The Illawarra’s business community came together in celebration of achievement at last night's prestigious 2023 IMB Bank Illawarra Business Awards, held at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong.
With a remarkable turnout of over 740 attendees, this year's awards ceremony embraced the theme of “Glitz & Glamour”, shining a spotlight on the best of the best companies and individuals the Illawarra region has to offer.
Business Illawarra’s Executive Director, Adam Zarth, expressed his admiration for the local business community, stating, “Our local businesses have shown once again how fortunate we all are to have such a talented pool of individuals driving the fortunes of our local economy forward.”
The night's festivities showcased the region’s remarkable growth across a diverse spectrum of industries.
“More than ever before, our region’s prospects across an expanding range of sectors – and in small and medium enterprise particularly – are thriving, and tonight’s winners are a showcase of the many businesses grasping those opportunities.”
Hysata was crowned the 2023 IMB Bank Illawarra Business of the Year, also securing wins in the Excellence in Tech and Excellence in Innovation categories as well.
This recognition marks a remarkable achievement for Hysata, a standout leader in the electrolyser industry, introducing the most noteworthy innovation in electrolyser technology in a century.
Their commitment to harnessing innovative technology, promoting competition, fostering academic-industrial collaboration, and catalysing regional development led the judges to award them the top honour. They are rightly proud of their local roots and believe that the Illawarra has everything it needs to develop and support world class, industry-leading technology.
In a first for the Illawarra Business Awards, Greenacres Disability Services received a highly commended award for Business of the Year. Greenacres, an established business, was recognized for its unwavering commitment to innovation, constant evaluation, and adaptive business strategies. Their mission to enhance the quality of life for individuals with disabilities in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions has made them truly deserving recipients of this commendation.
The awards also celebrated outstanding individuals within the Illawarra business community:
- Jemma Tribe, representing Nowra Community, was honored as the region's Outstanding Business Leader for 2023.
- Christine Cross from The Cram Foundation was announced as the 2023 Outstanding Employee.
- Jane Curran from Curran Plumbing and Electrical earned the Outstanding Young Business Leader Award.
A full list of winners can be found here.