Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the managing director, Mark Keogh, and the whole team at UON, a company based in the electorate of Cowan, for their win of the 2012 Telstra Western Australian Business of the Year Award and the Commonwealth Bank National Medium Business Award at the Telstra Australian Business Awards. This is a huge achievement for Mark and the team. Since UON began operating in 1998, they have been providing power generation, air compressors and water-pumping solutions to industry. Particularly in the resources industry, Mark Keogh and his team are providing what the industry needs and have therefore been successful. They develop and integrate modular products using one simplified process, from conception to hire or purchase to ongoing support.

As I have said before, there are many people in this country who think that to be in the resources sector is a simple pathway to high returns. These people do not see or recognise that success sometimes, but not always, comes after putting the family home up as security for a loan, very long hours of work, the worry about bills not being matched by the returns and knowing that one is stretched to the limits of one's finances and personal capacities over years. That is the UON story. In UON's application for this award, Mark stated:

UON was established due to the market demand for a better product in a robust niche market within the mining industry.

To me, this quote highlights Mark's vision of pursuing what he believed he could achieve and being brave enough to take a huge gamble and carry a lot of risk because he saw the impact his business could make in the power industry.

Mark's knowledge, experience and dedication have seen UON establish itself as a professional, trusted and reliable company in its industry. The company has expanded from 10 staff and a small office to 148 staff, one office complex and numerous workshops, yards and other infrastructure. The company has also grown from the humble beginnings of 1998 to turn over $50 million in the last financial year, and is now looking forward to turning over in excess of $100 million within the next three years.

Despite UON's great success, they, like all other companies, also face challenges and issues. During a recent visit to the business, Mark said that some of the biggest issues facing their business were competition with the mining industry for staff, and government burdens, in particular excessive red and green tape and visa related issues. At this visit, Mark informed me that UON employs two full-time employees purely to deal with government regulations. This demonstrates the need for governments to get out of the way and stop holding back businesses. In particular, what a future coalition government will do for businesses like UON is, firstly, to get rid of the world's biggest carbon tax and, secondly, to get rid of the mining tax. Beyond the clear positions that everyone knows the coalition stands for, a further initiative of the coalition in government will be to cut $1 billion worth of red tape. When I look at UON and what Mark Keogh and his team have done for Western Australia and the nation, I see a business that deserves the hope, reward and opportunity that an Abbott government will deliver.

In conclusion, I congratulate Mark Keogh and his team at UON for receiving the Telstra Western Australia Business of the Year Award and the Commonwealth Bank National Medium Business of the Year Award. (Time expired)