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GEORGE NEWS AND VIDEO - Congratulations to Michael du Plessis, managing director and owner of Grow Green Organics, the 2023 Business Leader of the Year!
Following a month of nominations and intense judging, Du Plessis was announced as the winner of this coveted title at a glamorous gala awards function of the George Business Chamber (GBC) tonight, Friday 24 November, at the Bramble Hill International School banquet hall.
The GBC Business Leader of the Year award is bestowed upon a businessperson who has had a profound impact on the economy of George in the past year, showing great leadership abilities, exceptional growth and a positive contribution to the greater community of George.
Du Plessis started Grow Green Organics in 2007 with one bakkie, providing bakkie loads of organic mulch compost in the Garden Route and doing most of the hand labour himself, with the help of one general worker.
The company grew by leaps and bounds and Du Plessis expanded into manufacturing and distributing a wide range of gardening products to franchise suppliers and nurseries in the Western and Eastern Cape. Today, he owns various companies in transport, logistics and mining, and is expanding into property development. He employs more than 100 people.
Du Plessis attributed his success to quality service, hard work, being aware of movements in the market and being prepared for any opportunity. He also won the George Chamber’s Business Person of the Year in 2016.
VIDEO - Business Leader of the Year, Michael du Plessis:
Michael du Plessis, GBC Business Leader of the Year.
GBC Innovator of the year
Chantal Strauss, CEO and founder of Infiniti Skills, scooped up the award for the GBC Innovator of the Year which is for businesses or individuals whose revolutionary new ideas or products are unique in their marketplace.
Strauss established her business, Infiniti Skills Training Company, in 2016 after spending many years as training and project implementation consultant.
Her vision was to offer training and skills development to learners in rural areas and previously disadvantaged individuals in order to make a difference in their communities.
Through Infiniti, she has developed accredited training programmes targeted on fields such as hop production and bee keeping.
Chantal Strauss, GBC Innovator of the Year.
GBC Service Ambassador of the Year
The 2023 Service Ambassador of the Year, Elsie Harmse from Africa Skills Village, needs no introduction and as a businesswoman who provides and encourages exceptional service, she is deserving of this award. She established the well-known Africa Skills Village, a quality training institution almost 18 years ago and has been hugely successful in realising her vision of providing easily accessible training focused on scarce skills.
Her programmes foster job creation, especially by means of apprenticeships, learnerships and skills courses, also incorporating work placement. Since its inception, Africa Skills has trained almost 17 000 fully qualified apprentices as electricians, plumbers, carpenters, welders, bricklayers and many more trades.
Elsie Harmse, GBC Service Ambassador of the Year.
GBC Entrepreneur of the Year
Unjani Clinic under the leadership of its founder, Sr Charlmain Harker, is the winner of the GBC Entrepreneur of the Year award for businesses or individuals who are creating new, sustainable opportunities and play a positive part in the greater George community. Harker started out just over two years ago with only two people on her staff, passionate about improving health services in the community.
Her initiative, tenacity and passion to serve and her spot-on identification of the needs of her clients led to the clinic’s growth from between 6 and 70 clients per month to almost 500 clients per month. She has a special focus on the health and wellbeing of mothers and their babies.
Sr Charlmain Harker, GBC Entrepreneur of the Year.
GBC Business of the Year (Best of George)
Palm Tyres walked away with the award for GBC Business of the Year.
This is an unbelievable feat as Palm Tyres had to come out tops from among the 108 Best of George category winners that were announced in August. The overall winner was determined by popular choice through online voting by the public.
Palm Tyres, under the management of Sean Evans and PJ Botha, needs no introduction. They are a beacon in George with more than 40 years’ service. They have established themselves as the go to place for the best prices and fast, reliable service when it comes to tyre care.
Sean Evans and PJ Botha from Palm Tyres, the VERY BEST of the Best of George 2023.
Fine dining
The GBC awards event was a delightful evening of celebration, fine dining and entertainment by actor Hannes Muller from Hoekwil who amused the audience with anecdotes about legendary South African actors.
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