Grow Magazine Spring 2016 by Star News Group

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SEPTEMBER 2016

BREW Cafe culture thrives

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CONTENTS

BUSINESSES SHINE AT AWARDS

TOASTING A NEW ERA

ON CLOUD NINE

THE REGION BY NUMBERS

18 EDITOR

Garry Howe garry.howe@starnewsgroup.com.au Phone: 5945 0624

POWERPLANT SURGES AHEAD

CASEY CARDINIA REGION Samantha Henderson shenderson@casey.vic.gov.au

Q&A WITH ANNEMARIE CROSS

ADVERTISING

HOME AND AWAY

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

DESIGN

Mark Dinnie mark.dinnie@starnewsgroup.com.au Grow. Cnr Princes Hwy & Army Road Pakenham 3810 Phone: 5945 0666 Fax: 5945 0777

6-7 Casey Cardinia Region

Andy Jukes andy.jukes@starnewsgroup.com.au Phone: 5945 0666

There’s really been a revolution in the cooking culture in Australia…

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TRUE

ISSUE

SEPTEMBER 2016

8-9

BREW CAFE CULTURE THRIVES

Cover One Fine Day’s head barista Maddy Taylor has a loyal following among local coffee lovers. The Beaconsfield vegan cafe is among a wave of new eateries changing the face of dining in Casey and Cardinia. Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Danielle Kazi-Shedden won the ‘Community Choice Award’ at the Victorian Training Awards. Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

More than a winning smile By Georgia Westgarth IF you’re a Casey Cardinia Region commuter, you’d know Danielle KaziShedden’s face. She’s the Cranbourne tradie showing up the boys and catching the eyes of passers-by in Berwick and Pakenham. She’s Chisholm Institute’s poster girl, for all the right reasons. Danielle, 25, is a trailblazer in every sense of the word. She is living proof of the changing face of women in the workforce. Danielle and her partner are soon to be first-time parents and are so proud of her achievements that she has a shelf for her trophies. Last year she won Chisholm’s Building and Construction Apprentice of the Year,

She is living proof of the changing face of women in the workforce… and was then nominated for a Master Builders’ award. Danielle recently was awarded the ‘Community Choice Award’ at the Victorian Training Awards. The annual state awards – now in their 62nd year – celebrate Victoria’s best apprentices, trainees and training teachers. To many people’s surprise Danielle, a shopfitter, keeps beating the boys. Danielle was up against three other males in the race to win the popular award.

“I won the overall Joinery Apprentice of the Year, Metro Apprentice of the Year, and Victorian State Apprentice of the Year. That was last year, in April,” she said. “They were all clapping and being supportive at the awards ceremony but you could tell that when they called out my name everyone was a bit taken aback. “People said to me well done and everything but in that tone that they were really surprised, like I must have been very good to beat all of the boys – I just thought I worked to a winning standard.”

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CASEY CARDINIA BUSINESS AWARDS Australian Fresh Leaf founders William Pham and Jan Vydra.

Big wins for

herb farm By Casey Neill

AUSTRALIAN Fresh Leaf Herbs has capped off an exciting year with two big awards. The Devon Meadows and Clyde-based farm was named 2016 Casey Cardinia Business of the Year at Cardinia Cultural Centre in Pakenham on Friday 16 September. Co-founder Jan Vydra also took home the Agriculture and Food Award from the awards night. In March he unveiled a new greenhouse, complete with cloud technology, designed to increase yields by 75 per cent. Television screens guide employees on exactly when and what herbs to plant, pick and pack. The herbs are growing on Dutch-designed rolling benches that can be pushed together to increase planting space, and rolled into

an adjoining shed so employees can harvest the herbs at the one location. Mr Vydra said the company started out producing 2000 bunches of herbs each week. Eight years later it produces 150,000 bunches, pots and punnets of 60 different varieties of herbs, edible flowers and Australian natives. Mr Vydra credited a “persistence to challenge the norm and look for a better way to do things”. “In 2008, we ducked out of our corporate jobs and took a bit of a risk, and our vision was to be the leader in the horticulture industry, to grow beautiful herbs and to evolve farming practices by using sustainable practices and innovative practices,” he said. “We have bold plans.

Australian Fresh Leaf Herbs’ Taryn Mazzarella and Jan Vydra at the Smart Manufacturing ‘16 event in Dandenong in May. Picture: ROB CAREW “We want to expand our operations over the next 12 to 18 months to open a new 30,000 square metre new facility, hopefully in the City of Casey, and expand into New South Wales over the next three to five years.” City of Casey Mayor Sam Aziz said the project was a prime example of the innovation that the Casey Cardinia Region actively encouraged. He said the evolution of “agri-tech” would bring IT professionals, programmers and scientists onto farms. “This new era of farming welcomes forward-thinking businesses,” he said.

Mr Vydra started the business with William Pham in Clyde in 2008. “We tried growing basil outdoors and we did relatively OK at it, but we found that there was some inconsistency in controlling the crop,” he said. “We started growing more and more hydroponic produce which gave us pretty close to year-round production.” Mr Pham had two greenhouses when he met Mr Vydra. “William actually came from a banking background, but his father used to grow hydroponic tomatoes in Adelaide,” Mr Vydra said. “He’d just had enough of the corporate lifestyle. “I was running Yarra Valley Farms, which was a distributor of fruit and vegetables. “I started to get a lot of complaints about fresh herbs. “Slowly, I learnt that herbs were really important to chefs because all the products really differentiate their plates and give their customers an experience.” It was at the time that MasterChef was capturing viewers’ imaginations. “I had a hospitality focus to start with, but I switched to retail very quickly because those food competition programs just took off,” he said.

“We’ve got 23 million people in Australia,” he said. “Realistically, we’re touching 70 per cent of the nation, which is 16 or 17 million people. “Going into Asia, we suddenly have half a billion people that we can access, that are changing their habits and becoming more Westernised and looking for Western products.”

CATEGORY WINNERS: Business and Professional Services Successful Endeavours

“There’s really been a revolution in the cooking culture in Australia.”

Mr Vydra hopes the new greenhouse will help Fresh Leaf to play its part, and said vertical farming was the next frontier.

Environmental Sustainability Beaconsfield Dental

Mr Vydra wants exports to become the biggest part of the Fresh Leaf business.

“I think we’ve got a pretty big journey in front of us,” he said.

Health, Education and Well-being Hero Headquarters Home-based Business Sam Michelle – Paintings

There’s really been a revolution in the cooking culture in Australia… Staff pack herbs at Australian Fresh Leaf.

Hospitality O.MY Restaurant Manufacturing Sterling Pumps New Business Casey Childcare Cardinia Retail iBare Giftware Social Enterprise Waverley Industries Tourism Safir Tours Trades and Construction POWERPLANT Project Services People’s Choice Enhance Yoga

CAFE CULTURE Not many would think they could tuck into a burger of this calibre in a suburban car yard.

