Top awards for local exporters

Chris Schreurs on his celery, leek and lettuce farm in Clyde. 151240_01

By Victoria Stone-Meadows

BUSINESSES in Casey have been recognised for their hard work at the 37th Governor of Victoria Export Awards.
The awards highlight the contributions local businesses make to the Victorian economy through their export trade.
Lynbrook-based pipe welding and fusion equipment producer, Worldpoly, took home the Victorian Export Award for Innovation Excellence.
The family-run business have been in operation for over 50 years and supply equipment all over the world for mining, irrigation, water supply and distribution, sewer and drainage, gas mains, and more.
Clyde farming legends Schreurs and Sons were awarded the Agribusiness Award for overall excellence across horticultural and agricultural business.
Farm owner and operator Chris Schreurs said the award is a great honour and he is proud of the hard work his cousins and other employees had put into the farm over the years.
“It’s very much a high honour and it means a lot,” he said.
“It reflects on a lot of hard work, not only the directors have put in, but all our employees to making our strategy of targeting export markets possible.”
Schreurs and Sons have expanded their business into exporting celery, leek and lettuce to six countries as well as domestically.
“We sell into the UAE, Japan, Hong King, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia,” Mr Schreurs said.
“We could expand into other markets but plan on concentrating on expanding into and servicing the markets that have already taken us on board.”
Export trade is big business; adding $39.4 billion in goods and services to the Victorian economy in 2014/’15.
Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade, Philip Dalidakis, said the awards show the high calibre of export trade produced in Victoria.
“We’re leading the country in small business growth and exports, and these awards give us the opportunity to provide our local businesses with the recognition they deserve for taking the very best of Victoria to the world.”