Brendale business shines at awards

Published 3:00pm 23 November 2021

A company founded by a businessman with a passion for the region has won the Exporting Excellence category of this year’s Moreton Bay Business Excellence and Innovation Awards.

Solar Bollard Lighting managing director and founder Mike Arieni was effusive in his praise for the region when he accepted his award at a gala event at the Eatons Hill Hotel.

“Moreton Bay Region is my home and it’s where I’ve settled and it’s where I keep getting drawn back to,” Mike says.

“I just see the potential in what we have here.

“It’s exciting. If you’re not as excited as I am, then you can’t see what’s happening.”

The Brendale-based business also won the category in 2019 and 2018, with last year’s awards cancelled due to COVID-19.

Solar Bollard Lighting custom builds commercial-grade lights to client requirements to cope with diverse and harsh environments around the world.

Its products are used in 40 countries, including most recently Kuwait and the Bahamas.

Terrific trifecta

“I’m very proud. It’s our third year in a row,” Mike says.

“We have a high-quality product and what differentiates us is we customer-design every project. “That’s why our market has expended rapidly.

“I’ve actually not marketed anywhere. Just my website. It’s our customer service and consistency that has made us grow to where we are.”

The former Bray Park State School student has been leveraging his company’s global status to promote the diverse natural beauty of the Moreton Bay Region.

“We’ve been sharing our corporate videos recently and the opening line is “hello, I’m Mike Arieni from Moreton Bay, Queensland - the sunshine state of Australia.

“All our video shoots are done in the Moreton Bay Region.

“We focussed on Woody Point jetty, we went out to Samford and Mount Mee.

“Because we are a global company, it was to present Moreton Bay to the rest of the world, to show other businesses and companies the investment opportunities in this region.

“Come here and be part of us.”