News
Issue No. 12 - August/September 2003
Six of the Best
Six of South Australia’s most talented entrepreneurs were honoured in the Central Region Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards held at the Adelaide Convention Centre in July.
The awards recognised the achievements of Stefan Ahrens of Ahrens Engineering Pty Ltd, Roger Drake of Drake Foodmarkets, Terry Crabb of Aldinga Turkeys, Dr Stephen Kirkby of Maxamine, Mike Rankin of Holco Fine Meat Suppliers and philanthropist Geoff Lockyear of Overseas Pharmaceutical Aid for Life.
“The entrepreneurial talent here in South Australia is clearly world class and one can’t help but be inspired by this outstanding group of talented individuals who have displayed such vision, determination and leadership,” says Ernst & Young Managing Partner, Adelaide, Tony Smith.
The six Central Region Finalists will now compete against the winners from the four other regions for the national title on 3 December. The national winner will then represent Australia at the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in Monte Carlo in 2004.
Young Entrepreneur winner Stefan Ahrens took over responsibility for the family business, W Ahrens & Son Pty Ltd at 25 years of age. Ten years later, that business has grown into Ahrens Engineering Pty Ltd, a national company that was listed in BRW’s Top 100 fastest growing private companies from 1996 to 2000. Ahrens Engineering designs and constructs industrial buildings, warehouse and office complexes, rural and domestic sheds, structural steel, grain silos and material handling projects.
As a young store manager at Coles, Master Entrepreneur winner Roger Drake had ambitions to own his own company. In 1974 he founded Drake Foodmarkets as a three—lane supermarket at Mitcham. Through hard work and a will to win, he built Drake Foodmarkets into the largest independent supermarket group in Australia, which also provides consultancy services to the local and international supermarket industry.
At 16, ...