Fab food closer to home By Aneeka Simonis WHOEVER said good food only exists in the city? Forget having to drive into Melbourne for a serve of fab food served up with all the on-trend quirks. It’s now all here on our doorstep! From cafes serving up fresh food from an old estate sales centre, to finger-lickin’ good burgers hidden away in a car sales hub, the Casey Cardinia Region has everything that’ll make you go mmmm. So what’s driving the region’s booming food culture and why are we seeing an influx of top-rated chefs and food concepts? More importantly, how is the boom changing the face of the region? Beaconsfield favourite One Fine Day is a cafe focused as much on taste as it is on presentation.

One of its biggest drawcards is the barista – a coffee expert who has drawn quite a following in the area. Sarah’s daughter Maddy Taylor, 23, is an A-grade brewer with eight years’ experience behind the coffee machine. She has worked all over and is now something of a famed barista. “People have followed me ... old regular customers,” she said. Sisters Emma Hill and Lisa Ransome sure are shaking up conventional dining with their left-of-centre cafe in Officer. The Timber Mill Cafe famously operates out of an old sales centre overlooking the developing Timbertop Estate. The pair say they have brought a “Melbourne touch” to the ’burb, which they have seen flourish before their eyes over the past year.

Owner Sarah Taylor, 46, from Narre Warren, said now more than ever people were “eating with their eyes”.

“We went to a few cafes and thought ... we could really offer something to this area of town. It is such a huge growth area,” Lisa said.

Meals catered to vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free palates are served up with edible flowers and micro-herbs, adding a bit of inner city cafe style to their menu.

Only the freshest, in-house baked goods are served up out of the retro-fitted kitchen which looks out onto the open, flower-filled timber setting kissed by the afternoon sun.

But it’s not just the acai smoothie bowl and zucchini fritters that have seen this business take off since opening six months ago.

Burgers have never really been much for the eyes – but that couldn’t be further from the case at Pakenham’s Car MegaMart Cafe.

Tyson Bertoncello says burger lovers have been quick to back the quirky cafe. You’d be forgiven if you haven’t yet ventured there unless you had recently purchased a new set of wheels; but make no mistake, there is much more to this car yard giant than first meets the eye. The young team responsible for serving up all of your ‘dude food’ favourites, such as: the crispy chicken burger, the double beef burger and everyone’s go-to, the cheese burger with crispy bacon, are the talented brothers from O.MY – a highly celebrated local restaurant boasting a prestigious Chef’s Hat. Tyson Bertoncello, the eldest of the three Bertoncello brothers, is so far pretty pleased with the fan base the cafe is gaining locally. “We’ve only recently taken on the management of the MegaMart Cafe, and the plan has always been to serve up everyone’s favourites packed full of flavour by using our home grown ingredients. Visitors to the cafe are appreciating that the mayo, relish and patties, in our burgers for example, are all prepared by our chefs here on-site,” he said.

And the ultra-talented trio may have a few more tricks up their sleeve.

have the energy and drive to succeed,” he said.

“We pride ourselves on fresh, flavoursome food; so the next steps will see us updating the menu to include a buffet salad bar soon as well,” Tyson said.

“These days, people are really interested in cooking and how their food is prepared, as the popularity of TV cooking programs show. This means they are more willing to pay for a quality dining experience.

Cardinia Shire Council’s co-ordinator for Strategic and Economic Development Andrew Pomeroy said the food and restaurant businesses in the Casey Cardina region are thriving for a number of reasons.

“Another factor behind our region’s great food culture is that many young entrepreneurs are starting their businesses here as rents are a lot lower than in the inner city.

“They have fantastic people running them who are well-respected in food circles and

“With so many residents moving into the south east, it provides a great platform from which to start a successful business.

“Our location also means that quality produce is highly accessible. This is one of the best agricultural regions in Victoria, and we have an abundance of great growers and suppliers of a vast array of foods including vegetables, herbs, dairy products and various meat products. This means local restaurants have a great story to tell about where their produce comes from; many of our restaurateurs grow their own produce. “There is some great collaboration happening between our food producers and restaurant community. Everyone is trying to do things a little bit differently, which is providing a variety of experiences for diners.”

One Fine Day’s head barista Maddy Taylor is highly coveted among local coffee lovers with some choosing to follow her to the new Beaconsfield cafe for their daily brew.

Lisa Ransome preparing to put a batch of homemade pies in the oven. Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS

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Chef Philippe Desrettes and front of house manager Karine Saille in the new dining space.

Fine wine dine experience By Casey Neill A TYNONG North vineyard is showcasing its wine in a new space with new sidekicks – French cuisine and the best of Gippsland produce. Husband and wife team Patrick and Kirsten Hardiker have run Cannibal Creek since 1997. “For a long time we’ve been planning to do something like this – somewhere where people could sit and enjoy some food with their wine, and where we could showcase other Gippsland produce as well, not just our own,” Kirsten said. They started construction in February last year and opened the doors in March this year. “We’ve got a full commercial kitchen, restaurant, and a cellar room downstairs – we hope to use that as another tasting area and a place for foodie workshops,” she said. There’s a deck for the summer time, a fireplace for the cooler months, and a private dining space for family groups or meetings. “The premium wines we make are really fantastic with food,” Kirsten said. “It’s giving that whole experience, I think.

“I think people are looking for more these days, too. “They want to be able to go out and have a lunch and make a day of it. “We’ve been beautifying Cannibal Creek, which is our eastern boundary. “People can walk past the boundary and up to the creek. You can spend a day or half a day with the family.” The move is all about tapping into wine tourism. “The wine industry is quite challenging, it’s been very competitive,” Kirsten said.

The vines take up five hectares and include sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon and merlot varieties. “We make a sparkling from our chardonnay,” Kirsten said. “And we make a liqueur from our pinot.” She said the vineyard was becoming a point where friends and family from Gippsland, Melbourne, Peninsula, and Yarra Valley could meet in the middle. “We’re only a couple of kilometres from the highway and we’re less than an hour from Melbourne,” she said. “We’re quite accessible.

“It’s taken us a while to get to the point where we were able to make this transition.”

“It’s right at the beginning of Gippsland. It’s a really good starting point for people.

A single slab of jarrah forms the bar, a steelframed hemp fireplace wall surrounds the double-sided cast iron fireplace, and handblown glass pendant lights hang from the high ceilings.

“We want to build on our information for other things to do.

Karine Saille manages front of house and French chef Philippe Desrettes shows his roots in the cuisine. “The style of our wines – the quality and structure – go really well with French food,” Kirsten said.

“We have a selection of wines from other vineyards in Gippsland, so we’re drawing people down to these other venues as well. “The more we offer in the area, it will become a destination. “We want people to keep coming back. “Gippsland’s so big. There’s loads of different experiences.

“We’ve just got to tell people about it.” As well as local wines, Cannibal Creek is showcasing produce from Gippsland, from Jindi Pig pork to beef and lamb from a Garfield butcher, cheese from Tarago River Cheese Company in Neerim South, beer and cider from Mirboo North and Officer, and Cannibal Creek Bakery bread. “Everything we can possibly get locally,” Kirsten said. “It’s all here – the best cheese, meat and fresh produce.” The 100-acre Cannibal Creek Vineyard was originally a dairy farm. “My husband’s parents bought the farm back in ’88,” Kirsten said. “They were just running some beef cattle.” Kirsten and Pat were living in Western Australia’s wine heartland.

