“IF you do what you love you’ll never work a day in your life” is a well-worn saying, but it’s one that many of the winners at Saturday night’s Glenelg Shire Business and Tourism Awards swear by.

And it was no better explained than by the winner of the top honour, business of the year, South Portland Pharmacy, and employee of the year Brooke Ropitini from the Dartmoor General Store.

They were among 14 category winners (two of which were ties) announced at a function at the Portland Golf Club attended by about 230 people.

South Portland Pharmacy also took out the health and wellbeing award, and owner and pharmacist John Nakhla was quick to pay tribute to his staff of 10 for their work, especially since the coronavirus pandemic added to the stress for the health sector everywhere.

“The girls are amazing,” he told the Observer.

“We’ve gone far beyond our limits to be honest, and they’ve coped with the pressure.

“The staff are doing an awesome job and I’m very proud of all of them.”

Mr Nakhla said he hoped to expand the business.

“We need more staff,” he said.

“I don’t want to turn people away because we don’t have enough capacity.

“We always need staff to cope with the huge workload.”

For Mr Nakhla, the pharmacy is more than just a workplace – he followed in the footsteps of his parents, who were both pharmacists in Egypt with his mother, who was present on Saturday night, giving it up when she focused on raising her children.

“I don’t feel like it’s work or it’s a business, I more do it out of passion and out of the recognition of the health benefits when they come back (to the pharmacy) with the recognition they’ve got better and they feel healthier,” he said.

“They are then fine to go to work, live their own lives and support their families and community.

“The feeling that I’m doing something that’s with that reward is rewarding itself.”

Dartmoor triumph

Ms Ropitini got one of the loudest cheers of the night, courtesy of the Dartmoor contingent, when she was named employee of the year.

She has been at the Dartmoor General Store since it was refurbished and reopened by owner Kim McLean in 2019 and has been providing customers with a food menu that wouldn’t look out of place in a much bigger place.

In true Dartmoor style Ms Ropitini thanked the local community .

“I can’t take all the credit,” she said.

“I wouldn’t be able to do it without all my partners in crime.”

That included her fellow workers – “you make the workplace so enjoyable” – Mr McLean’s brother Mark who worked on refurbishing the store, community icon Wendy Dowling who “does all the stuff I have basically no idea about” and Ms Ropitini’s husband Jay.

The store had become a hub for the community to meet, which made it all the more enjoyable.

“There’s not a day I get up and think I have to go to work,” she said.

She told the Observer she loved dealing with customers.

“A lot of people come in and don’t need to buy something,” she said.

“We have a lot of people who live by themselves, and they just come and buy something so they can have a chat.

“A conversation might go for two minutes or it might go for 20 minutes but I’m very interested in what people are doing and what’s going on out there.

“It’s not because it’s my job or I get paid for it, money doesn’t worry me.

“I shouldn’t love it so much, but I do.”

 Kim McLean paid tribute to Ms Ropitini, who he said was his “best mate”.

“The ownership she’s taken since day one, the input she’s had in developing it and then her honesty, her honesty and her honesty, her commitment, her loyalty and dedication and devotion and all the passion that she shows for the business is just outstanding,” he said about what made Ms Ropitini a great employee.

“The business would not be possible without her.”

Lots of celebrations

But they weren’t the only winners to celebrate on the night.

Hosted by MC Brian Nankervis, of television show Rockwiz and other fame, the first gong of the night was the manufacturing, trades or construction award.

This was a tie between Mibus Bros and Southern Canning.

John Wychert, the Mibus Bros general manager, thanked the Mibus family for its commitment and especially over the tough period during the lockdown.

“We’ll keep on going and kicking goals,” he said.

Angela Milani, co-owner of Southern Canning with husband Joe, said the business started 31 years ago with encouragement from four local fishermen, an empty shed and a dream to make “the best canned abalone in the world”.

  It was now working with the CSIRO and others to convert abalone product into a peptide with anti-inflammatory benefits.

Westerly Downs, a cattle, duck and quail operation at Henty won the primary industry award.

Assets Real Estate took out the large retail or service award, sponsored by the Portland Observer and Casterton News.

Assets director Ben Nash said it had been a busy time in the industry and during the pandemic with the special protocols regarding property visits “it made for some stressful times”.

“In a service industry it’s the employees that make you successful and I’d really like to thank our staff… the pride they show in our business is incredible,” he said.

Crams Glass and Compleat Angler featured in another tie for small business of the year.

Crams co-owner Kylie Cram paid tribute to her and husband Jamie’s families without who “we wouldn’t be here” given they began 18 years ago with two young children who also needed looking after, as well as the business’ staff.

“Thank you to our amazing team,” she said.

Compleat Angler co-owner Brayden Fisher said he felt privileged just to be at the awards.

“I’d like to thank Bruce and Irene Elijah (former owners of the business) who made it possible for us to be in the position we are in now,” he said.

“For them to let it go out of the family and into my family (his father Nigel is the co-owner) for (hopefully) as long as they’ve had it is amazing.”

South Coast Pest Solutions was named microbusiness of the year.

Owner Steve Jordan said it was important small businesses supported each other.

“The money stays in town and creates jobs, that’s what it’s all about,” he said.

Cycling Without Age, an initiative of the Rotary Club of Portland which aims to reduce social isolation and loneliness by providing older members of the community a trishaw ride around the community was named the community enterprise of the year.

“We are an incredible community project that has been supported by the community in the most amazing way,” said Cycling Without Age’s Michelle Thow.

Mac’s Hotel won the business innovation award for the way it changed to cope with the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns.

Deb Craibe of the Mac’s said “on day one of the lockdown (licensee Rob Hunt) and I looked at each other and said ‘how are we going to get through this’, and  we did”.

“It’s been a really interesting time, without the team we wouldn’t be here,” she said.

Quest Apartments was named tourism accommodation of the year and franchisee Vincent Bellerose said he hoped the rest of the year went as well for the industry as the first four months had.

The Royal Hotel won the tourism hospitality award and licensee Michael Pickles provided one of the highlights of the night with his speech, which ended by thanking virtually everyone in Glenelg Shire.

Mr Pickles paid tribute to the business partners who believed in the venture and wife and co-licensee Naomi Corcoran for keeping things on track.

“We bought a pub in the middle of a pandemic, what were we thinking,” he said.

“In my head it had to be a game changer.”

Tyrendarra Agricultural Show won the tourism festival, event, attraction or service award.

Show committee president Anne Burley said, “we currently have a population of about 200 yet we managed to put on a Show”.

Secretary Kate Joseph thanked all the volunteers as well as Jodie Vaughan from Glenelg Shire Council for helping get events restarted after the lockdowns.

Tahlia Warren-Brand of Gunditj Mirring Traditional Aboriginal Owners Corporation was named young achiever of the year but having contracted the coronavirus during the week was unable to be present to receive her award.

Grandmother Deb Saunders filled in instead.

“I’m very, very proud of my granddaughter,” she said. “She’s had many challenges over her young years but she’s grown into this amazing woman.”