By BRIDGET SCOTT
THE excitement of this year’s Casey-Cardinia Business Awards could be felt from the moment people entered the Cardinia Cultural Centre last week.
The building was transformed and illuminated to honour the hardworking business men and women in the community, and decked out to celebrate a number of local business achievements across the past 12 months.
An accounting firm with its head office in Cranbourne took our the most acclaimed award for the night. Highview Accounting Services was announced the 2014 Casey-Cardinia Business of the Year.
Partner Silvio Marinelli accepted this award, as well as two others on behalf of the team.
The firm stole the spotlight on the night, after it was also awarded the Business and Professional Services Award, as well as the Environment Sustainability Award, as recognised by the judges.
Mr Marinelli, who said he “is better with numbers than with words” was nearly lost for words by the time his team took to the stage for the third time.
“I am good with numbers, we won three awards, so that’s good,” he said.
Highview Accounting Firm operates three offices, with one in Prahran, another in Mornington and its head office in Cranbourne.
The unique accounting service was recognised for its carbon neutral status which it gained in 2009.
Prior to the awards, marketing manager Brodie Crowther said: “We wanted clients to be able to come here and take things to another level and provide a strategy for any situation.”
The team jumped for joy when it was announced as the business of the year, up against two other companies which had also been recognised with other awards on the night.
This was the first year the City of Casey and Cardinia Shire had combined the awards which proved to be a huge success, with a highly esteemed guest in the audience.
Governor of Victoria Alex Chernov attended the evening and announced the recipient of the business of the year award.
Guests were asked to stand when the Hon. Alex Chernov entered the room, and he later addressed the crowd with an engaging and entertaining speech.
He congratulated both the winners, as well as those who didn’t receive the awards, and kept everyone on the edge of their seats as he paused before opening the winning envelope to congratulate the judges.
Both mayors, Graeme Moore and Geoff Ablett, thanked the Governor for attending the ceremony after he had spent the day in the Cardinia Shire.
Cr Abeltt said the joining of these two award ceremonies was a “defining moment in the Casey-Cardinia relationship.”
Cr Moore opened the evening and said that “the Casey-Cardinia partnership is committed to responding to the business community’s needs.”
“We’ve joined forces with Casey to recognise and celebrate,” he said.
“We are an active, competitive and diverse business economy, and we are proud of the partnership between the two municipalities.”
