BIA Victoria - Awards & Achievements

Awards and achievements of our members

BIA represents some of the highest achieving businesses in Victoria.

Each year we draw attention to the accomplishments of our members at the IC Frith and Associates Victorian Marine Awards Breakfast

These awards have been developed to reflect the industry’s commitment to excellence and the position Victoria holds as a centre for design, manufacture and export.

BIA Victoria would like to congratulate the following well-deserved winners:


Industry Achiever of the Year - Whittley Marine

Whittley Marine Group had another big year in 2008. The whittley 2800 Cruiser won the New Zealand equivalent of Boat of the Year and the AMIF (Australian Boat of the Year) Trailerable under 6m Award.

Whittley have contributed greatly to the Victorian econmy by increasing employee numbers by 15% and have improved annual turnover by more than 17%.

They also invested more than $2million in 2007 and launched the 2800 Cruiser and SPY ski boat range. And at this year's Melbourne Boat Show they have launched the new 2600 Cruiser after investing another $1million. 

 

Apprentice of the Year – Dean Oltoumis from Whittley Marine 

Dean has been an apprentice with Whittley in Melbourne since June 2005 and completed his boat building apprenticeship in 2008. Testimonials in his nomination offer glowing reports about his outstanding workmanship, attitude and commitment in learning the craft and skills of the trade.

According to Neville Whittley, Dean is the only apprentice in Whittley history to have been manager of one particular boat models assembly and to manage other staff by the time he had completed his apprenticeship.

 

Safety Initiative by an Organisation - Australian Volunteer Coast Guard

For their work on the Bass Strait Marine Repeater Netword. The Australian Coast Guard is an organisation composed entirely of volunteers, formed in 1961 to promote safety in the operation of small craft. It guards the coast in the most effective way - initially by education, example, examination and finally by search and rescue.

Coast Guard's proposal to establish repeaters utilising equipment from Telstra's Seaphone facility, and combining with Coast Guards equipment achieved a network of seven repeaters located at Portland, Cape Otway, Aurthur's Seat, Bass Hill, Mt Oberon, Mount Fatigue, Mt Taylor and Mt Imlay.

With financial support from Marine Safety Victoria, the Dept of Fisheries, Telstra Country Wide, technical back up from both Telstra and the COuntry Fire Authority and encouragement from teh Gippsland Water Police, the repeater network has made a significant contribution to enhancing the safe operation of vessels across the entire Victorian coase and adjacent waters of NSW, SA and Tasmania. 

Marine Manufacturer of the Year Award - Haines Hunter & Whittley Marine

 

Haines Hunter has been an icon in the Australian Marine Industry for almost five decades. Since being purchased in 2001 the head office was moved to Victoria where Administration was conducted whilst with the main production facility remained in Queensland. From 2008 a purpose built factory has been constructed in Derrimut just west of Melbourne and now houses full production, research and development, design, marketing, finance, sales and customer service.

The last twelve months has seen enormous growth with the new 5,000 sq metre manufacturing plant now fully operational. This allows for the production in excess of 1000 boats a year and has been set up to cater for both in house training and the National Dealer Network.

Whittley Marine has been operating out of their purpose built facility at Campbellfield since 2004. With their factory in Willacoochee, Georgia in the USA they have the capacity to produce 1600 boats a year.

Exporter Award - Whittley Marine 

Exporting finished boats from Australia has become increasingly difficult as the Aussie dollar has constantly risen against the United States dollar. However, by exporting the intellectual property and boat moulds from Whittley in Australia to Whittley USA, turnover for both the Australian and American operations has increased. Annual turnover improved by 17 to 20% which is a remarkable achievement given the global slow down occuring throughout the marine industry. 

Retailer of the Year Award - Leon & Paul Savage Streaker Boats

Streaker Boats started in 1973 and was set up by brothers, Leon and Paul Savage specifically to build boats.

Due to the success of this manufacturing business Leon & Paul opened their own retail division in Bayswater. In 1998, after evaluating other dealerships which had most of their new boats outside in the weather they looked at the car industry for inspiration and in the 1999 land was purchsed on a major highway and a purpose built retail facility was born.

