The valuable contribution made by volunteers to the community has been recognised at the 2016 Volunteer of the Year Awards.

Trophies and certificates were presented to the category winners at September’s Mayor’s Family Picnic before the announcement of the overall winner, Trudy Poole, who has been a volunteer for more than 20 years and has been involved in many projects that benefit the Frankston community.

The winners were:
Volunteer of the Year: Trudy Poole
Youth Services (15-24 years): Joshua Hamilton, Community Support Frankston
Aged Services:  Bob and Pam Watson, Sharehouse (a program of Brotherhood of St Laurence)
Community Development: Trudy Poole, Rotary Peninsula 2.0 (among other roles)
Emergency Services: Bill Ellis, Langwarrin Fire Brigade
Environment:  Sally Harding, Lower Sweet Water Creek Reserve
Sport: Gary Bradshaw, Frankston Dolphins Junior Football Club
Highly Commended: Glenn Cooper, That’s The Thing About Fishing

IMPACT VOLUNTEERING
A: 20 Ebdale St, Frankston
T: 9783 5883
W: impactvolunteering.org.au

Mitchell Torre Real Estate was founded in 1996 and since then has gone from strength to strength.

With its main office located in the prime position of Patterson Lakes’ shopping centre, the company’s focus is always on its vendors, landlords, buyers and tenants.

“We pride ourselves on mature, friendly and professional service,” says Director Steve Torre.  “We have the largest rental portfolio in the area, servicing Bayside and surrounding areas, and we have four very experienced and professional portfolio managers, ensuring you get the best and most current practices, software systems and advice on current legislation.”

Experience the Mitchell Torre difference.  

MITCHELL TORRE REAL ESTATE
A: Shop 17, Lakeview Shopping Centre, Thompson Rd, Patterson Lakes

T:  9772 0077

W: www.mtre.com.au

Leading horticulture company Ball Australia is moving to Skye as part of a $15 million expansion of its production nursery and distribution business.

The company has secured a $350,000 State Government grant to support the move, which is expected to be completed by mid-2017 and will include the construction of a production centre and office complex on a 20ha site on the corner of Hall Rd and Westernport Highway.  The privately-owned Keysborough site it has occupied since 1998 will be sold.

The move is expected to create up to 19 new jobs with the company over the next five years, potentially including 12 retrenched automotive workers in the first 18 months, and as many as 100 construction jobs.

Ball Australia’s managing director, Paul Boland, said: “The move comes at a time of rapid growth for the amenity horticulture sector, and we want to be there to support this growth.

What Ball Australia will bring to Melbourne’s southeast as well as the overall Australian horticulture industry is opportunity, jobs, improved marketing and promotion of plant products plus a continuance of bringing gardening into consumers’ lifestyles.”

The new site will feature advanced equipment including germination chambers, growing and mother stock facilities and hi-tech environmental controls.

The chairman of the Arthurs Seat Skylift Consortium, Simon McKeon, will be the guest speaker at next month’s FMP Business Breakfast Series at the Frankston Arts Centre.

Named Australian of the Year in 2011 for his support of multiple Australian and international charities, Simon is a highly successful businessman who has served as chairman of AMP and the CSIRO.  He was founding president of the Federal Government's Australian Takeovers Panel as well as its Point Nepean Community Trust, is a former executive chairman of the Macquarie Group’s Melbourne office, chancellor of Monash University, chairman of In2Science and the Group of Eight's Industry and Innovation Board, and the State Government’s Australia Day Ambassador.
Beyond business, Simon is the helmsman of Macquarie Innovation, which in 2009 became the first sailboat in the world to sustain more than 50 knots, and is also a founding patron of the Australian Olympic Sailing Team, which won three golds and a silver at the 2012 London Olympics, making Australia the best-performed sailing nation at the Games.

You can hear Simon speak on Driving Success In Business And Life on Thursday, November 10, from 7-9am.  Tickets: $60 ($600 for table of 10) from fmpbrekky.com.au

Rodney owns Tuscan Trellis Specialist Painting in Frankston and works on a range of projects from heritage-listed buildings to objets d'art, from interior designer stores to modern colour themes and decorative painted effects.

Rodney recently needed to hire a new employee, but hiring new staff can have a tremendous impact on a small business because it takes time and money to find the right candidate.  As Rodney was thinking about how to go about finding the right candidate, he coincidentally came across SkillsPlus.

“I was on my way somewhere and was grabbing a coffee.  I was parked outside of SkillsPlus in Frankston and I thought I might as well go in to find out what SkillsPlus is all about.  SkillsPlus was very easy to deal with and I got to speak with someone straight away.  Damian sat down with me and listened to what I needed.”

“We listen to local businesses and help them find candidates that are ready to work,” said Damian from SkillsPlus.  “We also provide a range of supports when employers like Tuscan Trellis Specialist Painting employ a new staff member through us.”

