Presentation of certificates to finalists in WA Industry and Export Awards

4/10/95

Primary Industry and Fisheries Minister Monty House today commended finalists in the 1995 Western Australian Industry and Export Awards.

Mr House presented finalist certificates to Mt Romance Australia Pty Ltd (New Exporter Award) Gosh leather and Kailis Bros Pty Ltd (Agricultural Products Export Award).

The winners of each award category will be announced on Friday October 13.

Mr House said the awards recognised the efforts by many WA companies seeking to improve their competitiveness, their products and services and expand into export markets.

"They acknowledge the organisations and individuals who pursued excellence in production, design, engineering, human resources management, research and development, marketing and export achievement," the Minister said.

"The companies nominated for these awards are innovative, have a comprehensive understanding of customer requirements and are committed to supplying market specifications over the long term.

"In the agriculture and fisheries portfolios, I have been developing a framework within the Government agencies that supports industries such as these as they strives for profitability, productivity and professionalism."

There is strong competition for the 11 award categories, with some 65 organisations submitting applications for this year's awards.

Mt Romance Australia had humble beginnings in 1990, when Stephen Birkbeck and his wife started making cosmetic and therapeutic emu oil products at their farm near Denmark on the South Coast.

The company now exports cosmetics to France and 21 other countries including Japan.  Mt Romance grossed nearly $2 million in sales last year, of which 50 per cent was attributable to export products.

Mt Romance is one of five finalists in the New Exporter Award category which recognises outstanding export achievement by an exporter of manufactured goods or services for three years or less.

Gosh Leather, Kailis Bros and Global Livestock Exports are the finalists in the Agricultural Products Export Award category.

Value-added processing of 350,000 cattle hides per year has placed Gosh Leather in a niche market in the manufacturing of finished upholstery leather.

The firm's Hamilton Hill factory is expected to produce more than $50 million of finished furniture leather upholstery this year which is mainly exported to markets in the United States and Japan.

Kailis Bros exports Western Rock Lobsters in cooked, raw, tail and live form primarily to Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the United States. The company also processes and exports scallops, abalone, whole or filleted fish and prawns.

With continued focus on innovation and improvement, the company has recently installed a  new live lobster holding system to improve efficiency in handling lobster, quality and to better meet demands for different lobster products. The firm employs more than 90 workers and has an annual turnover of about $453 million.

The awards will be judged by a panel of representatives from sponsoring bodies, industry groups, Government, unions and academia.

Winners of the award categories will automatically become finalists in the Australian Export Awards organised by Austrade and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Media contact: Will Henwood 481 2044