Winemaker and viticulturist Patrick Hardiker. influences the approach to our viticulture, winemaking and the wines themselves,” he said.

Cooler seasons need the opposite approach – an open canopy to expose the fruit to as much sun as possible.

“The granite soils are also responsible for the elegant, mineral and flinty characters of our wines.

Cannibal Creek took out nine awards at the annual French Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Wine Show Le Concours des Vins de Victoria in December 2014.

“They asked us if we wanted to go in on some sort of business,” she said.

“We have recently had our soil biology and chemistry analysed to help us understand this better.

They loved wine and naively came up with a plan to grow grapes and sell them, before deciding that going the whole hog and producing wine was the way to go.

“We are now applying biodynamic compost teas and a mixture of seaweed and fish emulsion to restore the soils back to optimum health.

Pat’s background was in the building industry – which came in handy during construction – and he’s a self-taught winemaker and viticulturist.

“This allows the transaction of nutrients between the soil and the vine to work at its most efficient, culminating into the best quality grapes.”

Cannibal Creek Pinot Noir 2012 and 2013 also received gold medals and three further medals were awarded for the Chardonnay 2009, Pinot Noir 2010 and Cabernet Merlot 2013.

“It’s all in the growing, understanding your soils and vines,” he said.

The Hardikers say learning the best way to respond to the different seasons and weather conditions is a constant process.

For the past 11 years the vineyard has supplied the members’ reserve sauvignon blanc for the Melbourne Cricket Club.

“It starts with our granite soils; this

This might mean irrigation in dryer years with minimum leaf and fruit removal to protect the fruit from the harsh sun.

The vineyard’s cuvée this year received four stars in Tyson Stelzer’s Australian Sparkling Wine Report.

The earthy tones of the new dining space.

A selection of Cannibal Creek wines.

Kirsten Hardiker inspects the vines.

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He said the vineyard’s terroir was the foundation of its success.

The Cannibal Creek Chardonnay 2010 claimed a gold medal and was declared Best Open Class Chardonnay, Best White Wine of the Show and Best Wine of the Show.

MANUFACTURING

Ron Weinzierl and Tim Bowman at the forum

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Manufacturing at its best By Cam Lucadou-Wells THE future vistas are exciting for two visionary Berwick-based entrepreneurs Ron Weinzierl and Tim Bowman.The pair were among guest speakers at a Casey Cardinia Region business forum on “21st Century Business - faster, leaner, better” on 2 August. They may look like an odd couple – one in a dapper suit, the other in the Zuckerbergstyle T-shirt and jeans, but both have prospered in their separate ventures from an innovative, forward-looking approach. Mr Weinzierl, of APT Advanced Manufacturing, said he disagreed with dire forecasts for Australian manufacturing, especially with the shutdown of the automotive industry. Against the alleged tide, APT - a small business which has long made automotive components, instruments and assemblies – had just generated its best year in its 24-year-history. The result was built on large defenceindustry, bio-medical and aerospace contracts locally, nationally and globally.

The defence opportunities alone surpassed the size of the Australian auto industry, Mr Weinzierlsaid.

as each child’s behaviour, special needs, ESL as well as avoiding diabolical pairings of kids.

“We tend to find that market is enormous.

Or as Mr Bowman puts it, ensuring ‘Molokov’ isn’t put in the same class as ‘Cocktail’.

“Manufacturing is alive and as strong as it’s ever been.” It was a matter of not doing manufacturing like it was done in the past. APT restructured to a 24-7 production model and bought world-class technology, figuring it would give it more flexibility and speed.

Despite two rival competitors – one who put a patent on their technology – the software has been sold into 295 schools in 10 countries, including Australia, Iceland, the US and UK.

He’s forecasting between 50-100 per cent further growth in the 2016-’17 year.

Another speaker Asyl Haidar of Pitcher Partners presented some of the most innovative ideas in the business world such as BMW investing in a “pay as you use” model in which customers register to drive an electric car without owning one.

On the other hand, Mr Bowman took the audience through the “white-knuckle ride” of his 18-month business.

Mr Haidar also noted John Deere’s use of sensors to collect wide-ranging data on farmers’ behaviour on their tractors.

He and his wife, both being teachers, created Class Creator software after seeing first-hand the long-winded “inefficient” process of assigning kids to particular school classes.

That data is used by John Deere to advise farmers on best cropping practice, and to branch out into providing insurance.

It could also better give what its customers wanted, when they wanted it and with “zero defects”, Mr Weinzieri said.

Class Creator assigns children to classes, taking into account a host of factors such

Other speakers included Annemarie Cross on digital podcasts, and Patrick Ramsden on digital loyalty card systems.

Click-of-a-button

beauty By Cam Lucadou-Wells

SHARK tank judges went into a feeding frenzy over young entrepreneur Andrea Popovic’s novel idea. Ms Popovic’s pitch for a portal - or online directory - for booking beauty services across Australia won the judges’ nod at a Casey-Cardinia tech-innovation forum on 2 August. There was a competitive field of students and budding businesspeople assembled, which Ms Popovic was invited to join only after a last-minute vacancy. She won a work space at the recently-opened Casey Cardinia Business Hub, with personalised mentoring, training and networking opportunities for 12 months. Already selling taekwondo gear in a home-based online business, Ms Popovic and her sister Tijuana were hoping to launch the portal online as a phone app by October. She said the directory would help drive internet traffic to beauty specialists, many of whom were not effectively managing their websites or offering online bookings.

Andrea and Tijuana Popovic at their prize workplace in the Casey Cardinia Business Hub. Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS tank judges Mary Agius, Ray Keefe, Simon Maselli and Ron Raju receptive.

find an app-builder for Ms Popovic at half her budgeted expectation.

“It’s really good to get a fresh perspective from someone you can trust to get a fresh set of ideas,” Ms Popovic said.

Casey mayor Sam Aziz was not deterred that the prize went to a non-Casey resident.

“A lot of people book for services online and related to the idea.”

“They said, I was actually thinking too small by using just bootstrap funding. They said I could go further and seek a sponsor.”

He said Casey’s “aggressive strategy” was to both attract business into the municipality as well as develop local talent.

Ms Popovic, of Malvern, found the shark

One of the judges also suggested he could

Both aims created local jobs, he said.

“The model itself isn’t revolutionary. There are many online booking services like Uber and Airbnb.

