Star shines on awards

By Shaun Inguanzo
LEGENDARY Australian actor Charles ‘Bud’ Tingwell entertained guests at the Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce’s second Premier Regional Business Awards nominations breakfast for 2007.
But Mr Tingwell played supporting role to that of the three shining businesses nominated for the awards, which will be announced early next year.
Dandenong retailer Gemini Catering Equipment, Hallam based manufacturers Linak Australia and Minwa Australia were the latest nominees.
Accepting the nomination for Gemini Catering Equipment was owner and proprietor Jennifer Puppa.
Mrs Puppa had organised for all of her staff to be at the breakfast and dedicated the nomination to their hard work.
Gemini will next year celebrate 25 years in Dandenong after starting out as a small venture when Mrs Puppa decided to sell chef’s clothing and supplies from home.
During its time, Gemini has moved from the corner of Foster and Thomas Streets to expanded premises in Foster Street.
An estimated 600 customers now walk through its doors each day and the business has a yearly turnover of $1 million, supplying catering and kitchen goods to names such as KFC, McDonald’s, Flakey Jakes and Wendy’s.
The business has a strong association with Chisholm Institute of TAFE and Mrs Puppa has been a key player in supporting the growth of the Dandenong Retail Traders Association.
Gemini is nominated for the categories of small business, retail, service, and corporate and social responsibility.
Accepting the nomination for Minwa Australia was managing director Neil Ronaldson.
Minwa utilises its vast experience in the wire industry to create shopping trolleys for supermarkets and discount department stores, including Coles and Big W, and also manufactures stillages that are used to hold casks or gas bottles.
Mr Ronaldson said the business had recently turned to servicing the needs of hospitals, and had even designed and manufactured the Total Care Management Bed – an invention that automatically turns patients up to 15 degrees each side during their sleep.
The invention was a finalist in the ABC television series, The New Inventors, and Mr Ronaldson said the exposure had resulted in increased business for the company.
Minwa is nominated for the categories of small business, innovation, and service excellence.
Linak Australia managing director Greg Pittard accepted his company’s nomination.
His company specialises in building electric actuators, that is, electrically powered mechanical arms that have a broad application.
The Dutch company has been selling products in Australia across the past two decades.
Linak created the first DC linear electric actuator in 1980 and has since won global acclaim for its products.
Mr Pittard, a former sales manager for a hydraulics company, was approached by Linak in the early 1990s to establish an Australian branch.
Nowadays, Linak targets four key markets, which it appropriately names Homeline, Deskline, Medline and Careline.
The products essentially help with the lowering or lifting of everyday objects that would otherwise pose an Occupational Health and Safety risk, or inconvenience to move manually.
The company has a strong focus on employment, and encourages a 360-degree feedback model to involve its whole spectrum of employees in its success.
Linak Australia is nominated for the categories of innovation, service excellence, and employment.
After nominations, Mr Tingwell spoke to the audience to give a brief, yet amusing account of his life so far, not only on stage, but his time spent as a pilot in World War II.