Rival Gold Coast real estate agents battle for honours

Written on the 22 August 2013 by Gold Coast PR company Consulting Hall

Two of the Gold Coast’s most significant real estate rivals have been forced to share the honours at the Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards for July

The Gold Coast’s largest real estate agency Ray White Surfers Paradise claimed the honours in the Trades, Professions and Services category while Lucy Cole Prestige Properties won the Family Business Award.

The two successful agencies are direct competitors but everyone was smiling when they accepted their awards before a crowd of about 100 onlookers at the Suncorp Bank sponsored ceremony at the Southport Golf Coast Club last week.

The Ray White Surfers Paradise Group set up on the Gold Coast in December 1989 after brothers Andrew and Gregory Bell moved from Sydney.

During the past 24 years the business has grown significantly and it now employs 240 people across its 24 divisions.

Comparatively, Lucy Cole Prestige Properties is a much smaller business but it has developed a strong niche position in the prestige end of the Gold Coast property sector.

Led by prominent businesswomen Lucy Cole this business has two offices and Ms Cole has brought her two sons Nick and John into the business in recent years.

A much less well known business but equally as successful claimed the honours in the Mayor’s Innovation category. Aqualuma Lighting, which manufactures LED underwater lights and exports them to 52 countries around the world, is one of the quiet achievers on the Gold Coast.

Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards president Ian Cousins said the company was a global leader in LED lighting technology.

“In 2012 Aqualuma introduced the world’s most efficient LED high bay light for commercial buildings, reducing carbon emissions and lowering power consumption by up to 75 per cent,’’ said Mr Cousins.

In the other sections, Scorpio Screen and Blinds, which has almost 40 employees, secured the Manufacturing and Construction trophy; nutritional supplements manufacture Morlife won the Retail, Wholesale and Distribution award, Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat collected the Tourism, Hospitality and Events honors, Universe Solar won the Emerging Busienss award,

Hirum Australasia was the best in the Knowledge Management and IT section, GreenBizCheck cleaned up the Environment and Sustainability award, and Super Sprout won the Health and Wellbeing award.

The organisers are now calling for entries for the September awards with entries due on September 1.

All the monthly winners from 2013 will eligible for the annual awards which will be presented at the Black Tie Gala Presentation in November.

Sponsors include Gold Coast City Council, Suncorp Bank, Virgin Australia, AusIndustry, Michael Sing Lawyers, Griffith University, Regional Development Australia and Gold Coast Airport.

And our major supporters are SMART Advertising, Consulting Hall, Surfers Inkspot, Jupiters Gold Coast, Regina King Photography, Staging Connections, Bond University & KPMG.

The awards’ media sponsors include the Gold Coast Bulletin, NBN Television, 92.5 Gold FM &  90.9 Sea FM.