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World spotlight on QuickBooks pro By Ros Weadman CRANBOURNE bookkeeping software guru Diane Lucas is in the world spotlight after receiving the 2016 International ProAdvisor of the Year award, out of over 120,000 advisors worldwide. After being the first Australian to make the top 100 last year when the award was first opened up outside of the United States, Diane is now acknowledged as the international industry leader of QuickBooks Online, the world’s biggest cloud-based accounting program. Diane is the owner of bookkeeping and consultancy firm Direct Management, “The Bookkeepers Accountants Want You To Use”. She established the business in 2006, when changes in the agricultural industry meant she needed to find a new income stream after doing the books for the family’s Kooweerup asparagus farm for seven years. “I didn’t set out thinking I would someday be an international award winner, but I’ve always had the mindset to do my best at whatever I do,” Diane said. “When I first started the business 10 years ago, bookkeeping standards were inconsistent because the industry wasn’t regulated. “It wasn’t until 2010, when new legislation required bookkeepers to become registered

BAS agents, that the industry’s reputation started to improve.” Diane became one of the first registered BAS agents in Victoria and with a passion to empower others, had already started training bookkeepers as a way of lifting the industry’s standards. “I believe bookkeepers should be brilliant at what they do. While they don’t need to know every detail of the five cloud accounting options available, they need enough nous to know what the best solution is for each particular client because every business is unique,” she said. The demand for Diane’s training services grew to a point where in January this year, she added a dedicated training facility to the Cranbourne office. In addition to running bookkeeping training sessions, she also hosts seminars and workshops for up to 40 financial professionals at a time. Diane was an early adopter of cloud accounting software when it came to Australia in 2012, contributing to the development of the QuickBooks Online technology. To improve understanding of cloud technology, she established Cloud Storm, a closed Facebook group for Australian financial professionals and software providers that support the industry.

“I created Cloud Storm because I saw a need. Many bookkeepers and other accounting professionals are isolated, whether they work in an office or from home. They often lack a network of professional connections from which to learn or simply don’t know where to get information from,” she said. “Cloud Storm acts as a forum for its 380 plus members; a 24/7 place they can connect with one another, get answers to their questions and find out about the latest software developments.” The accolades keep coming for Diane, who has also been shortlisted for the prestigious Australian Accounting Awards. Diane is a finalist in the Bookkeeper of the Year category and Direct Management is a finalist in the Bookkeeping Firm of the Year category. Now in its third consecutive year, the Australian Accounting Awards, which covers 24 categories, recognises individual excellence in accounting, from the profession’s most senior ranks to its rising stars. Winners in the individual categories will automatically be shortlisted for the coveted AccountantsDaily Excellence Award. The winners will be announced on Friday 14 October.

Employment

KEY PROPULSIVE SECTORS

Retail Education and training

15.4

social assistance

11.8

Construction Manufacturing

11.8 10.6

value added

backward linkages

600

Population Forecast

500

exports

value added

METHOD OF TRAVEL TO WORK

400 300 200

44,743 Whittlesea

Hume City Council

Wyndham

Bass Coast

Yarra Ranges

Knox

Kingston

2036 Source: Population ID

Frankston

2015

Dandenong

100 Casey Cardinia region

REGIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TOTAL OUTPUT

POPULATION (1,000)

Other

$18,338.764M

employment

exports

and food services

South Gippsland

9.6

employment

Accommodation

Baw Baw

6.9

Manufacturing

Health care and

Mornington Peninsula

33.9

Construction

4,479 3,754

wages and salaries

1,253 467

Retail trade $417.397 (10%)

Construction $442.457 (10.6%)

Manufacturing $460.840 (11.1%)

Health care and social assistance $517.839M (12.4%)

Education and training

1229325-PB25-16

355 Other

257

$537.335M (12.9%)

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Malleable ace up sleeve By Cam Lucadou-Wells HALLAM automotive supply chain company Ace Wire Works has had to be as flexible as its wire product to survive. According to managing director Sam Harris, the company has successfully begun to find new markets before the automotive industry grinds to a complete halt. When it comes to new business possibilities, its motto seems to be ‘how long is a piece of wire’. Once firmly enmeshed as an automotive supply chain company, Ace Wire Works supplied thousands of wire parts for car seats and headrests for Ford, Holden and Toyota. It now depends on them for just 15-20 per cent of its business. Mr Harris said the 62-year-old company was well-placed for the auto industry’s ‘ground zero’ having just prospered in one of its most successful years in 2015-’16. “The downturn in automotive in years past would have been significant, but we’ve diversified over the past five to 10 years.” Its new, growing vistas include designing and making high-end wire furniture, tree guards, commercial oven racks, farm gates and retail display stands. Mr Harris said its high-tech plant with a 40-strong workforce was still capable of supplying overseas car-makers at a competitive price, but for the high cost of shipping from Australia. Instead, the firm would focus on new markets and invest in new technology and machinery at its Abbott Road factory. It’s a long way from the inner Melbourne shed where the business started making milk bottle carriers and display stands in 1954. Founder Albert Blashki OAM, 97, shifted the family business to a Springvale property with initially two army huts and then to its current Hallam factory. He still holds more than a passing interest in the firm, Mr Harris says. The company has benefited from a $16,000 grant from the State Government to help further develop its transition plan with advice from Pitcher Partners consultant Robert Tigani. It would help Ace Wire Works not only retain staff but grow the business, Mr Harris said. Grants of up to $55,000 are available for companies affected by the auto-industry shutdown under the state’s $5 million Automotive Supply Chain Transition Program. Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan, who visited the plant on 19 August, said the funding would help Ace Wire Works identify and target new markets. “We are helping them... put themselves on a strong footing in the future.”

Robert Tigani, Luke Donnellan MP and Sam Harris with samples of Ace Wire Works furniture Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

The downturn in automotive in years past would have been significant, but we’ve diversified over the past five to 10 years…

Greg Plant in Powerplant’s new offices. Picture: GARY SISSONS

Little guys, big things By Cam Lucadou-Wells A HALLAM electrical contractor is riding a surge in business, including winning a contract to design lighting for the most recent upgrade of the M1 project. Powerplant Project Services was recently chosen for the Monash Freeway 30-kilometre upgrade from EastLink to Clyde Road, Berwick - and adding ramp signals out to Pakenham. Director Greg Plant says after the latest project, Powerplant’s staff would have designed lighting the freeway from Pakenham to Tullamarine - except for the city tunnels.

It ranks as one of Powerplant’s biggest jobs, alongside its lighting design for 300 light poles in the recent Tullamarine Freeway widening. Other major local projects include Peninsula Link, Sladen Street, Ernst Wanke Road, Northey Road, Casey Fields BMX centre, Bunjil Place and Casey Indoor Leisure Centre. Powerplant also lands electricity-line contracts for new housing estates, particularly in Casey, and is helping SP Ausnet put its powerlines underground in bushfire prone areas. Powerplant promotes new, brighter and more energy-efficient LED lighting on their projects.

“For us it’s a real achievement as a relatively small company to be participating in these larger projects and to have contact with nearly the entire freeway.

The white lights use 30 per cent less power, have less “light spill” and improve visibility on the road at night, lighting design manager James Kerner said.

“We’re little guys who have got to do big things locally.”

In the past 12 months, the business has added more than 600 projects.

