QLD - Telstra Australian Business Awards

Freeman Productions (Australia) Pty Ltd is a project management consultancy established in 1998 which specialises in the production of customised calendars. The business creates calendars for corporate clients who use them as client gifts. The majority of Freeman Productions' clients come from the pharmaceutical industry and include The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Guardian Pharmacies Australia and Chemworld Chemists.

The Daintree Discovery Centre is an award-winning eco-tourism venture showcasing what is thought to be the oldest rainforest in the world. Located 120 kilometres north of Cairns, the centre provides access to the World Heritage rainforest with an aerial walkway, elevated boardwalks, multi-lingual guided tours and bush trails. The 23-metre high canopy tower is a highlight of a visit to the centre, providing an insight into the rainforest's canopy

Trailers 2000 Pty. Ltd. is Queensland's largest manufacturer of box trailers with the capacity to produce 4,000 trailers per year. The business has grown from a husband and wife team operating from home to today employing 28 people. Trailers 2000 is based at Beerwah with offices in Brisbane, Mackay and the Gold Coast and has an extensive network of agents throughout Queensland and northern New South Wales.

GroundProbe Pty Ltd provides sensor technologies to the international mining, geotechnical and civil engineering sectors. Its slope stability radar provides online monitoring of mine faces, enabling mining companies to predict and manage slope failure. GroundProbe has exported this product and provided support services to mine sites in South Africa, Zambia, Indonesia and the USA. The business is headquartered in Brisbane with additional offices in Perth and Johannesburg.

Since 1987 Dracula's Cabaret Restaurant has been operating a theatre restaurant on the Gold Coast catering to domestic and international tourists. Up to six nights each week, the cabaret restaurant provides dinner, drinks and a two-hour show combining comedy, puppetry, music, song and dance. The unique Dracula's Cabaret Restaurant experience ranges from roller-skating parking attendants to a ghost train ride to a horror-themed dinner.

After winning her own weight loss battle, Symply Too Good's Annette Sym went on to publish three low fat cookbooks and a CD Rom menu planner. The recipes are appropriate for people with heart conditions, high cholesterol, diabetes or those who want a healthy eating regime. The business is based in a home office on the Sunshine Coast and has sold more than one million books in the last six years.

Technofast Industries designs and manufactures specialist bolting products and systems for various industries including power generation, offshore oil, gas, petrochemical, mining and steel. The patented bolting technologies and products have resulted in business agreements with manufacturers such as Westinghouse, Siemens and Mitsubishi and product distribution in Australia, Singapore, the USA, South Korea and Europe.

Shieldcoat specialises in water-based surface coatings used for roofs, decks, fences and driveways. Some of Shieldcoat's latest products include a reflecting render, a coating for fish farm nets, a new coating for swimming pools and a coating for soundproofing materials. Current sales have reached $5 million with products distributed throughout Australia, the USA, Pacific Rim and Dubai.

Since 1987 Dracula's Cabaret Restaurant has been operating a theatre restaurant on the Gold Coast catering to domestic and international tourists. Up to six nights each week, the cabaret restaurant provides dinner, drinks and a two-hour show combining comedy, puppetry, music, song and dance. The unique Dracula's Cabaret Restaurant experience ranges from roller-skating parking attendants to a ghost train ride to a horror-themed dinner.

MiniMovers has been providing Southeast Queensland residents with short-distance removal services since 1985. The company started the business with an initial investment of $200 and one vehicle. Today, MiniMovers employs up to 90 people and operates 26 trucks and five support vehicles. The company's in-house training system has provided work opportunities for unskilled and the long-term unemployed.

Messagecom provides telephone message systems to more than 1,000 small business clients. The business aims to provide entertaining and educational on hold telephone messages that get noticed. Messagecom was started in the spare bedroom of a home in Townsville five years ago but today has moved into custom-built sound studios and offices on the Gold Coast.

The PRO-ARCH PODIATRY CENTRE was established in Cairns in 1992. Since that time the business has developed and trademarked its own custom-made arch supports and opened a second centre in Mackay. Within 12 months of opening, the Mackay centre reached the performance and profitability of the original centre - something attributed to a clear vision and an effective business and marketing plan.

Markinson Technologies is a software developer specialising in products for distribution, sales and service companies working in traditional and e-commerce environments. Their signature product services a range of business needs from customer service to operations, supply management and financial management and reporting. Markinson Technologies services clients in Australia and the Asia Pacific region.

MiniMovers has been providing Southeast Queensland residents with short-distance removal services since 1985. The company started the business with an initial investment of $200 and one vehicle. Today, MiniMovers employs up to 90 people and operates 26 trucks and five support vehicles. The company's in-house training system has provided work opportunities for unskilled and the long-term unemployed.