With our head office in Cairns and an office in Townsville Precruitment celebrates 25 years of business success in regional Queensland this year.

We established Precruitment in Cairns in 1998 when I identified the need for an employment agency specialising in the recruitment of professional and management staff. Precruitment was the only recruitment agency north of Brisbane that offered this service regionally. The business rapidly expanded by demand to include the recruitment of a broader base of skill categories.

To ensure excellence and continuous improvement in our services and business operations, including staff training, Precruitment became fully Quality Assured in 2002.

Our continuing success can be attributed to our experience and our commitment to understanding our client’s business and changing economic drivers.

Embracing technology has enhanced Precruitment’s growth locally and throughout greater Queensland.

After many years involvement with the Chamber of Commerce including as a long-term committee member and one of the first females to represent the business community in that space, I decided it was the appropriate time to respond to our nomination for the Business Excellence Awards (BEX).

I found completing the submission and reflecting on our achievements, as well assessing the challenges we have faced and overcome in that time was a rewarding process. We are proud of our success and the goals and strategies that we have implemented and achieved. This has not only been for our business, clients, and team but to the benefit of the wider community and regional Queensland.

We are delighted to have been selected as Finalist for this award with the winner to be announced at the Gala Ball next month. No matter the result, we feel like winners already. Congratulations to all the BEX finalists in each of their nominated categories, you are winners and should be proud of your achievement. What is the statistic? Small business drives 98% of our economy.

This week while in Cairns, the Premier hosted an event to showcase the many opportunities for employment and business with the upcoming Olympics in 2032. There were promised economic opportunities for all regional Queensland. The Director General gave an excellent overview of the 2032 Procurement Strategy which is available online and worth reviewing for the opportunities for small business.

The meeting was held in the newly completed Cairns Convention Centre upgrade which is a fantastic facility with views over the inlet and mountains. It will be a great showcase to visiting conference delegates to the region.

Vale Kevin Byrne, he was a terrific long-term Mayor in Cairns and friend to Precruitment. He was passionate about the city and left many great legacies including completing the Lagoon and revitalising the Botanic Gardens. A former soldier, he was a friend to Colin with shared memories of their time in Vietnam and distinguished careers in the army.