MELBOURNE PR & MARKETIN( ;

Its customer base now totals more than 500. Its staff has grown five-fold to 40 in the past four years forcing a move into more spacious offices in Hallam. The company hopes to attract surveyors, development consultants and civil construction companies, to form a hub of services under the same roof. Mr Plant started the business as a solo venture at home in 1999, seeing an opening after the State Commission of Victoria was broken up. “Regulators wanted customers to have a choice, but there was no one to provide that.” Powerplant is still a unique business and has grown with its reputation. Mr Plant says the secret to Powerplant’s success comes from “serving our customers well”. “We develop the most economic idea and we deliver what our client needs from it,” he said.

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Hooked on fishing By Casey Neill PAUL Worsteling’s journey to fishing fame started with a desire to grow his Cranbourne business. He now films 30 half-hour and 10 hour-long episodes of Channel 10 program iFish each year and spends up to 40 weeks a year filming around Australia and the world. “It has done what I hoped it would do for my business,” he said.

Paul said word of mouth couldn’t be beaten, and staff were any company’s greatest asset.

whether he should go with steak or whiting for dinner.

“I like to rule with a feather duster,” he said.

“I can literally have 40,000 people tell me what to have for dinner,” he said.

“We respect each other and get the best out of each other.” His top business advice was “always strike while the iron is hot”. “Don’t do tomorrow what you can do today,” he said.

“Tackle Word Cranbourne is now an international tourist destination.”

Paul said the world was constantly changing, so business owners should always consider the future, and that “sharing is caring”.

It’s the biggest tackle store in Melbourne and started as a 99-square metre shop that was part of a food store.

He can connect with more than 23.3 million people around the world in moments using various social media platforms, asking

“They’re real people doing real things.” Paul found his love for fishing on his family farm in Cranbourne when his dad, Hans, put 500 fish into one of their dams. “I went down there with a fishing pole because I just wanted to see what was under that water,” he said. “I couldn’t physically see the fish unless I actually caught them. “I became a fishing text book guru.”

Paul Worsteling as guest speaker at a Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce breakfast last month.

“I thought I was in all sorts of trouble.” To Paul’s surprise, he offered to sell him the tackle shop. The banks were reluctant to lend the 22-year-old the money he needed, so his parents put their house up as collateral. He bought the business on 9 September 1996 and wanted to “have the best tackle store in the universe”. He focused on branding and customer service and started to grow sales within four days. After four years he was looking to relocate but needed backing – a superstar. His idea was “if I can become someone in fishing, if I can become someone people respect, they will come”. Paul Worsteling with his parents Hans and Henny. At a Year 7 school camp he landed his first catch – four undersized flathead. They weighed less than his sinker and he’d used such a heavy line it couldn’t reach the bottom. “I had to put my rod under the water,” he laughed. “They were the sweetest fish I’d ever eaten in my life.” Paul and his family moved house and he continued making his own fishing lures and writing and reading about fishing. A bloke with a boat moved in across the road. “My BMX slowly gravitated towards his house,” he said. Paul told the neighbour about his love for fishing and found himself in luck – and a short time later, on a boat. “We’d fish three days a week – one night after school, all day Saturday, all day Sunday,” he said. Then he turned 14 and Hans organised him a job at Kmart, in the gardening section. “Every Friday night and Saturday while my neighbour was fishing I was watering plants,” he said.

Doling out fishing advice to a co-worker earned him a transfer to the sporting goods department, where he gravitated to the rods and reels. Around the same time Paul joined Cranbourne Angling Club, met a guy who was planning to open a tackle shop and volunteered to help him set up. “I didn’t get paid but I didn’t care,” he said. Paul would work the morning shift at Kmart and ride his bike to the tackle shop for the afternoon. He referred Kmart customers to the tackle store, earning him a nickname that’s stuck right up to today – The Kmart Kid. Kmart got wind of it and called him into a meeting. Paul resigned and started working at the tackle shop after school Thursdays and Fridays and all weekend. While completing a four-year course in PE teaching at university, Paul worked at the tackle shop every chance he got.

He hooked an Australian record-breaking 600-pound mako shark off Phillip Island and Hans told him to write down every detail, to capture the experience. He did, and sent it to a fishing magazine. “That was my first fishing article,” he said. Soon he was on Casey radio and phoning in fishing reports to Rex Hunt on 3AW. Paul also sent Rex regular faxes with fishing tips and in 2000 received a phone call for help from the man himself. Paul organised a trip for Rex for his Fishing Adventures television program and got invited to tag along. It was the start of a four-year stint on the show. “It definitely brought people into my business,” he said. The show came to an end and Paul got the opportunity to make his own. His personalised licence plate inspired the title – iFish.

He got a call from the boss at the start of a planned gap year.

Paul grew his childhood hobby into a career spanning radio, television, books and two tackle shops.

“For about nine months prior I’d been dating his daughter,” Paul said.

“Fishing is not about fish. Fishing is about places and faces,” he said.

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Puffing Billy gets a head of steam.

Full steam ahead By Russell Bennett

Menzies Creek, Emerald, Lakeside, Cockatoo and Gembrook.

THE future of one of Victoria’s greatest tourism assets is right on track with the implementation of the Puffing Billy Railway Masterplan.

The masterplan will also broadly address issues surrounding rail infrastructure, maintenance and management of facilities, visitor facilities, volunteer facilities, environmental management procedures and integration with surrounding towns.

The Emerald Tourist Railway Board (ETRB), with help from Tract Consultants, is preparing the masterplan for the railway. It involves the identification of key investment opportunities, land use enhancements and a preliminary feasibility study for Puffing Billy visitor accommodation. Puffing Billy’s special events manager Matt Collopy told an Emerald Business Group breakfast recently that the hugely popular attraction had seen a 19 per cent growth in the previous 12 months. The railway had also experienced record numbers in 23 of the past 24 months (leading up to August) and massive growth in visitors from Asia in particular. Nearly every Puffing Billy train is at capacity, with passenger numbers growing markedly

The ETRB has intended for the masterplan to provide both short and long-term guidance. Hanging out is the best part of the Puffing Billy ride. from 349,790 in 2014/15 to 417,155 in 2015/16. This growth has given the company some very unique, very real challenges – such as attracting visitors to towns and stops along the line, and not just to Belgrave and Emerald. The railway masterplan will explore development opportunities within the six Puffing Billy station sites – at Belgrave,

Puffing Billy said the railway is under increasing pressure to provide much-needed infrastructure while also protecting the values that make the attraction so unique. The masterplan process allows for input from the many key stakeholders and interested parties to be addressed in one, key document. There’s currently no existing document that provides suitable guidance for the long-term enhancement of the Puffing Billy corridor, other than the Puffing Billy Railway Trackside Management Plan 2012 which deals with critical environmental issues.

Puffing Billy chief executive John Robinson. Picture: ROB CAREW

The ETRB intends for the masterplan to be incorporated into the Yarra Ranges and Cardinia planning schemes. The draft masterplan is shaped by a series of design principles. First and foremost, it says: “Puffing Billy should essentially be seen by visitors as one train, not a rail network. The visitor experience must be intimate and personal, with a strong connection to individual places. “The train corridor landscape must be protected from intensive development, landscape or environmental changes that adversely affect the quality and authenticity of the visitor experience. It must never be an experience dominated by infrastructure.” Crucially, the masterplan states: “The visitor experience is not just about the train journey, although this is important. It should also be about places along the rail line and about destinations and activities away from the train.”

travelling on an old train. It is also about cultural history, people, landscapes, leisure and particularly about place – both the tangible aspects of what is seen by visitors and the equally important landscape of people’s imagination.”

