Proterra Group owners celebrate big win at Business Excellence Awards 2020

After a trying year for local business, the Focus HR Business Excellence Awards 2020 felt like a “stepping stone” towards normality, according to one of the night’s big winners.

Strength, resilience and aptitude were some of the traits recognised at this year’s Focus HR Business Excellence Awards, a glitzy affair held at the Empire Theatre on Saturday night.

Hosted by the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce, the evening was a celebration of local business owners whose tenacity and ingenuity had helped the community through a year marred by bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fittingly, the winner of this year’s top honour, the Focus HR Business of the Year award, has helped small communities in more ways than one.

Civil engineering business Proterra Group received the accolade for their “standout” work in regional towns.

Proterra Group co-owners Jim and Fiona O'Dea celebrate winning the Business of the Year 2020 award at the Focus HR Business Excellence Awards. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The business, co-owned by Toowoomba locals Jim and Fiona O’Dea, and Goondiwindi based pair Sean and Mel Rice, provides project management services to a number of councils, including Paroo and Quilpie.

“We were really honoured to win this award given there were so many quality businesses in that room,” Mr O’Dea said.

“It’s been an interesting year, difficult at times, but because we are quite geographically dispersed it’s helped us in dealing with the pandemic.”

Recognising it was a tough time for small businesses everywhere, Proterra Group continued to invest in rural communities.

“We have tried to support business in these areas by booking accommodation and cafes, and engaging local contractors,” Mr O’Dea said.

“It was great for us to have the opportunity to help them.”

Mr O’Dea said the business was currently managing $80 million of work for the Paroo and Quilpie Shire councils, where they were helping to identify and fix flood damaged roads.

Proterra Group co-owners Jim and Fiona O'Dea celebrate winning the Business of the Year 2020 award at the Focus HR Business Excellence Awards. Picture: Kevin Farmer

“While all finalists should be very proud of their achievements in a difficult year, there could be only one Business of the Year and this time Proterra Group was the standout,” Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce CEO Todd Rohl said.

For a list of the evening’s winners and photos from the night, click here.