Winners: 2021 City of Melton Business Excellence Awards

The most innovative, creative, inclusive and professional local businesses were celebrated at the 2021 City of Melton Business Excellence Awards last night.

Ten of the best in retail, trades, tourism, services, and more were awarded top honours for their outstanding work in their respective fields.

The winners were highly commended for their successes, having been carefully selected from 21 highly regarded finalists, out of a significant pool of nominations.

City of Melton Mayor, Cr Goran Kesic, praised the winners and finalists, many who attended a glittering gala dinner at Tapcorp Park on Thursday night.

"A huge congratulations to all the winners! There were so many deserving local businesses, and it's an incredible achievement to stand out among what was a high-calibre field," Cr Kesic said.

"Local businesses have shown great resilience over the past year, and this was a well-deserved opportunity for many talented and hard-working people to celebrate their successes with other leading professionals.

"These awards are among many Council initiatives helping local businesses thrive in the City of Melton."

Events 720 took out the coveted Business of the Year Award, impressing the judges with their ability to adapt and reinvent themselves throughout the pandemic. The company went from exclusively offering exhibition event services, to creating parklets and outdoor dining spaces, and even building wooden toys.

Ten businesses sponsored the award categories, with Atherstone the principal sponsor, Kool Kidz Ravenhall and West Waters the co-sponsors, and Star Weekly the official media partner.

"Our award sponsors are great advocates for business excellence and it's a pleasure to work with them to celebrate these impressive local achievements," Cr Kesic said.

"Thank you to everyone who made the 2021 awards possible and to those who joined us in recognising and rewarding the best businesses in our city."