The business is highly family orientated with Leon's wife, Donna and Paul's wife Janet also working together. And, for the past 35 years ownership has remained unchanged. Here's to another highly successful Victorian business.

 

Environment Award - Gippsland Ports 

For the Paynesville Boat Yard. Gippsland Ports was formed in 1996 and manages a number of local ports including Anderson's Inlet and Gippsland Lakes.

The Paynesville Boat Yard provides boat lifting/slipping and maintenance for recreational and commercial vessels. It is a major facility in the region, servicing the marine industry with in excess of 600 vessel lifts and wash downs carried out each year.

The project objective was to minimise environmental and safety risks from waste water and airborne contaminants by providing a facility capable of treating wash down waste water to EPA (State Environment Protection Authority) requirements prior to discharge with appropriate screening, and to provide a facility for bilge water pump out.

 

Business Growth Award - Whittley Marine

Over the past twelve months Whittley have increased their market share and import replacement well above the average. Contributing factors are:

  1. Venturing into the ski and wakeboard market, a new market segment for Whittley.
  2. Distributing the SPY boat range through the traditional and non-traditional Whittley dealers.
  3. Whittley has also expanded their Australian market share of "entry level" type boats by taking back from the Brunswick Corporation, the distribution rights to Savage Fibreglass and investing in R&D to enable new models to be launched as Clearwater at the 2008 Melbourne Boat Show.

 

Other Awards


BIA would like to congratulate the following stands for taking out the 2008 Stand of the Year Awards:

Tourism/Marinas - PARKS VICTORIA

Open space – THE HAINES GROUP

Shell Scheme – CRAMER PROPERTY IMAGE 

Power Boat Display - AVANTE MARINE DOCKLANDS 

Best Ski/Wake Board Display –                                           WAYNE RITCHIE SKIERS EDGE

Marine Accessories – GARMIN GPS 

Water Sports Display – HOBIE CAT AUSTRALIA 

Best Stand Overall – THE HAINES GROUP 


Congratulations to our 25 Years of

Membership recipients…


• CH SMITH MARINE – CH Smith Marine Pty Ltd has been owned by one family since 1884 and supplies the Australian community with quality marine electronics, boat parts and fishing equipment. CH SMith Marine is an early adopter of New technology with computerised stock control systems in 1980 and internet based, on line shopping system and website  in 1997.

Now located in Collingwood, not only is the shop well stockedbut the experience and knowledge of the team is unsurpassed in our industry with 3 on the staff having 120 years of combined service. CH Smith Marine first exhibited at the Melbourne Boat Show in 1966.

• Deja Vu Ski – Since its humble beginnings in a suburban Melbourne Garage manufacturing water ski'd, Deja Vu has since grown into Australia's largest dedicated watersports retail chain. With 8 stores nationally and 2 stores in the Middle east, Deja Vu prides itself on being at the forefront of watersports retailling.

Deja Vu stock everything to do with watersports including Wakeboards, Waterskis, Kneeboards, Tubes, Accessories from all the leading brands.

A customer can always be guaranteed the right advice from its expert staff and be safe in the knowledge that they will be getting the right price secured through its extensive buying network. 

• STEADFAST MARINE – Established in 1897 in NSW, the Stead Brothers joined BIA Victoria in 1982 to exhibit at the Melbourne Boat Show. THey have been exhibiting ever since.

Their main type of business had been rubber stamp manufacturing until they started distributing trailer parts and accessories to the industry in 1982. Garry and June Stead have recently sold the business to deservedly retire. 

• WEBSTER MARINE – Webster Marine was established in 1971 by Terry Webster in Paynesville on the shores of the Gippsland Lakes. The core business has been boat brokerage, slipping and repairs, and chandlery. Terry's son Tony joined the business in 1986 and took over in 2005 when Terry retired. The last few years has seen the operning of a Melbourne office at Royal Brighton Yacht Club and a consolidation of the business to focus on brokerage and new boat sales. Early this year Webster Marine opened a new premises on the Princes Hwy in Bairnsdale, for sales and service, and is currently constructing a further modern showroom also on the Princes HIghway at Johnsonville to showcase their range of new trailerable boats.