Humanihut has taken out the top award in the BDO Fast Movers program for 2023

Humanihut, which has developed a rapidly deployable system to house people in times of crisis, has won the top accolade in the BDO Fast Movers program for 2023.

Neale Sutton, managing director of Humanihut.

A business launched a decade ago by an ex-soldier looking to make a positive impact in times of humanitarian crisis has taken out top honours in the BDO Fast Movers program for 2023, with Humanihut growing its revenue by more than 750 per cent on average over the past three financial years.

It also grew its headcount by 423 per cent over that period, from 10 to 86, winning it the Fastest Employment Growth Award along with overall top billing.

Humanihut managing director Neale Sutton co-founded the business back in 2013, with the concept formed as a response to the growing humanitarian crisis which had its origins in the Syrian War.

The need to be able to quickly and safely house people displaced by conflict or natural disaster led to the development of the rapidly-deployable Humanihut system, which is now in wide use in Australia and around the world.

The company now offers products across four main divisions: humanitarian; emergency management, defence, and; mining and construction.

Humanihut late last year deployed a base camp solution for the NSW Rural Fire Service to house 200 emergency response personnel in the flood-affected region of Deniliquin, and it also answered the call during South Australia’s 2020 bushfires, setting up infrastructure on Kangaroo Island for use by the State Emergency Service.

Humanihut’s system in use on Kangaroo Island during the 2020 bushfires. Picture: Leon Bignell

The company is chaired by former governor of South Australia and decorated rear admiral Kevin Scarce, and has won a number of business and design accolades over the years.

Codefish Studio picked up the Excellence in Business Award at the BDO event, held in Adelaide on Friday, May 5, and grew its revenue on average by 45.4 per cent over the past three years.

Codefish, led by Jake and Sim Penzo, develops and designs custom software solutions, and has done work for firms including mine management company Maxmine, Air Diffusion Agencies, Redarc and SuperGuardian.

Discount Party Supplies, which was also in the Fast Movers list in 2022, took out the Elevated Success award – a new accolade designed to recognise businesses which have had minimum turnover of $5m per annum over the preceding three years.

That company grew its revenue on average by 50.7 per cent.

A full list of winners can be found at fastmoverssa.com.au

Andrew Hamilton and Neale Sutton came up with the idea of the Humanihut in the early stages of the Syrian conflict. Picture: Kelly Barnes/The Australian

Destination Homes, which was founded in 2019, came in second on the Fast Movers list this year with 411 per cent growth, while Fivecast, which took out the Fastest Employment Growth award last year as well as top honours, was third on the list this year with 251.7 per cent growth.

NDE Solutions and Energy Buster rounded out the top five.

Businesses with a turnover of more than $200,000 per year for the past three years, which are headquartered in Adelaide and which derive less than half of their sales from any one customer are eligible to enter the fast Movers program.

First prize in the program includes a fully-subsidised place in the Australian Centre for Business Growth’s award-winning business growth program, worth $43,250, $6000 in cash thanks to BDO, and packages from Market Ease Digital and Enlighten.

The Excellence in Business Growth and Fastest Employment Growth awards also include subsidised places at the Australian Centre for Business Growth, a program sponsor, as are Market Ease Digital and Enlighten by Floodlight.

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