A Sunshine Coast company defying Australian manufacturing industry trends has won a 2016 Telstra Queensland Business Awards.
QUIK CORP creates highly customisable equipment and vehicles for industries as diverse as firefighting and farming and was, on Friday night, named the Telstra Queensland Business of the Year for 2016 as well as taking out the medium business award.
It has already been a big year for the company. Along with the award win they celebrated winning a major contract with the Victorian government to make 80 fire appliances.
The contract is worth more than $15 million.
The company's managing director David Wardle said they used innovation to remain viable in a challenging industry.
"As an Australian manufacturer we are very aware that to remain viable we must innovate and manufacture quality Australian-made products," he said.
Other winners on the night included Lingua Franca, which won the micro business award, In Safe Hands Educators in Safety, which won the small business award, and Tow.com.au, which won the new business award.
Multicultural health and wellbeing organisation World Wellness Group, which runs a clinic for socially disadvantaged people including refugees, asylum seekers, and marginalised migrants, won the charity award, beating Orange Sky Laundry, the creators of which, Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett, were named young Australians of the year this year.
Telstra Queensland Business Awards ambassador Andy Ellis said this year's winners were leaders in their fields.
"The winners of the 2016 Telstra Queensland Business Awards are brilliant businesses who innovate, push boundaries and inspire others. They are celebrated for being bold and disruptive. They are often at the forefront of technology, and are always looking for new ideas and ways of doing things," he said.