Last weekend, the Fraser Coast celebrated one of its premier events in their annual calendar; the Fraser Coast Business and Tourism Awards.

For the last three years, Hyne Timber has proudly sponsored this event as the platinum sponsor, watching it go from strength to strength, year on year.

During the sponsors speech on the night, Hyne Timber’s Strategic Relations Manager Katie Fowden praised the organisers while also acknowledging the award winning venue, the Beach House Hotel.

“The ongoing success of the awards evening is a real credit to the organisers.

“The fabulous setting, including the pre-dinner welcome on the Esplanade, is quintessentially Fraser Coast and a pleasure to be a part of,” Ms Fowden said.

“The Fraser Coast Business and Tourism Awards are a great way for Hyne Timber to support the community, recognising and celebrating business growth and success including everything businesses collectively bring to the region.

“The timber industry is very well networked with one another on a national level with its own established industry events, awards evenings and news mediums. Becoming more involved at a community level is something the whole timber industry is more focussed on.”

Ms Fowden concluded with the announcement that Hyne Timber are committed to being the platinum sponsor again next year.

Over 20 local businesses won awards across a broad spectrum of categories with the annual ‘Best Fraser Coast Business’ award going to Kingfisher Bay Resort. This is great, local recognition for the Resort which has had a huge year including hosting Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan during their globally broadcast Royal visit to Fraser Island.

Hyne Timber was also pleased to be recognised, winning both the Innovation and Trade & Manufacturing categories for the third year in a row.

The Innovation award recognises Hyne Timber’s development of Australia’s first Building Information Modelling (BIM) content for their engineered wood products. As the company gears up for exponential growth in this product range, this BIM content effectively makes it easier for specifiers, designers and builders to accurately incorporate Hyne Timber’s engineered products into their design models as opposed to steel for example.

This has been well received throughout the design and construction sector and even picked up a National award recently for its ability to promote the use of sustainably grown and certified timber in construction.

The Trade and Manufacturing win recognised the investment and successful execution of significant upgrades at the Tuan Mill near Maryborough earlier in the year. This was a large scale project which required collaboration across the business and key stakeholders including suppliers and customers over a number of months.

In summary, the mill introduced technology to increase the accuracy of log scanning data which improves the assessment of suitability of structural-grade timber, getting the best out of every log.

As platinum sponsors of the event, Executive Director, James Hyne had the honour of presenting the John Craig-Gardiner Memorial Award. This award recognises the long-term achievements by an individual to the region’s business and tourism industry, especially contribution above and beyond expectations of normal employment.

This year, the award was presented to John Meyers who founded the Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum with his wife Else in 2005. They established the museum in honour of their son and daughter who were tragically killed in a car crash.

Geoff Meyers (18) was home from the army for a few weeks ahead of being posted to Malaya so he bought himself a car. On 29 November 1982, Geoff, his sister Karen (16) and Karen’s boyfriend Les Williams took a drive along the Bruce Highway. For Geoff and Karen, that drive was their last.

Hyne Timber has no involvement in the judging process of this award and the recipient is unknown to all except the judges until the point of announcement. However, the presentation was fitting given James Hyne and John Meyers were already well acquainted having both worked in the timber industry for many years. John Meyers was one of the founding partners at Dale & Meyers Sawmill in Tiaro.

The sawmill was initially a landscape supplier until they moved into the development of a timber power pole business which presented competition to Hyne Timber’s power pole business at that time.

James got to know John and Else more personally through charitable association with Hoo Hoo over a number of years.

The Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum is located on Wharf Street and is home to 10,000 items of military and colonial memorabilia which all compliments the growing Military trail and associated military tourism to the area. It is supported by a large team of hardworking volunteers.

Hyne Timber was pleased to be associated with this recognition and presentation for John and Else Meyers and all that they contribute to the community in the ongoing memory of Geoff and Karen, taken too soon.

You can learn more about the museum here www.maryboroughmuseum.org but don’t just visit them online, be sure to call in!