NOJA Power wins exporter award

NOJA Power has been recognised as a Queensland Exporter of the Year in the Premier of Queensland’s Export Awards 2012 program.

NOJA Power was initially awarded first prize for its export achievements in the Large Advanced Manufacturer Award category and then won the overall Exporter of the Year Award after being selected the best company from the twelve category winners. 

The company also won Exporter of the Year Awards in the 2007 and 2009 editions of the program.

Queensland’s Export Awards program is an annual event open to all Queensland exporters, large and small, regional and metropolitan. Now in its 23rd year, the awards program is the state’s highest recognition of exporting achievement. The awards program provides a showcase for top exporters and recognises enterprising excellence for the export of goods and services and the positioning of Queensland in the international market.

“Growing exports in this challenging global environment is no mean feat,” said Queensland Premier Campbell Newman in a statement. “These Queensland companies [recognised in the awards] have achieved great success through innovation and determination to meet the changing needs of the global export market.”

Newman made specific reference to NOJA Power. “NOJA Power Switchgear is a Queensland company at the top of its game, providing electrical infrastructure to countries with swelling populations and industries,” he said. “[The company] epitomises the success story of a Queensland company which has started out small, and gone on to bigger things.”

NOJA Power was formed in 2002 by Neil O’Sullivan, Oleg Samarski, Jay Manne and Quynh Anh Le. The founding directors still run the company that now employs 150 people and exports to 80 countries on every continent.

The company’s products are used in the distribution of electricity by utilities, improving the reliability of supply, lowering the cost of power, easing the challenge of integrating renewable energy into the grid and helping to reduce carbon emissions from generating stations.

“NOJA Power’s very first sale was to an overseas firm and the company has grown up with an export focus ever since,” said NOJA Power Managing Director Neil O’Sullivan. “Nonetheless, to win this export award even once was a major achievement for the firm; to win it three times in six years is exceptional and a testament to the hard work and commitment of all NOJA Power’s staff.”

Accepting the award, O’Sullivan said the company’s international success comes as a result of giving quality service and tailoring specific products to meet the needs of growing regions. NOJA Power has increased its export sales by 90% in the last year alone.

“Our continued investment in research and development to create quality products recognised as leading-edge technology in the world today underpins our business success,” he said.