The track’s ridgeline route takes in some of the most iconic views of anywhere in the Dandenong Ranges and each township has its own settlement history that is linked to the railway system.

At the recent business group breakfast, Mr Collopy said that a significant part of Puffing Billy’s future was looking at opportunities between the Lakeside and Gembrook stations. He said the railway would utilize existing railway land to support the Lakeside to Gembrook section.

“Puffing Billy Railway is a cultural icon – a part of our collective memories of childhood and the landscapes and villages of the Dandenong Ranges,” the masterplan states.

Interestingly, the nursery shed, signals and telegraph building are set to be relocated to Gembrook on a parcel of land next to the railway that was purchased by Puffing Billy.

“The narrative that defines the Puffing Billy visitor experience is not just related to

Mr Collopy described it as “a godsend” given the railway was rapidly running out of available space, particularly at Belgrave. Having identified Lakeside as a central destination point, Puffing Billy has proposed building a discovery centre on the site – an all-weather facility that could cost in the region of $9 million build. Mr Collopy said Gembrook – often referred to as the little black sheep of the railway – had been identified as its event centre and a new museum has even been proposed. In the future, there’s even the potential of a ‘monster’ Great Train Race running the full 28 kilometre stretch from Belgrave to Gembrook.

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Q&A

Digital ace in marketing space Annemarie Cross is a brand and communication strategist from Communicate Your Brand. She’s often referred to as “The Podcasting Queen” due to her expertise and involvement in podcasting, since 2008. Combining her love of technology, and in particular – podcasting technologies – Annemarie has built a business, a global client base and support team by harnessing the power of social media and cutting-edge online technologies, and now empowers other businesses to do the same. Annemarie, her husband Garry and children Danielle, Mathew and Nicole, have lived in the Casey area for the last 29 years. Describe a typical work week:

of her online media empire – Huffington Post.

Typically, I spend time mapping out quarterly brand and digital brand and communication strategies for clients; coach and mentor clients in their digital and podcasting marketing strategies; record, mix and promote podcast content; write copy; right through to overseeing visibility strategies for my podcast network clients.

Emma Isaacs – CEO of Business Chicks: her passion, drive and determination, which has enabled her to grow Business Chicks into the largest community for women in Australia. The fifth person would be my mother. She is 97 this month and has played an incredibly influential role in my life. I would not be the woman I am today, were it not for her unconditional love and support.

As you can see, a lot of my work is in the digital marketing space – which is an area I love.

How do you relax away from work?

What are your impressions of the Casey Cardinia Region from a business perspective? The rapid growth across both the Casey and Cardinia regions is very exciting for businesses as people moving to the area leads to increased business opportunities. I think of real importance for businesses in the Casey and Cardinia area is to ensure they join a local network, and the Casey Cardinia Business Group (CCBG) to avoid falling into the trap of working in isolation. Being connected with other like-minded people and businesses is important, as it not only enables you to establish strong collegial relationships, but also opportunities for mutually beneficial collaborations. Biggest career success to date: One of the most recent things I’m very excited about is being recognised for my online activity by Microsoft Australia and invited to become one of their Brand Ambassadors and VIP Influencers. With their support means that I’ll be able to impact and make a difference in the lives of many more people than I could possibly do on my own. It could not have come at a better time, especially with the upcoming launch of the Health and Wellness Podcast Network, my latest project.

Getting out into the forest with my camera. I’ve only just discovered my passion for photography and any opportunity I can get out and capture wildlife, landscapes or sunsets – I’m there. What has been your biggest career failure to date? A business venture that dissolved after nearly two years of hard work to establish our name, product offering, happy clients and a promising pipeline of business. What did you learn from that experience? Set clear boundaries, expectations and guidelines for everyone involved. Sadly, we didn’t document clear guidelines in one key area of the business, which when looking back, I can see was the beginning of the end. If you had to invite five people to a business luncheon, who would they be and why? The following women all have qualities that I aspire to: Oprah Winfrey and Beyonce: both women were told they didn’t have what it takes and that they’d never be successful. I love how they defied all odds to become leaders in their fields. Arianna Huffington: her innovation and determination to disrupt tradition within her industry, which has seen the creation

Tell us something most people wouldn’t know about you? My first business venture was at the age of 10. It was back in New Zealand, when we’d just moved to a small farm and I wanted a horse. My parents instilled in me from a young age that if I wanted something, I needed to work for it. So, my first entrepreneur pursuit was to catch and sell tadpoles (from my neighbour’s pond) from a stall I’d set up the end of our driveway. One cent for small tadpoles and two cents for the larger ones. Needless to say my supplies ran out quickly, however it was the start of my entrepreneurial pursuits! What is your business mantra? “It’s all good!” I truly believe there is a solution to every issue, and when we have the right mindset – especially in the midst of a crisis, we WILL find a way through.

BUSINESS IN FOCUS

ADVERTORIAL

Telstra at local business core THE team at Telstra Business Centre Casey Cardinia has a clear vision – to be the community’s preferred contact for all business telecommunications solutions.

leased out to local businesses for complimentary hire, as a way to give back to the community. Since the business centre’s grand opening three years ago, the Telstra team has opened the doors to local businesses and organisations who have used the training room, board room and meeting room spaces to host their own team activities and conferences.

Director Ash Rady said Telstra was usually perceived as a large national corporation, but at a local level the situation was very different. “We want to get closer to our customers by reaching out on a more local, personal level. We are building our local presence to show our community that we are locals just like them, and that our dedicated team is truly here to help. Our aim is to give our clients a business class experience and VIP treatment when they choose to bring their accounts into our hands,” Mr Rady said. “We thrive by empowering other local businesses to do what they do best, while we look after all their telecommunications needs. We are here to take care of all the technical stuff so that business owners can go on doing their own thing. “Being strongly rooted in our local community, we enjoy engaging with local businesses and sole traders and are proud to be part of the rapidly growing and diversifying Casey Cardinia region.”

The boardroom at the Telstra Business Centre Casey Cardinia. The business centre was established in 2010, and started operations in a small corner office in Pakenham, where the 24-strong team were cramped together and forced to share one communal toilet and a tiny kitchenette. In July 2013, the centre relocated to a large modern facility at the Fountain Gate Homemaker Centre, which has enough space to easily accommodate over 60 staff. Mr Rady’s vision was to create a hub with top-of-the-range facilities, which could be

“As technology advances, we try to keep ourselves at the forefront by staying educated about new innovations, devices and systems. That way, we can confidently help our customers progress through the digital age, and keep them connected with the ones who matter most,” Mr Rady said. “Our team of Accredited Business Specialists specialise in various different fields, which gives us expertise in a wide range of products such as mobiles, landlines, broadband Internet, cloud and hosted services, fleet management and mobile workforce solutions, networking and cabling, Cisco solutions and Microsoft certified solutions. “In order to work around our clients’ tight schedules, our business specialists are able to visit businesses on site, where they can make the best analysis of the business’ requirements.”

