DUBBO'S Abraham Damen has been named Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the prestigious 2015 NSW Business Chamber awards.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Damen had his efforts recognised back in October, when his business Kitchen and Renovation Concepts took out the Gold Rhino for Dubbo's best business.
But on Friday evening, Mr Damen was recognised on an even bigger stage.
He said he did not see it coming, and believed a lot of things contributed to his win.
"It's always a surprise when you win an award like this... and when you are up against such a high level of competition, it's very nice to be recognised in this way," Mr Damen said.
"Hard work, passion, having good support networks around you and advisors, the team we've managed to put together in Dubbo is amazing.
"Having the right people around you to make the whole company better is a big part of what you need to do to make a successful business. And a wife that will put up with the long hours!"
NSW Business Chamber Central West Orana Regional Manager Vicki Seccombe said the win was well deserved.
"Abraham has worked incredibly hard to establish a highly successful manufacturing business which he is extremely passionate about," Ms Seccombe said.
"This is a fantastic achievement... and sets an excellent example for other young entrepreneurs."
About five years ago, Mr Damen was working as an electrical engineer in Sydney for a large consulting firm when an opportunity arose to start his own business at Dubbo.
It seems to have been the right move, with Kitchen and Renovation Concepts now operating showrooms at Dubbo, Orange and Coonabarabran.
Mr Damen has grown the business to employ 30 staff members across the three locations, with turnover doubling each year to $1.9 million in the 2014-15 financial year.
In the past year, Mr Damen has installed new machinery which has increased production capability, improved control of the manufacturing process, and reduced reliance on imported products.
But despite two huge wins for the business in as many months, Mr Damen has no intention of slowing down.
"Definitely not, this will just increase the fire to go further and give you more drive to see how far you can take the idea," Mr Damen said.
"In the next 12 months we're hoping to extend it with another two outlets and expand our manufacturing capacity in Dubbo to allow ourselves to effectively and efficiently supply the increased sales across the whole region.
"The greater aim is probably to look at 25 to 30 across the state and then I guess nationally after that."