Townsville’s young guns of the business world shining
Townsville is a hotbed of innovation and business creation, with countless great ideas and businesses blossoming from North Queensland. Meet some of the extraordinary young guns of business taking on the world from here. SEE THE LIST
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Townsville might well be Australia’s largest garrison town, a port city and an administrative centre for a rich mining and agricultural sector.
But it is also a hotbed of innovation and business creation.
Recent reports show the number of businesses operating in the city increased by just over 3 per cent or 368 in 2020-21 to well over 12,000 compared with the previous year.
The increase occurred during a crushing pandemic and when government incentives like the HomeBuilder grants have fired up residential construction.
Across the industry sectors, some of the largest increases occurred in construction, professional and scientific and health and social assistance.
But this list of young guns in business shows some of our young entrepreneurs are leading the way with the use of technology to find solutions to worldwide problems, while others are simply good at turning a dollar into two.
BRODIE JANKOVIC
Previously in the defence force, Brodie is making his mark in property in Townsville.
He buys, refurbishes and re-purposes property.
He made headlines with his purchase of the badly run down Empire Hotel — also called the Republic Hotel — last year.
The council has assisted him with a Modernising Buildings and Activating Spaces grant, part of its City Activation and Jobs Growth Policy, to help with the hotel’s restoration.
NAOMI COLLINGS AND KIRSTY PARNELL
An idea that arose from a worrying brush with melanoma has grown into a flourishing business in designer sun protection swimwear for two sisters.
Townsville mum Naomi Collings launched Kamara Australia with her sister Kirsty Parnell in 2017.
It has figured in AusMumpreneur awards, while the swimwear range of long-sleeved, one-pieces and long-sleeved swim tops and swim pants is sold in shopfronts around Australia.
The business is also selling into the United States, Europe and Asia.
JOANNA MURRAY AND CASSANDRA CHIESA
Joanna Murray and Cassandra Chiesa are occupational therapists who last year decided to merge their practices to create a business with more scale and a broader offer of services.
Apricus Health employs 35 people and has five clinics in Townsville, Ayr and Ingham.
The merger has increased their team of therapy assistants, occupational therapists and allied health professionals, while streamlining their administration processes and helping to overcome a shortage of allied health professionals.
KIALL FRANZMANN
Builder Kiall Franzmann established residential builder Franzmann Constructions in 2012.
He has plenty of pedigree in the construction sector with his father, Mark, having operated Franzmann Plumbing in the city for more than 40 years.
Kiall has won a swag of Master Builders awards including as a Rising Star of the Year in 2018 and for the Best Home Renovation Project in the category from $275,000 to $575,000 at the North Queensland Housing & Construction Awards in 2021.
MATT SMITH
Matt is chief executive of Menninger Capital, an investment fund manager based in Townsville.
Mr Smith is the grandson of the late Jack Gleeson, a pioneer in television in North Queensland, while his mum Therese leads the Gleeson Group which is developing the Hive property project in Townsville.
Menninger’s Marathon Consolidated fund formed National Tyre Traders from businesses it acquired in North Queensland, while it has also invested in food wholesaler MBL Food Services and property management rights business Property Vine.
ALANA KENNEDY
Alana Kennedy is the founder of Ochre Sun, an indigenous business which manufactures sunscreen infused with ingredients from plants.
Ms Kennedy is a proud Waanyi Kalkatungu woman from North West Queensland.
In 2020, the business secured a contract to supply to Australia’s largest personal protective equipment and safety company Blackwoods, opening it to retail outlets around the country.
It has also supplied to Townsville City Council which has been an important client while the business looks to establish.
The business is now looking to secure corporate partnerships to take its products further.
JAMIE MCGEACHIE
Jamie is the managing director of a Townsville-based non-bank lender Investors Central, which also operates Finance One.
He founded Finance One in 2010 and it has grown to become a major force in the financial sector, with the group attracting funds from investors and providing lending to people to buy motor vehicles who otherwise might not be funded by the major banks.
Last year it had a lending book of more than $235m. It operates around Australia.
The business employs more than 120 people and is based in Garbutt.
CARL VALENTINE
Carl is the managing partner of accounting and business advisory firm PVW Partners.
With his partners, he bought the former PricewaterhouseCoopers Townsville business about five years ago.
He is experienced in tax, accounting and business advisory services.
He is an advisor to many businesses in North Queensland and is passionate about growing business in the regions.
PVW Partners employs about 65 people and has offices in Townsville, Cairns and Innisfail.
DANIEL KIM
Daniel is the chief executive of Ark Energy Corporation, an Australian subsidiary to Korea Zinc Co. Ltd, the world’s largest zinc, lead and silver producer.
He is leading Ark Energy to decarbonise the energy supply of the group, starting with its Sun Metals Corporation and zinc refinery in Townsville.
