Winning a national award recognising your business’s achievements is surely something to get excited about? So, what then if that award is on an international stage — amongst a collective group of pioneering and industrious companies that are the very pinnacle of what you strive to do?
Safetyline Jalousie knows exactly how it feels. As this week they proudly announce the news of their 2020 Asia Pacific Silver Stevie Award for Innovation in Construction, Manufacturing or Materials.
Co-owner/Director Leigh Rust is no stranger to awards. Having won back to back Young Entrepreneur of the year awards in 2018 and 2019, you’d imagine this would be in his stride. “I was pleasantly surprised,” said Rust. “Going international is a completely different ball game. I know we do some great stuff, but to be recognised internationally makes me feel very humbled though”.
The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards are the only business awards program to recognize innovation in the workplace in all 29 nations of the Asia-Pacific region. The Stevie Awards are widely considered to be the world’s premier business awards, conferring recognition for achievement in programs such as The International Business Awards® for 18 years.
More than 1,000 nominations from organisations across the Asia-Pacific region were considered this year, with award winners being determined by the average scores of more than 100 executives around the world acting as judges during May and June. “I think it’s great we’re recognised as an Australian company — making noise and standing on our own two feet in the Asia Pacific region,” said Rust.
He isn’t wrong either, as competition within construction particularly in this part of the world is renowned to be fierce. “The building standards and code we work with are some of the highest in the world. Couple this with the harsh terrain we build for, and what we come out with is nothing short of being a world-class product” said Rust.
The ceremony although planned to take place in Hanoi, Vietnam this year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic will now take place on the 22nd September as a virtual awards ceremony.
As Safetyline Jalousie looks to the future and the exciting developments of major construction stimulus proposals, Rust muses. “It was a nice moment when it was announced. I simply stopped, took a step back and looked at the staff, my factory, the projects we’re working on, and yeah — we’ve definitely come a long way”.