Rodney was looking for someone willing to learn and who already had artistic abilities. It was also important to him that the person was respectful and humble.  Damian recommended Bensen because he knew Bensen had the right attitude and skills.  Bensen had been unemployed for three or four years and was struggling to find a job.  He is excited about his new job and is currently saving up money to buy his first car.

“I have already recommended SkillsPlus to other people I know,” Rodney said.  “Bensen has shown real initiative and is committed to his job.  It’s great to be able to teach someone new skills and provide them with an opportunity to get back into the workforce.   I also really enjoy having input on the work from someone young who sees things with different eyes.”

SKILLSPLUS
A: 31 Playne Street, Frankston
T: 9784 0400
W: www.skillsplus.com.au

Greg Veitch has made real estate his career since joining his father’s business in 1972.
Greg is a fully licensed estate agent and has been running the company since 1985.
In the time Greg has worked the Seaford area, he has seen many dramatic changes and improvements, but always the Seaford beach and village atmosphere has held wide appeal.

Greg is married and has two grown-up children.
Speak to Greg for straightforward, honest advice with any of your real estate matters.

VEITCH REAL ESTATE
A: 113A Nepean Highway, Seaford
T: 9786 2933

From baby photos to treasured memorabilia, The Framers Gallery can help you design the perfect frame in which to display your precious memories.

The Framers Gallery has a huge range of frames and mats of every colour so you are sure to find the ideal frame, be it for a great work of art, brilliant photograph, band poster, beautifully made tapestry, 3D object or memorabilia.

All framing is done on site by framers with years of experience and who take great pride in their standards of workmanship, and the design consultants will ensure you find exactly what you’re looking for.

THE FRAMERS GALLERY
A: 8/11 Apsley Place, Seaford
T: 9786 8373
W: http://www.theframersgallery.com.au/

Intesols specialises in providing effective digital solutions for your business.  

“We assist over 350 businesses and brands in Australia with their creative, management and technology issues so our expertise is tested and proven,” says managing director Jitendra Bhansali.  “Our goal is to provide intelligent and customised digital solutions. Whether it’s web design, mobile apps, e-catalog, e-commerce store or online marketing, we have some of the best talent at our disposal.”
Intesols will provide a complete analysis of your requirements, develop and design digital solutions to your specifications and thoroughly test them to ensure dependability, with technical support as and when required.  

INTESOLS
A: Suite 5 Level 1, 860 Nepean Highway, Hampton East
T: 9553 2824
W: intesols.com.au

For more than 30 years Adam Sawicki and the friendly staff at Bay City Holden and HSV have been selling and servicing new and used vehicles in Frankston and the surrounding region.

The family-owned business is a multi-award-winning Holden Grand Master Dealer whose state-of-the-art modern showroom and large display areas allow customers to casually browse the great range of Holden vehicles.  “Our awards are based on recognition for excellence in sales, service and customer satisfaction, and our staff are specialists who are proud of their association with General Motors Holden,” Adam says.

“We enhance your buying experience by providing expert after-sales service with courtesy pick-up and drop-off convenience, knowing your car is being treated with the care and professionalism you would expect.”

So whether you are buying, selling or leasing, come and experience the difference at Bay City Holden.

BAY CITY HOLDEN AND HSV
A: 140 Dandenong Rd, Frankston
T: 9784 4444
W: baycityholden.com.au

Western Bulldogs vice-president Susan Alberti is the guest speaker at next month’s WomenConnect Luncheon.

Susan was this year awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for eminent service to the community, particularly through philanthropic and fundraising support for a range of medical research, education and sporting organisations, as an advocate for improved health care services for the disadvantaged, and to young women as a role model and mentor.

The WomenConnect Luncheon is on Wednesday, September 7, at Frankston RSL, 183 Cranbourne Rd, from 11.30am-2.30pm.  The cost is $65 for Frankston Business Network members, $69 for non-members, and $625 for a table of 10. Bookings: frankstonbusinessnetwork.com.au or 9781 1422.

The state-wide Small Business Festival continues this month with more workshops in Frankston to help start-up businesses get up and running.

Business Planning and Strategy for Start-Ups (August 16) will show you how to develop a solid business plan.

Bookkeeping For Start-Ups (August 18) will cover tax invoice preparation, record-keeping, tax obligations (including GST and PAYG) and other fundamentals.

Ten Free Things You Can Do Online For Start-Ups (August 23) explores 10 of the latest and greatest free online tools for start-ups, including web design programs, booking services and invoicing systems.

Winning Local Government Tenders (August 25) provides tips on how to find tender information and prepare submissions as well as explaining the process for evaluating and awarding tenders.

How To Fund Your Start-Up (August 30) is with Aidan McDonald, who will explain what banks and lenders are looking for in finance applications from small businesses and will give tips on how to impress and ensure success.