Under his guidance, Korea Zinc is making huge investments into renewable energy with acquisitions in wind farm projects, in companies developing renewable energy projects and in developing the production of hydrogen for heavy transport.
LUKE ANEAR
Luke Anear is the founder and CEO of SafetyCulture. It started as a safety documents business in Townsville in 2004.
After developing its successful iAuditor safety checklist app in 2012, the company has become a technology superstar with a worldwide reach and a value of more than $2bn.
Last year SafetyCulture said its iAuditor app had surpassed 100 million completed inspections.
Luke holds about 20 per cent of the company’s stock valued at around $400m.
That’s not bad for a kid who used to sell oil at a Bohle car wreckers.
TROY TOWNSEND
Troy is a director at property agency Ray White Commercial Townsville.
Last year he won the Ray White Chairman’s Elite Award, ranking him in the top 1 per cent of the group’s agents in commissions and sales in Australia and New Zealand.
He has honed his sales skills at the property firm and, before that, under the guidance of Townsville businessman Tony Ireland and Tony Ireland Holden.
He is good networker and an active member of the Rotary Club of Townsville.
DON PEEL
Don is a part-owner and manager of Otto’s, the hugely popular foodie brand in Townsville which retail centre owners around the country would love to have in their properties.
From just a few staff at Warrina shopping centre where other retailers like Foodworks had tried and failed, the group now has multiple outlets around Townsville, including Otto’s Market Precinct in Idalia, and employs more than 290 people.
The group includes Good Morning Coffee Trader, Coffee Dominion and The Spirited Goat.
Don calls it a “Sesame Street style of business” because they trade like cooperatives.
TRENT SMALL
Trent has an ownership in and manages businesses including Absolute Building Supplies,
Solar Relief and Big Bear Coolers.
Solar Relief has developed a portable power supply unit by combining solar panels and batteries to provide lightweight systems for multiple uses, particularly in remote areas or to provide relief during natural disasters.
Absolute Building Supplies specialises in sourcing, supplying and marketing products and services used in residential, retail and commercial building sector, while Big Bear Coolers markets eskies and coolers.
BRYCE SZANDRO
Bryce Szandro is the founder of Next-Gen Dreams, a business which began producing 3D graphics for video games, film and visual effects.
Started in Townsville in 2017, Next-Gen has grown from a solo freelancer to a full professional team of 25 working in games, software and emerging technologies such as Web 3.0, NFTs, cryptocurrencies and the metaverse.
Some of Bryce’s clients include Microsoft, Sony, Cubic and Playside Studios, Australia’s first ASX-listed game studio.
While still based in Townsville, the company operates globally with a distributed team, scaling up for larger productions with remote contractors when needed.
The company is also offering flexible online mentorships partnered with the industry’s top talent to create career pathways.
He is currently in the process of further expansion, merging with key partners and seeking investors to grow the agency’s reach.
ZAK MARTIN-TAYLOR
Zak the owner of Rising Sun FPV, a business supplying services for drones — unmanned aerial vehicles — including servicing and wiring of remote controls and making custom-made frames and parts such as propellers.
The need for a 3D printer to make the parts has led the business to respond to orders to maker all manner of items from cake toppers to models of the alien from the movie Paul.
Zac is a former combat engineer who started with the business in 2018 when he was still in the Army before taking it on full time in 2019 when he was discharged.
He works on defence contracts and with schools. The business operates from premises in Garbutt, while its online store attracts customers from around Australia and the world.
STEWART LOCKE
Stewart is a director of Krieger Industries which manufactures making bags, pouches, vests and other kit for the defence force and emergency services.
The business started retailing products in Townsville from 2016 under the name of Scorpion Projects, while the manufacturing side took off from late 2019.
They recently moved into a large manufacturing site in West End. It is one of 45 Queensland businesses to receive funding under a defence and aerospace industry program.
The business employs sewing machinists and design staff and needs more machinists to assist in the growth of the business.
JOSH ROBERTS
Josh Roberts is the founder of Co Habitat, a co-working space business created in the bones of what was a coach terminal, service station and two-level office building in South Townsville called the Townsville Transit Centre. The business has increased fourfold since its launch in 2018 and now has about 40 members including entrepreneurs, people wanting private offices and others simply wanting a business address. It occupies about 1500 sqm and there is potential for further expansion.
PAUL RAITERI
Paul Raiteri operates Raiteri Constructions which predominantly works on commercial buildings but also undertakes high end residential renovations, particularly the hard jobs that other builders tend to avoid.
From Ingham, Paul started his chippy apprenticeship after leaving school at age 15 and was the younger builder in Queensland when he gained his builder’s licence at the age of 20.
Now 28, he employs 11 people and involves more contractors in the business when needed.
He also buys commercial property to renovate such as the former Jap Motors building in Garbutt which has been transformed into a support hub for 13 cabs.
The business has been busy for years and he has “heaps of confidence” in the outlook for Townsville.
Originally published as Townsville’s young guns of the business world shining
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