The Western NSW 2022 Regional Business Awards were held on Friday night 22 July with a crowd of around 190 finalists, supporters and sponsors on hand at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo to celebrate business excellence. 

The awards attract entries from a region that reaches from Lithgow to beyond Bourke with western plains towns like Cobar, Lightning Ridge and Coonamble well-represented at this year's event.

After taking out the Excellence in Innovation and Excellence in Micro Business, Dubbo-based family-run business 123 Tix were strong favourites and were finally rewarded with the top honour of 2022 Business of the Year. 

A young Cobar business star also sparkled, with Bree Martin earning the judge's praise and the admiration of the room, bringing home the only Highly Commended awarded on the night in the Outstanding Young Business Leader category. 

After starting her training at the age of 15 with a Certificate II in Beauty, followed by a couple of years of practice, further training, months of preparation and COVID delays, Miss Martin finally opened her one-room salon Envy Beauty by Bree in Gibbs Street Cobar in September 2021. 

Less than twelve months later, and while completing her Year 12 studies, Bree has completed her Certificate IV in Beauty and is renovating a three-room salon with plans to relocate soon. 

18 year old Bree Martin took home a Highly Commended in the Outstanding Young Business Leader Category.

The salon hours are arranged to accommodate Bree's school commitments. 

"I do it mostly by myself after school and a lot of late nights," she said. "A lot of people prefer their appointments in the afternoon and night hours." 

Miss Martin currently treats customers for around 20 hours a week but says there are also "a lot of hours and late nights" spent doing bookwork. 

As if that is not impressive enough, when accepting the award Bree quietly informed the crowd that the past twelve months had been " pretty tough" with her mother undergoing treatment for oesophagal cancer and Bree herself being diagnosed with a brain tumour the same week her mother underwent her major surgery. 

She says her mum is "on the mend and cancer free" while her own cancer is so far being managed by medication. 

"I have four different specialists I go to every two months in Sydney but so far so good," she said. 

She said she managed to continue her business throughout the upheaval with "a lot of leaning on my friends." 

"I have a lot of really good friends who helped me through it she said." 

Miss Martin honoured her best friend, supportive family and the community of Cobar for their backing of her enterprise and she was accompanied on the night by her parents Shae and Shane Martin, best friend Neve Carter, aunt Samantha Portelli and grandparents Rhonda Cooper, Dianne and Larry Jermyn, Rhonda Lutt and Colin Martin. 

Bree Martin with her Highly Commended award and support crew on the night.

"I was very shocked, very happy and very excited, but mostly in shock," Miss Martin said. 

She was the youngest among the six finalists in her category, which was won by Paul Cavalier of Print Storm Mudgee. 

"I definitely think you've got to work harder to prove yourself when you're younger," she said. "It takes a lot more to prove yourself but it's worth it in the end." 

The panel of independent judges praised Bree's drive to build her own success. 

"They admired the way you have understood your market and their needs, along with how you can respond to them," said Master of Ceremonies when introducing Miss Martin. 

 "Your planning processes and the leadership you have displayed holds you in great stead for success." 

Innovation & Resilience

The judges also praised 123 Tix’s impressive regional vision that has innovation at the core and passion underpinning the drive to achieve. 

“123 Tix’s win highlights everything we love about our local business community – innovation, ingenuity, and resilience. 123 Tix’s ability to compete successfully in an industry with very large and well-established competitors is to be celebrated," said Vicki Seccombe, Regional Manager – Western NSW, Business NSW. 

Caroline Wilcher takes the opportunity to speak for the 123 Tix team.

An emotional Terry Wilcher, Managing Director, 123 Tix took the stage with his wife Caroline and four staff members. 

"We are humbled and honoured for our business to receive the Western NSW Business of the Year Award 2022 accolade," Mr Wilcher said. 

"We are fiercely independent. We are regionally focussed and passionately believe in the importance of regional business." 

The business had already won a number of awards, including the same Regional Business of the Year award in 2018.

Mr Wilcher told the audience that the pandemic had been one of their toughest challenges, with lockdowns seeing hundreds of their customers' events cancelled. 

“We are inspired on a daily basis by other regional businesses and regional people who have continued to rise above the challenges that we have all faced - drought, the pandemic and more," he said. 

"Turning negatives into opportunities is what regional Australians do best, and that is what we continue to aspire to do each and every day through continuous innovation and a regionally based team." 

“We are sincerely grateful to our amazing team, to our organisers and other staunch supporters who have been there in good times and bad and to everyone who supports regional communities and businesses through the purchase of tickets." 

Celebrating success

Master of Ceremonies for the night was Peak Hill born Sydney-based funny man Clint Paddison, who had every business cliche down pat and encouraged recipients to use them freely.

Special guests included Ellie Brown, Business NSW Board Director and the Hon Dugald Saunders MP Minister for Western NSW. Entertainment was provided by the dynamic Gabe Music.

Event organiser, Vicki Seccombe of Business NSW, said she was pleased with the response to the first regional awards event since 2019. 

“The Western NSW Business Awards are all about celebrating and showcasing the diverse array of talent in Western NSW’s business community," she said. 

“We generally see winners from all over the region, but it’s definitely Dubbo and the western part of the region that have dominated the awards this year. 

“It’s been an incredibly tough number of years for many businesses due to Covid, drought, bushfires and mouse plagues, so these awards are a wonderful opportunity to shine a spotlight on our amazing group of finalists from right across the region."

Winners of the 2022 Western NSW Business Awards will now represent the region at the State Business Awards to be held in late November. 

“Based on the calibre of this year’s finalists, I expect that our regional winners will again do very well at the State Business Awards,” Ms Seccombe said. 

2022 Western NSW Regional Winners 

• Outstanding Employee: Jacob Willetts, Western Plains Automotive, Dubbo 

• Outstanding Young Business Leader : Paul Cavalier, Print Storm, Mudgee & Dubbo 

• Highly Commended: Bree Martin, Envy Beauty By Bree, Cobar 

• Outstanding Business Leader: Joh Leader, LeaderLife, Dubbo 

• Employer of Choice: iClick2Learn, Dubbo 

• Excellence in Innovation: 123 Tix, Dubbo 

• Outstanding Community Organisation: LeaderLife, Dubbo 

• Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion: iClick2Learn, Dubbo 

• Outstanding Start Up: Quentin Park Alpacas and Studio Gallery, Tomingley 

• Excellence in Micro Business: 123 Tix, Dubbo 

• Excellence in Small Business: Topsoil Organics, Forbes 

• Excellence in Business: AWCON, Orange 

• Outstanding Local Chamber: Dubbo Chamber of Commerce 

• Western NSW Business of the Year: 123 Tix, Dubbo