FEEL AT HOME AT QUEST NARRE WARREN Cnr Princes Highway & Verdun Drive Narre Warren VIC 3805 Visit questnarrewarren.com.au or call +61 3 9796 6944 1225448-KC27-16

Gift experience net success By Narelle Coulter

NAOMI Simson is petrified of sharks. The founder of one of Australia’s most successful internet businesses, RedBalloon, a blogger with 1.3 million followers and star of the Channel 10 reality show The Shark Tank, fears nothing more than coming face to face with a finned predator, whether it be in the ocean or the confined spaces of an aquarium. She doesn’t even have a swimming pool, she joked with the more than 380 ladies at August’s Casey Cardinia women’s business lunch, in case a shark takes up residence uninvited in her backyard. Overcoming fear was one of Ms Simson’s key messages as she spoke about her business success, her private life and dispensed tips on passion, positivity and perseverance. She held the audience of business women from across the Casey Cardinia Region enthralled as she strode the stage in her trademark red – red coat, red animal print wrap dress, pearls and black high heels. Ms Simson launched RedBalloon on 1 April 2001 with $25,000 of her family’s savings. Her idea was to sell experiences and memories rather than physical goods. “In 2001, I didn’t know anything about the Internet or websites, or anything. But I thought how hard can it be?“ She had young children at the time and thought starting her own business would provide work-life balance. “I thought I could play with my daughter in the day and work at night,” she said with an ironic chuckle. “I soon had the kids asking ‘Why do we have to go to bed at 5.30pm’.” It was an agonising two months and four days before RedBalloon’s first customer purchased a $99 stress busting massage. Her margin was $9. “It was the longest two months and four days of my life,” she grimaced.

RedBalloon founder Naomi Simson. “It’s been an absolutely exciting ride,” Ms Simson said.

unsolicited resumes from people keen to join the team.

“The hardest thing for me was learning to let go. Initially, I did everything. I even used to blow up the balloons.

Ms Simson believes “culture is everything”.

“To be a leader you need followers.”

She said the first sale was important because it meant that “someone trusted me”.

She started hiring staff, friends of friends at first before it became clear she needed to “recruit a recruiter who knew what they were doing”.

In its first year, RedBalloon sold 300 experiences, a year after that it was selling 300 a month.

She slowly built a loyal team and prides herself on RedBalloon’s positive culture, with the company constantly being flooded with

Pictures: ROB CAREW

“Companies with highly engaged teams have loyal customers.” She said there was nothing more harmful to a company than disengaged employees. Even worse are actively disengaged employees who “actually hate you”. She said the scariest number of all was that 23 per cent of those people who hate you plan to spend their whole career with you.

Naomi Simson recounts the RedBalloon story.

Kerryn Gamble, director of kerryngamble. com with Ros Weadman of Melbourne PR and Marketing.

Peake Real Estate staff Lisa, Marisa, Hannah, Kristen, Karen and Kim. “I say set them free. Let them go work for the competition.” Ms Simson said fear was the greatest impediment to success. She recounted an anecdote about conquering her fear of swimming with sharks to make a promotional video for RedBalloon and the fear that almost made her say no when the producers of The Shark Tank knocked at her door. Friend and mentor, Melbourne art dealer Carole Schwartz, convinced her to take on the role by pointing out that exposure on

national television would help Ms Simson spread her message and share her insights with millions of Australians. Her answer became an emphatic "yes". She admits it is “weird” to see herself on national television, but that it has been “a wonderful privilege to present to Australians all sorts of innovations”. Ms Simson was candid about her private life and the obvious pride she has in her two children. “My poor kids get pitched all the time. ‘Can

Gaby Sabellek and Shu-Cheen Yu from Super Safe Homes. you ask your mum if this is a good idea?’ Billed to speak at her son’s valedictory dinner, she was swiftly told “Mum, if you embarrass me you’re dead”. Instead, she told the audience of young graduates and their families to remember three “bones” and “you’ll be alright”. Her three bones to success: a wishbone representing your dreams, a backbone representing resilience and a funny bone because “if you’re not having a laugh what’s the point”.

Hub of activity to bring workers back LIKE the region itself, the Casey Cardinia Business Hub has grown. Casey Mayor Sam Aziz officially opened the hub’s second phase – a complex with 150 working desks and 40 office spaces at 66 Victor Crescent in Narre Warren on Friday 29 July. Cr Aziz said developments like the hub – a partnership between the City of Casey and the Waterman Group – were critical to promoting innovation and economic growth in the region. “Seven out of 10 residents leave Casey to go to work,” Cr Aziz said. “For us, this is unacceptable. We need to provide employment opportunities closer to home.” Cr Aziz has personal experience of the frustration experienced by commuters. He said the daily Monash grind forced him to give up his career in the Customs Department to find work closer to home. “Casey has a population of 300,000 people and it is growing by 10,000 every year, so it doesn’t take a mathematical genius to work out that there will be a population of half a million people in 20 years’ time,” he said. “Employment aspirations in the City of Casey are very real.”

Casey mayor Sam Aziz and Waterman Group principal Neville Waterman officially open the Casey Cardinia Business Hub expansion, watched by Casey councillors Louise Berkelmans, Mick Morland and Amanda Stapledon. Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS Cr Aziz paid tribute to Neville Waterman of the Waterman Group for his vision.

small businesspeople, who regularly inspired him by sharing their dreams.

“It is inspirational to work with someone like Neville, who thinks outside the square and delivers outcomes for the City of Casey.”

With tongue in cheek, he suggested the space – next to the original building at 64 Victor Crescent – be renamed ‘The Dream Centre’.

Mr Waterman said he loved working with

12321966-KC37-16

BUSINESS IN FOCUS

ADVERTORIAL

Jaguar makes giant strides By NARELLE COULTER

General manager of Berwick Jaguar Land Rover James Bonnett with the new Jaguar F-pace SUV.

Berwick Jaguar Land Rover is on the move – literally. Berwick Jaguar Land Rover is preparing to move from its home on the corner of Clyde Road and the Princes Highway to the Berwick Toyota site further along Princes Highway. The move is only 100 metres or so, but for the business’ staff and loyal customers the move presents an exciting new chapter in the Jaguar Land Rover story in the South East. General Manager James Bonnett has the plans for the new showroom pinned to his office door. The current Jaguar Land Rover showroom can only accommodate two cars and the service centre is off-site. The new showroom will accommodate 15 cars with an on-site service centre. Fifty staff will eventually work there.

is part of the HFH Automotive Group, opened in Berwick May last year. Mr Bonnett said HFH Auto Group was keen to establish a dealership in the rapidly growing south eastern corridor, and believe Berwick to be hub of car sales for the area.

The move is slated for May 2017.

