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23 Jul 2010
Booleroo Centre machinery exporter named SA Business of the Year

23 July 2010: A family-owned manufacturer and exporter of custom-made agricultural machinery that began 20 years ago in a farm workshop has won top honours in the 2010 Telstra South Australian Business Awards.

Kelly Engineering has evolved from a machine-repairing hobby business in the Southern Flinders Ranges into an award-winning supplier of innovative farm machinery to markets in North America, Denmark, South Africa and New Zealand.

The Booleroo Centre business was announced Telstra South Australian Business of the Year tonight at the 18th Telstra SA Business Awards after earlier winning the Panasonic Australia Medium Business Award.

Telstra Business Group Managing Director and Ambassador for the Telstra Business Award Deena Shiff said that South Australian winners of the five Awards categories were chosen from hotly-contested fields and all had sound business strategies to continue their current growth.

“Kelly Engineering should feel a great sense of pride because the calibre of the 14 finalists in this year’s Awards was very impressive, reflecting the strength of Australia’s small and medium business sector,” Ms Shiff said.

CEO Shane Kelly says the family’s farming background gives Kelly Engineering an excellent appreciation of the reliable and versatile equipment that farming customers need and expect - machinery is tested and developed on the family property.

The business has been at the forefront of innovation in light tillage, harrow and weed control products that aim to contribute to sustainable agriculture. One of its most popular products, the Kelly Disc Chain Harrow, munches stubble and returns the crop residue to the soil.

Kelly Engineering employs 38 staff and is a significant employer of apprentices in SA’s northern agricultural region.

Ms Shiff said: “Judges said Kelly Engineering is an impressive and socially-responsible family business that is servicing world markets with unique, patented and constantly-evolving products backed by strong customer service.

“They have adapted their business model by expanding globally to protect their company and employees against local market fluctuations. While financially strong, they have significant growth opportunities ahead of them.”

Panasonic Australia Managing Director Steve Rust said Kelly Engineering was a very worthy winner of the Panasonic Australia Medium Business Award and must be commended for their efforts and creativity behind their business achievements.

“Panasonic applauds the innovative spirit, customer focus and openness to new business opportunities that Kelly Engineering has demonstrated. At Panasonic we believe that an intense focus on customers is vital for success in today’s business environment,” Mr Rust said.

The full list of 2010 Telstra South Australian Business Awards winners is:

•    businessowner Micro-Business Award – teachers.on.net, an Eastwood company that was a pioneer for internet based recruitment of teachers for Australian schools when launched in 1999. About 3700 schools used the low-cost alternative to print advertising in 2009 with the monthly total of job vacancies advertised on the online site topping 1000 in October.

•    MYOB Small Business Award – Axios IT Pty Ltd, of Wayville, an IT services business established in 2002 that seeks to make IT a revenue generator for its clients – it specialises in online product development and customised business systems and has sustained annual growth of between 40 and 100 per cent.

•    Panasonic Australia Medium Business Award – Kelly Engineering.

•    AMP Innovation Award – Neutrog Australia Pty Ltd, of Kanmantoo, an organic fertiliser manufacturer that developed products which led to export markets in Asia and licensed operations in South Africa and Ireland. Using an innovative community-based marketing model, Neutrog gets its products endorsed by garden societies that in turn share in the royalties. Neutrog has educated thousands of people on the benefits of organic products.

•    Sensis Social Responsibility Award – Neutrog Australia Pty Ltd.

•    Telstra South Australian Business of the Year – Kelly Engineering.

In presenting the Telstra SA Business of the Year Award, Ms Shiff said Telstra was proud to be a key partner of small and medium businesses by providing voice and data communications services and solutions that contribute to their success.