The 2021 MTA Queensland Industry Awards Gala will be held on Saturday, 20th November at the Emporium Hotel, South Bank, in Brisbane, and is a celebration of the automotive industry and training excellence, as well as the achievements of MTA Queensland members and MTA Institute apprentices throughout Queensland over the past 12 months.

The Gala will again be hosted by Ben Davis from Channel Seven, who did such an outstanding job of overseeing the evening’s events and entertaining the more than 200 guests who attended the last full Awards Gala, held in the pre-covid days of 2019.

This time around, Ben will be joined by special guest Steven Bradbury, the man who created history in 2002 when he won Australia’s first Winter Olympics Gold Medal at the Salt Lake City Games in the US. In that event, we all remember, Bradbury was the outsider who took the win in the 1000m short-track speed skating event after staying clear of the jostling amongst his competitors and crusing through for the gold after they all tumbled and crashed out on the last lap.

It was an amazing race that capped incredible journey for Bradbury, and he won fans the world over with the honesty and humility he showed after the win. He saw the victory as reward not for one race, but for training seven days a week for 12 years.

To hear Steven talk about his journey and relate his story will make for a terrific evening. However, the highlight of the Industry Awards Gala will be the presentation of the awards that recognise the tremendous work done by MTA Queensland members and MTA Institute apprentices through the year. In next month’s edition of Motor Trader, we will take a look at the finalists for the Apprentice of the Year award. This month, however, we focus on the finalists of the three business awards.

These awards are:

• THE COMMUNITY AWARD, to be presented to an individual or member business who is a role model in their community and this is evidenced by their actions.
• THE INNOVATION AWARD, to be presented to an individual or business that is supporting or implementing innovation in the automotive or
  mobility industry.
• THE WOMEN IN BUSINESS AWARD, to be presented to a female leader achieving success by their commitment to driving change in the automotive or mobility industry.

As always, those nominated for the award were all extremely impressive and the finalists this year are outstanding representatives of the industry and an example of what can be achieved through hard work and smart thinking coupled to plenty of drive and enthusiasm.

Across Queensland, automotive businesses work tremendously hard to service their communities and adapt to an industry that is going through real and substantial transformation, challenging themselves to be creative and innovative in their approach. Recognising these businesses, and the people that lead them, is a privilege and highlights what tremendous work is being done.

Over the next few pages, you’ll discover more about the great people and businesses that are finalists in these award categories.

Bill Robertson Toyota

Finalist

Bill Robertson Toyota (BRT) has been a fixture in Gladstone for nearly 50 years and it’s no surprise to discover the deep connections the award-winning dealership has made with the community in that time.

That community encompasses a wide area – including Calliope, Boyne Island, Tannum Sands, Agnes Water, 1770, Miriam Vale, Mt Larcom, and the Builyan region – and the business, run by founder Bill Robertson’s son James and wife Erin, reaches out to support that community through a large number of sponsorships and support programs.

The dealership’s biggest sponsorship commitment is with the local Gladstone AFL team, known as the Bill Robertson Toyota Gladstone Suns, while other sponsorships include the Gladstone Harbour Festival, the Mt Larcom Show Society, the Gladstone Orchid & Foliage Society, the Gladstone & Mt Larcom Bowls Clubs, National Tree Day local events, Koolyangarra Kindergarten, Gladstone West State School, Gladstone Rugby Union Junior Players Program, and the Cancer Council.

The BRT team also supports the RACQ Capricorn Helicopter Rescue through voluntary staff contributions given via their regular pay, and offer pro-bono work with the Gladstone Anglican Church Parish and the Gladstone Men’s Shed for their vehicle services.

The business also offers financial assistance to community charity service Heart of Australia which assists rural communities with specialist health services.

These are just some of the programs of support that BRT delivers and it’s clear that the team works hard to live up to the community-focused dealership slogan
of ‘We love locals’.

For Dealer Principal James and wife Erin – who is the Dealership Marketing and Brand Manager – supporting the community is vital to being a good corporate citizen and the duo volunteer their time on local Boards, with Erin a Board Director/Vice Chair of Roseberry Qld and a Committee Member of the Gladstone Chamber of Commerce and Industry, while James is the Secretary of MTA Queensland, Chairman of MTA Queensland’s Australian Automobile Dealers Association committee, Chair
of Equip Gladstone, Board Member of Rio Tinto Community Fund, and Committee Member of Gladstone’s Creative Recycling Centre.

For James, Erin, and the BRT team, being deeply involved with their community is vital, and for the business to have their expansive efforts recognised through the MTA Queensland Community Award is something of which they are rightly proud.

“Local businesses need the support of their local community to survive. It’s a two-way street – you have to earn support by giving support,” said James. “Supporting community activities also enables you to get to know and become known to more members of the community. Working with the community to ensure local sports, events and services are able to be held is actually a lot of fun and very rewarding.

“We were really surprised and thankful,” he added of BRT being named a finalist for the Community Award. “I think it’s important for MTA Queensland to highlight what our industry does in all the communities its members run their businesses. There are many businesses just like mine that make large and small contributions every day.”