All the workshops run from 6-8pm.

SMALL BUSINESS FESTIVAL
A: Acacia Room, Frankston City Council Civic Centre, cnr Davey and Young streets, Frankston
T: 1300 322 322
E: [email protected]
W: frankston.vic.gov.au/Business/Business_Classes_and_Workshops

Abigail Forsyth is proof that many small acts make a phenomenal difference.

Abigail is the co-founder and chief executive of KeepCup, an Australian design and eco-sustainability company that has gone global.  Her reusable coffee cups contain a fraction of the plastic found in a disposable cup, and KeepCup users have helped divert billions of disposable cups from landfill.

The idea for KeepCups came after she and her brother grew increasingly concerned at the amount of waste their Bluebag café in Melbourne was generating.  “We looked to purchase and sell reusable cups as an alternative to disposables, but observed that not only were existing options unsuitable for specialty coffee, they hadn’t won the hearts of consumers.  We had the notion to make our own but were daunted by the enormous costs of set-up and manufacture.

“My moment of clarity was when I was heating the milk in my daughter’s sippy cup one morning. Imagine if I gave her milk in a disposable cup and then discarded it.  That idea seemed so wasteful, yet I did it with coffee twice a day.  This moment was the call to action.

“We took a huge gamble that usability and aesthetics were the key reasons for poor take-up of reusables. Our café experience was invaluable in providing input to make the KeepCup work behind the coffee machine as well as for the user.”

KeepCups are now sold in more than 30 countries. 

“We think of ourselves as a campaign supported by a product, where the best reusable is the one you use,” Abigail says.  “Ours just happens to be pretty awesome.”

Abigail will speak at the FMP Business Breakfast on Thursday, August 25, from 7-9am at the Frankston Arts Centre, cnr Davey and Young streets. Bookings: trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=190590 or phone 9781 1422.

Telstra is much more than Australia’s largest telco - at the local level it is very much part of the community.

Tony Burke owns The Telstra Shop at the Karingal Hub shopping centre, where it has served the community for 10 years, and Frankston’s Telstra Business Centre, which opened in 2010. For him, community involvement is as important as the exceptional customer service he and his teams provide. Even most of his employees are local.

“Over the past 10 years we have provided more than $100,000 in supporting local associations in their various causes.  We currently sponsor local football, cricket, hockey and basketball teams. In 2014 we were the major sponsor of the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League. Many of my employees play for teams in these competitions. They are active in the local community, which is one of the key attributes we look for in our employees.   

“We currently also sponsor the Frankston Waterfront Festival, the Frankston Christmas Festival of Lights and the Pets Day Out.  We are also the major sponsor of the Frankston Business Network, whose offices are located within our offices in Thompson St.”  

The current hot topic in the Frankston-Langwarrin area is the NBN, Tony says. “NBN is tricky because it is owned by the government, sold by resellers (in our case, Telstra) and installed by a combination of both. There is confusion around NBN; around pricing and plans, around whether it is delivered to the house or the ‘node’, when it has to be connected by (and why) and when the old copper services will be disconnected.  We can help with resolving this confusion.”

Tony and his staff can tailor solutions for homes and businesses that best meet their specific requirements. Visit The Telstra Shop at Karingal Hub (Cranbourne Rd entrance) or the Telstra Business Centre at 9 Thompson St, Frankston.

TELSTRA BUSINESS CENTRE, FRANKSTON
A: 9 Thompson St, Frankston
T: 9770 5165

THE TELSTRA SHOP
A: Karingal Hub shopping centre, 330 Cranbourne Rd, Karingal 3199
T: 9789 3999

Priscilla Cutter’s introduction to the Frankston area came as a result of her many bike rides up Olivers Hill and around Humphries Rd, where she fell in love with the views and the semi-rural lifestyle that reminded her of her childhood in the Dandenong Ranges.

A qualified graphic designer now living in Frankston, Priscilla’s background in advertising and retail marketing has given LogoLogix the unique edge of creating an identity that is both visually appealing and has a marketing strategy combined.

LogoLogix’s strategy is what Priscilla calls the “logo reno”.

“It’s like the House Rules and Backyard Blitz of graphics whereby tired identities aren’t thrown out; the basis of the logo concept still exists, but it’s given a graphic makeover to refresh and revitalise your brand,” she says.

“LogoLogix provides a cost-effective health check for your identity to bring all your graphic elements in line so your brand is remembered and your purpose is clear. There’s nothing more confusing to your market than the business card having one look, the ads another, the website another and the storefront yet another.” 

LogoLogix is situated in Sandringham Village, just opposite Sandringham station.

LOGOLOGIX
A: Suite 13a, 18-34 Station St, Sandringham 3191
T: 9598 6995
E: [email protected]
W: www.logologix.com.au