Local business, East Coast Boats, took out the Manufacturing and Construction award at the recent 27th annual Gippsland Business Awards.
East Coast Boats is an innovative small business carving out a strong position in a niche market by combining craftsmanship, customer focus and strategic growth.
With standout features like custom-built boats, a lifetime warranty and pioneering design innovations now used globally, it demonstrates a clear commitment to quality, sustainability and inclusive workforce development.
Owners, Daniel and Hannah Leonti, were thrilled with the win.
“It’s a win for the whole industry, and it’ll get our name out there,” Hannah said.
East Coast Boats was established in 2019, but Daniel has been building boats for 20 years, starting out as an apprentice building yachts when he was 18.
Since then, he has built east Coast Boats from the ground up, and Hannah couldn’t be more proud.
“This business is Daniel’s baby – it’s a proper small business that he built from the ground up,” she said.
Awards chair, Graeme Sennett, congratulated all the winners on their achievement.
“The variety and diversity of businesses across the Gippsland region is remarkable,” Mr Sennett said.
“Once again the calibre of the awards’ finalists has provided the judges with a huge challenge in selecting winners from such an impressive array of businesses.”
Each GBA finalist is assessed and independently rated by five different judges across eight judging criteria.
