Tasmania’s business movers and shakers: 20-16

WE continue our countdown of the 25 top business movers and shakers in Tasmania. Today includes property developers, grocers, a fish farmer and leading mariner.

Tasmania’s Business Movers and Shakers

WE continue our countdown of the 25 top business movers and shakers in Tasmania..

Brothers Nektarios and Nick Nikitaras at their West Hobart Hill Street Grocer store. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

20 Nikitaras family

Marco, Nick and Nektarios Nikitaras and their families are behind the successful Hill Street gourmet grocery chain. The original store, at 109 Hill St, West Hobart was connected to the family for about 40 years. When Marco married Dianna in 1994, they ran the store that had belonged to Dianna’s parents. A major renovation and rebranding in 2001 was the birth of Hill Street Grocer. Nick and his wife Natalia, both lawyers working in Melbourne at the time, sought a tree change and returned to Tasmania to be involved in the business. Nektarios and his wife Georgina joined the business in 2009 to run the Lauderdale store. Hill Street now has six Southern Tasmanian stores, and stores in Latrobe, Devonport and Strahan.

Brett Torossi

Errol Stewart

19 Brett Torossi

Widely respected in tourism and cultural circles, Torossi has garnered mass acclaim as a property developer. This has helped her gain positions as a director on the Tasmanian Development Board, and board memberships of the Festival of Voices, Creative Partnerships Australia and Tourism Tasmania while any development she lends her name to almost instantly becomes very much respected.

18 Errol Stewart

Launceston car salesman turned entrepreneur Errol Stewart is the man behind on of that city’s most exciting redevelopments including The Silos, which will see old wheat silos on the Tamar River transformed into a ritzy hotel. Mr Stewart also has plans for the site of a historical eyesore — the C.H Smith building — which he intends to turn into a inner-city drawcard comprising a cafe, restaurant, state government offices and a 300-space car park. He also has business interests in Hobart.

Frances Bender

Mike Grainger

17 Frances Bender

Co-founder of Huon Aquaculture. Ms Bender has been a major voice for improved environmental performance in the industry especially in Macquarie Harbour. When the company was floated employees were given the opportunity to receive $1000 worth of shares free of cost.

This year has been Huon’s most profitable with $42.2 million profit after tax from revenue of $259 million.

16 Mike Grainger

One of the state’s most respected business people, Grainger runs his own international maritime business from Hobart, was a founding member of the Tasmanian Maritime Network, and is a key member of a number of international ferry and shipping boards. He is also chair of the Brand Tasmania and TT-Line committees and is known for his pragmatic, no-nonsense approach.

TASMANIA’S BUSINESS MOVERS AND SHAKERS: 25-21