CLICK HERE to visit the Bill Robertson Toyota website.

Ireland’s of Cairns

Finalist

There can be few names in Far North Queensland that are more associated with the automotive industry than Ireland.

Why? Because the Ireland’s of Cairns dealership has been in the car business for nearly a century, and generations of the Ireland family have been involved in the industry since the company was founded in 1923.

Naturally, the business has forged deep roots in the community over that time and supports, or has supported, many local organisations. Amongst these are the Cairns Taipans NBL Basketball team and many other sporting clubs as well as not-for-profit groups such as Rotary, Advance Cairns, the Cairns Choral Society, and the Cairns Regional Art Gallery. Other organisations that have been supported include the Red Cross; the Volunteer Coast Guard; and the Cairns Agricultural, Pastoral & Mining Association.

The business also works with local high schools delivering work experience programs and in-school presentations, and has assisted organisations in pro-bono positions, including the local planning committee in the Regional Jobs Investment Program, tasked by the Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development to create a local investment plan.

Richard Ireland, Dealer Principal and co-owner of the company, has been involved in a range of roles that support the community. Since 2015 he has been the President of the Far North Queensland Youth Assistance Fund and he was also Chair of the Reef & Rainforest Research Centre Ltd for 8 years.

In fact, in June 2020, Richard’s work with, and service to, the Cairns community was recognised with the Medal of the Order of Australia – a most prestigious honour – and he has received other notable awards for his contributions to the region.

The engagement that Ireland’s of Cairns, as well as Richard himself, has developed with the community is very meaningful and goes well beyond a common-sense business strategy. Regional communities are renowned for their tight and supportive relationships and that is clearly deeply important to the Ireland family.

“I think there is a significantly greater connection with the community in provincial and country dealerships than I’ve seen over the years in Metro,” said Richard. “I do not doubt there is significant support given from Metro dealers, and probably on a grander financial scale every time. But in the regions, it tends to be the dealership owners that personally connect with the community, not just the business name.

“Why do we do it? I guess we don’t know any difference in our family. We’ve always done more than we probably need to, and it’s not for the warm feeling from others – we often do things under the radar and don’t ask for recognition. It’s just in our DNA.”

For Richard, having his team’s work acknowledged with a spot on the shortlist at the MTA Queensland awards is extremely satisfying, and one that everyone in the company is feeling.

“There’s a level of pride that is undoubtedly felt when a team is recognised,” he said. “And the comments that have been forthcoming from our people show that they feel this is personal to them and the business. It’s a good feeling that’s shared.”

CLICK HERE to visit the Ireland’s of Cairns website.

Filby’s Motors

Finalist

One thing that marks out each of the MTA Queensland Community Award finalists this year is their longevity.

Filby’s Motors, of Proserpine and Bowen, was founded, and is still run, by members of the Filby family and has been a cornerstone of the town and the wider Whitsunday region for more than 60 years.

As with any business that has been successful for so long, Filby’s Motors has a deep engagement with its community that goes well beyond supplying the quality vehicles and top-notch customer service for which it is known.

The region has overcome plenty of hurdles over the years – from financial hardships to effects of weather events such as Tropical Cyclone Debbie in 2017 that threatened the destruction of the local horticulture and tourism industry. But the communities work together to repair and restore each time, and Filby’s Motors plays its part, sponsoring and actively participating in community events, school projects, sporting groups, and fundraisers.

Organisations and events it supports include National Tree Day, Whitsunday Suicide Prevention, Bowen Tourism & Business, CQ Rescue, Bowen Men’s Shed, Ronald McDonald House, North Qld Toyota Cowboys . . . and the list goes on.

Filby’s Motors’ team members also volunteer for a range of organisations. These include the Bowen Turf Club, where they have volunteered for more than nine years and at which the company sponsors races, holds various events, and is the organiser of the 2021 Filby’s Motors Fashions on the Field event.

“Filby’s Motors has been part of the Whitsundays community since 1964 and strives to give back to the community that has supported us for over 66 years,” said Emily Harvey, Branding & Marketing Manager for the business.

“Supporting the community and local businesses is contagious – it creates a flow-on effect that increases community pride, local diversity and commerce for local businesses, which assists in creating opportunities for the owners and employees of these businesses to succeed and in turn support fellow local businesses and community groups.

“This strengthens our local economy, helps create more jobs, improves the wellbeing and mental health of the local community, helps the community learn new skills and resilience, and reduces environmental impact.”

While Filby’s Motors doesn’t expect or hope to receive accolades for its work in the community, Emily added that there was plenty of pride within the business at being named finalists for the Community Award.

“Being recognised for the sponsorship, support and volunteering the owners and staff do with local community groups and events is just another reason to keep giving back to the community,” she said. “Each year, Filby’s Motors looks for new ways to support local clubs, groups, events and individuals achieve success, and we share the belief that working together for a better community makes the community and Filby’s Motors stronger.”

CLICK HERE to visit the Filby’s Motors website.

Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (October 2021)

13 October 2021