In the first 12 months Mr Bonnett’s team sold over 300 cars and serviced more than 2000 vehicles.

It has been an exciting ride for Mr Bonnett and his staff since Jaguar Land Rover, which

He encouraged people not to be intimidated by the brand’s luxury image.

Vehicles in the Jaguar Land Rover range start at $60,000 and can go as high as $400,000 plus. “We get a broad cross section of customers, from young people to older couples, families and singles,” Mr Bonnett said. “Our point of difference is our level of customer service. Nothing is too difficult. “The group’s mission statement is 100 per cent satisfaction to 100 per cent of our guests 100 per cent of the time”.

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HOME & AWAY

Fit for business

GROW takes a look at what those in business and industry do when they are not working – what drives them at home and away from the office, shop or factory floor. We discover that Car MegaMart’s Karlie Thexton has a passion for triathlons, as ALANA MITCHELSON reports. IN THE ocean, Karlie Thexton is in her element. She thrived in swimming squads throughout her childhood but up until about six years ago she had only ever ridden a mountain bike and would not have described herself as a natural runner.

Karlie said she found the running leg most challenging to prepare for as it was the least familiar to her. She would run 500 metres, then walk 500 metres and gradually increase the distance and build her speed. “I loved the feeling afterwards; that sense of achievement,” she said. “Now triathlons are my thing.”

Her alarm clock typically sounds at 4.45am and off she goes for a run or a spin on the bike to keep fit.

But during the working week grind, Karlie has established herself as a prominent local businesswoman in a male dominant industry overseeing all marketing and accounting processes for Car MegaMart’s Pakenham complex.

Her interest in the three-part endurance event began when she caved in on her brother’s constant nagging to take part in her first triathlon.

She liaises with all dealers in the 18 car yards that span over 35 acres, working directly under the developer Ray Weinzierl.

“My brother is a triathlon coach so he’d wanted me to try one for years,” Karlie said.

“I get excited about going to work. I think I’ve found my niche,” Karlie said.

“But it wasn’t until about six years ago when I thought I would give it a go.”

“No two days are the same. I start each week with a to-do list but the plan can change quickly. There’s always heaps to do. My role’s a huge responsibility and sometimes it has its challenges, but I like having that responsibility.

Karlie has now challenged herself to about 20 triathlons across Australia.

She trained for her first triathlon on a mountain bike because it was the only bike she had ever owned and it was all she knew.

She later bought a race bike and knocked off a reasonable chunk of time because it was that much lighter.

Above (from left): Elwood Sprint Distance Triathalon 2016. Exit of the swimming leg of the Cairns Half Ironman 2015. Bike leg of Cairns Half Ironman 2015. Cairns Half Ironman 2015.

“Another three yards will be opening in the next four weeks so we’ll have more cars and more caravans. “It is a fairly high stress role, especially at the end of each month, and it does take a bit of juggling but I try to block out parts of the day for different areas of my role.”

“It’s also one of the rare times when I don’t have my phone with me.” Through participating in triathlons across Melbourne, New South Wales and Queensland, Karlie has had the opportunity to meet a group of likeminded people.

Karlie said she has found that exercise helps her de-stress and in turn perform better at work.

She plans to compete in three triathlons by the end of the year and is excited for her favourite event, the Mooloolaba Triathlon, in March.

She tries to commit to exercising for one to two hours every morning.

“The idea of a triathlon got me determined to learn a new skill,” she said.

“It’s a good way to clear your mind of things that might be going on at work or in your personal life and helps you think more clearly about how to approach things in a better way at work,” Karlie said.

“It’s good to challenge yourself outside of work. The Half IronMan in Cairns last year was the biggest physical and mental challenge I’ve ever had and it makes you feel like you can do anything.”

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Business Coffee Club: An informal opportunity for local home-based businesses to meet other like-minded people. Light refreshments, tea and coffee provided.

Business mentoring sessions: A 45 minute knowledge sharing session with an experienced, qualified business mentor to help your business overcome an issue or knowledge gap.

An intensive four day program designed to help you identify new growth opportunities and plan the changes needed to move confidently into the next stage of your business.

Develop your online strategy workshop: Led by a digital expert with real-life small business experience, this workshop will simplify the digital world and help you develop a framework to strategically grow your business online.

Casey Cardinia Business Breakfast: Join hundreds of like-minded business people, and one of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great food educators, Stephanie Alexander AO, for a delicious breakfast at the Cranbourne Racing Centre.

Join members and guests of the Cranbourne Chamber of Commerce and make new business connections at their monthly networking event.

4 16

Cranbourne Chamber of Commerce Networking Event:

Online visibility:

Hosted by the Narre Warren Business Group as a part of the Business Showcase Series this workshop looks at the basics of internet visibility and how Google works.

A 45 minute knowledge sharing session with an experienced, qualified business mentor to help your business overcome an issue or knowledge gap.

Join the Hampton Park Business Group at this one-night only expo, with more than 50 exhibitors and a valuable workshop.

An informal opportunity for local home-based businesses to meet other like-minded people. Light refreshments, tea and coffee provided.

Join members and guests of the Narre Warren Region Business Group and discover new business connections at this exciting networking event.

Casey Cardinia Business Breakfast (Chris Riddell): Join hundreds of like-minded business people, and Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most sought after futurist, Chris Riddell, for a delicious breakfast at the Cranbourne Racing Centre.

Business Coffee Club: An informal opportunity for local home-based businesses to meet other like-minded people. Light refreshments, tea and coffee provided.

Business Coffee Club:

Narre Warren Region Business Group Networking Evening:

Business Mentoring Sessions:

Business to Business Expo (hosted by the Hampton Park Business Group):

Cranbourne Chamber of Commerce Networking Event:

Business Mentoring Sessions: A 45 minute knowledge sharing session with an experienced, qualified business mentor to help your business overcome an issue or knowledge gap.

THE BIGGEST & BEST JUST GOT EVEN BETTER

KIDS CLUB

REFORMER PILATES

POLE DANCING

HAMMER STRENGTH WEIGHTS

RELAXATION & STRETCHING

Over 40 Group Fitness Classes to choose from! 15 Southeast Bvd, Pakenham

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BRING THIS VOUCHER IN TO RECEIVE 1 FREE PASS* TO TRY OUT OUR HUGE RANGE OF EQUIPMENT AND CLASSES

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WORLD-CLASS CUSTOMER SERVICE AT BERWICK LAND ROVER

Berwick Land Rover will always go above and beyond to ensure your experience is seamless from your first enquiry to long after you’ve purchased you’re vehicle. As Melbourne’s newest Land Rover dealership, Berwick Land Rover ensures that all customers receive exceptional deals and world-class customer service. Plus we have tailored finance packages to suit your needs. Visit Berwick Land Rover on the corner of Princes Hwy & Clyde Rd, Berwick today. We’re closer than you think! BERWICK LAND ROVER. Corner Princes Highway and Clyde Road Berwick. 03 8726 1500. www.berwicklandrover.com.au

LMCT11439 MCK40455 12319774-LB38-16