Forbes Family Dentist has taken out top honours at the Forbes business community’s night of nights, the Boscars.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The dental practice first picked up the business award for Excellence in Small Business (under 20 employees) before winning the overall award at the 2017 Evolution Mining Boscars.
Principal dentist Dr Daniel Demosthenous described the win as surreal.
Saying he was not expecting the honour, Dr Demosthenous said, “It’s a nice feeling to be part of a team which punches above its weight.”
Forbes Family Dentists opened in 2015 after a lengthy project to refurbish the building at the corner of Rankin and Templar streets for its office and clinic.
The Business of the Year was chosen from the winners of all of the other categories, which are celebrated on pages 12 and 13 today.
The winners of categories aligned to NSW Business Chamber awards can progress to the 2018 Western NSW Business Awards.
Special guests at last Friday night’s gala dinner included Jason Greive representing major sponsor Evolution Mining, Member for Riverina Michael McCormack, Member for Orange Philip Donato and Forbes Mayor Graeme Miller.
All paid tribute to Forbes Business Chamber for an outstanding evening and congratulated local businesses on their year-round efforts.
“You are the backbone of Australia, you are employing people,” Mr McCormack, Minister for Small Business, said.
“Without small business, Forbes, this shire, this region, would not function as well as it does.”
Guest speaker Neil Druce from Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory shared his story of starting what is now a significant tourism operation with $12,000, one employee and a derelict building.
“I wouldn’t recommend it,” he quipped of his start.
Mr Druce described himself as a farm boy with a dream of value-adding to his farm’s wheat production and “doing tourism”.
Learning licorice was about 30 per cent wheat, he focussed on that. He had a five-week crash course in making it.
The official opening he thought might attract 100 people drew an estimated 6000 … and continues to attract more than 200 visitors a day to Junee. He now employs 95 people including his three children.
Mr Druce said he felt Forbes had a great business base, he had thoroughly enjoyed meeting Forbes business owners and hearing their stories at the gala dinner.
