Business excellence across the Fleurieu was celebrated at a gala evening for the 2025 Business Victor Harbor Awards on Friday 5 December at McCracken Convention Centre.

This year there were 14 merit based categories, with 73 nominations.

Chop It Axe Throwing Alley was named Business of the Year, while the Fleurieu App took out two awards.

The 2025 winners are:

Services Industries Award – Old Coach Road Estate

Trades Business Award – 4Life Constructions

Professional Services & Finance Award - Cathy Domoney Executive Coaching

Primary & Agribusiness Industry Award – FPAG, Victor Harbor

Education, Employment & Training Award -  Fleurieu Study Hub

Health, Social Assistance and Care Award -  SpecSavers, Victor Harbor

New Business  Award -  Unicorn Equine Services

Micro & Homebased Business Award  -  Fleurieu App

Regional Impact Award - Fleurieu App

Sustainability Award -  ShedEx Fleurieu

Employee of the Year Award   -  Jim Kearns, ShedEx Fleurieu

Apprentice of the Year Award -  Amanda Uttridge Ocean Hair Artistry

Excellence in Workplace Culture & Wellbeing Award  -  Encounter Centre

Business of the Year Award -  Chop it Axe

Susie Williams, creator and Director of the Fleurieu App, said she was both proud and genuinely surprised by the recognition:

“To be honest, I’m still in shock! Winning the Micro & Home-Based Business Award is incredibly special, but receiving the Regional Impact Award truly means the world. The Fleurieu App has always been about connecting our community—offering a free local platform where residents, businesses and visitors can find everything that’s happening across the Fleurieu. We work hard to provide a cost-effective and interactive space for local businesses to advertise and be seen across the entire region. For the judges to recognise and appreciate that purpose is something very special, and it really does make all the hard work worthwhile.”

The nominees for this year are:

4life Constructions, Back Valley Farm Pastured Raised Eggs, BCS Electrical Pty Ltd, Cathy Domoney Executive Coaching, Chop It Axe Throwing & Escape It Rooms, Encounter Community Centre, FAFM First Aid and Workplace Training, Fleurieu App, Fleurieu Crash Repairs, Fleurieu Locksmith, Fleurieu Study Hub, FPAG (FP Agriservices), JaDs Hairdressers, Kink, Mr Menswear, Newton & Co Real Estate, Ocean Hair Artistry, Oldbook, Old Coach Road Estate, Pan Co, Parkers Crash Repairs Victor Harbor, Plus Printing, Sanctuary Day Spa, See Optometry, ShedEx Fleurieu, Shortie Designs, SkinOptics, Southern Vales Legal, Specsavers Victor Harbor, Spirit of the Coorong, Stacked Signs PTY LTD, Strive Kids Hub PTY LTD, Sweep & Shine, The Big Duck Boat Tours, The Pirate's Seachest, Thinkwater Fleurieu, Trent's Plumbing & Gas,  Unicorn Equine Services, Victor Harbor Motor Co