Derby firm wins WA Regional Small Business Award

Written on the 14 November 2016 by Lana Reed

Wattnow Electrical named overall winner of 2016 WA Regional Small Business Award!
Winners from seven regions take category prizes

After six years of hard work and careful business management, Aboriginal electrician Jonathan Smith and his wife Prue Plowright, of Wattnow Electrical in Derby, have won the 2016 Western Australian Regional Small Business of the Year Award.

Small Business Minister Sean L'Estrange presented the award in Perth on Friday night.

Mr L'Estrange said Mr Smith and Ms Plowright were outstanding winners, with Mr Smith having started the business from home, soon after he finished his apprenticeship.

"With finalists from nine regions across the State, the competition was fierce for this year's awards, but Mr Smith and Ms Plowright are deserving winners," he said.

"This is an example of a young man and his wife who have grown their business to serve the local community through great drive, passion and skill.  In the past four years, they have grown their workforce from two employees to eight."

The Kimberley-based company, which also won the category for Aboriginal Business, receives $1,000, $25,000 in advertising from GWN7 and the production of a 30-second commercial courtesy of Lomax Media.  Other prizes included a $15,000 scholarship to the Curtin Business School Centre for Entrepreneurship Business Growth program.

The category winners came from seven regions across Western Australia, including two winners each from the South-West and Gascoyne regions and one each from the Mid-West, Kimberley, Great Southern, Goldfields-Esperance and Peel regions.

DID YOU KNOW?

• There are more than 214,000 small businesses in WA, with more than 53,000 in regional areas
• Small business contributes an estimated $44 billion a year to the Gross State Product

Click HERE for a list of all the winners.