal trophy. Each winner also received a BlackBerry 7100g

device from Telstra. All finalists received a certificate

presented by Mr Joseph Assaf and a Motorola E378i handset

generously donated by Telstra.

The distinguished panel of judges included Carla Zampatti, King

Fong OAM, Arthur Sanderson and Eve Crestani. They overcame the

difficult task of selecting the winners based on criteria of

cultural and linguistic difficulties encountered, creativity and

innovation, growth and potential, and creation of employment

opportunities.

Ms Zampatti, on behalf of the judges, said, "It is wonderful to

see the imagination of migrants, looking at the market with

fresh eyes and discovering opportunities that we living here do

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not see. The strength and size of the nominees seems to be

getting larger and larger, creating exports and employment. It

is very humbling for us all."

Integral to the success of the Awards is the ongoing support

shown by the sponsors. Telstra, Gulf Air and The Department of

Industry, Tourism and Resources again joined long time sponsor,

the National Australia Bank. Centrelink and ABC Tissues, (winner

of the 2004 Ethnic Business Awards in the Large Business

category) also joined as sponsors this year. These businesses

have developed a strong relationship with the Ethnic Business

Awards, and are recognised for their support of multicultural

Australia.

Representatives from leading ethnic media outlets also attended

the Awards, playing an important role in relaying the results

back to each respective community. The following media outlets

show enormous support for the Ethnic Business Awards, and

continue to contribute to their success: SBS, ABC Asia Pacific,

TVB Jadeworld, Sing Tao, Chieu Duong, O Kosmos, El Telegraph and

Weekly Korean Top.

The Ethnic Business Awards is now recognised, seen, read and

heard from Tasmania to Darwin, Perth to Sydney, Indonesia to

China, and India to French Polynesia. In a country where 1 in 4

Australian children were either born overseas or have one parent

born overseas, the Ethnic Business Awards are a celebration of

humanity as a whole, rather than the differences of its

citizens.

For nearly two decades, through international conflict and

varying political climates, these Awards have stood as a triumph

for diversity and a celebration of success.

The 2005 Ethnic Business Awards will be broadcast nationally on

SBS Television on Sunday, 6 November at 10:30am. It will later

air on the ABC Asia Pacific, 4th December, to an estimated

audience of 10 million homes across 39 countries - aired twice.

The ABC broadcast times (local times) are as follows: Mumbai,

Delhi - 15:30 Bangkok - 14:00 Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore -

16:00 Kuala Lumpur - 15:00 Fiji - 20:00 Seoul/Tokyo - 17:00

Finalists in the Small Business Category were: Australian

Chemical Research Pty Ltd Green Sprouts (winner) Miracle

Bookbinding T.K Pacific Marketing _ _ _

Finalists in the Medium - Large Business Category were: Nu -

Door Pty Ltd (winner) Southerncross Rigging and Constructions

Pty Ltd Stambo's Group of Companies Wideform Group of Companies

(winner)

_ _ _

Visit www.etcom.com.au

For more information, please contact:

Guadalupe Millan PR Manager, Etcom, Australia

guadalupe.millan@etcom.com.au +61 2 9568 8398

* Higher resolution images available upon request.

* Media Releases are available in Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Greek

and Vietnamese. _ _ _

VISIT http://www.etcom.com.au/eba2005.htm _ _ _ VISIT

http://www.etcom.com.au/ethnic_business_awards.htm

About the author:

http://www.etcom.com.au/eba2005.htm