THE announcement of the finalists for the 2022 Orange Business Awards has brought one of Orange's staples back into the limelight.
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Following what's been a tough two years for the hospitality industry, Alfio's Restaurant joins The Coffee Club Orange, The Green Apple Sandwich Bar and Winery Experiences Orange in the running for the excellence in hospitality and tourism gong.
Business Orange announced the finalists for the 2022 awards at the Greenhouse on Tuesday night with several new names mixing it with some of Orange's favourites.
Alfio's Salvo Sciuto was grateful for his business's nomination which marks another positive step away from the impact of the pandemic.
"We've been truly blessed, like our customers, we cannot complain. We've been fully supported and we're still here," he said.
Alfio's has been at its Lords Place location for 43 years and been in the hands of the Sciuto family for 36 of those, taking over from Alfio Barbagallo on April 1, 1986. It's featured regularly as a finalist during the past three decades, winning the hospitality category seven times.
Business Orange announced finalists in 15 categories at Tuesday night's function.
President Daniel Sutton explained finalists were determined after nominees, of which there were around 200, sent submissions to a panel of judges from outside the Orange region.
Those judges were sourced through Business NSW.
"Each submission was scored against criteria and the finalists represent the highest scores for each category, so they have already been assessed and ranked as the best in their industry," Mr Sutton said.
The awards night is on August 20 at The Remington where winners will be announced and celebrated. Winners will then go on to next year's Western NSW Business NSW awards.
For Mr Sciuto, being a finalists is an affirmation his family business is getting it right,
"You have your highs and your lows but at the end of the month we're still doing the same numbers," he said.
"Staffing has been our biggest issue in the last two years but that's pretty much world-wide, not just Australia wide.
"We haven't really changed anything - like Dad [Joe] always says, if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
The 2022 finalist, in alphabetical order, are:
Employer of choice (sponsored by Sureway): Housing Plus, Millthorpe Little Learning Centre, SpiritAbility
Excellence in hospitality and tourism: Alfio's Restaurant, The Coffee Club Orange, The Green Apple Sandwich Bar, Winery Experiences Orange
Excellence in innovation (sponsored by Charles Sturt University): Housing Plus, Orange Show Society Inc
Excellence in large business: Colton Computer Technologies, Yates Baker McLean
Excellence in micro business: Digital Wonder, Games 'n' More, Pinnacle Custom Homes
Excellence in personal and lifestyle: Kate Noller Celebrant, LillyRose Beauty
Excellence in professional services (sponsorsed by Inland Digital): Colton Computer Technologies, Millthorpe Little Learning Centre, Yates Baker McLean
Excellence in retail: Chaos and Karma, Games 'n' More, The Crystal Faery Australia
Excellence in small business (sponsored by Colton Computer Technologies): Chaos and Karma, Hansens EyecarePlus Orange, Millthorpe Little Learning Centre
Manufacturing, agribusiness, mining, industrial and trade (sponsored by Integral Skills): Fordy's Heavy Mechanical Pty Ltd, Pinnacle Custom Homes, Test 'n' Tag Orange
Outstanding business leader (sponsored by Rex Airlines): Amanda Sanders - SpiritAbility, Angela Argyle - Argyle Australian Saffron, Joanne Kennedy - Yates Baker McLean
Outstanding community organisation (sponsored by Newcrest): Central West Womens Forum, Housing Plus, ONE Central West 88FM
Outstanding employee: Gay Dillon - Clever Cookie Academy, Kirstyn Roy - Millthorpe Little Learning Centre, Tracy Hinton- The Coffee Club
Outstanding start-up (sponsored by Southern Cross Austereo): CosMedic Collective, Country Food Trails, The Remington Orange
Outstanding young business leader: Harley Stedman - Lives Lived Well, Hayley Shiels - CosMedic Collective, Jordan Garlick - Chaos and Karma, Pamela Johnson - SpiritAbility
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