Special Reports

In 1985 Andrew Ford and his business partner, Kyle Doonan, decided to open a small air-conditioning business. The pair used second-hand vans and second-hand tools.

The Zimbabwe World Cup Rugby squad member immigrated to Australia and began a new life on an extremely modest budget.

AS president and chief financial officer of CustomVis, Dr William Ardrey is a leader in Perth's biotechnology field.

As managing director of junior mining company Sally Malay Mining Limited, Peter Harold has navigated the company through some uncertain times.

Armed with a single power saw, nail bag, some borrowed materials and plenty of ambition, registered builder Pedro Turibaka began work on his first construction site, a small East Pe

Responsible for 45 staff, Andrew Coppin has been able to grow Bell Potter Securities while the industry overall has been in a contraction phase.

Giving up a stable, well-paid job to go it alone is not an easy decision.

WA Business News' 40under40 Awards is not about first and last, it is not about creating tallies, scoreboards, or runnersup.

The infamous ‘tech wreck' of March 2000 could not stop the infant dot.com business aussiehome.com from surviving and achieving success.

From beginnings as a one-man operation in 1992, Carmelo Princiotto has built his business, Jamel Industries, into one of WA's largest domestic furniture manufacturers, specialising

Nathan Buzza started tinkering with computers while recuperating from a childhood illness, eventually teaching himself computer programming.

Going to the dentist isn't many people's idea of a fun day out, but Dr Fiona Kelly has created a dentistry business that has become cherished by the Geraldton community.

Graeme Yukich made the headlines in August last year following his decision to walk away from a successful 12-year career at Hartleys and to go his own way.

BASSENDEAN firm Specialised Welding is one of many local firms to have worked on Woodside's $1.6 billion Train Four project. However, its client was not Woodside. Instead it was the Japanese pump manufacturer Nikisso.

John Gillam heads up Wesfarmers' fertiliser and chemicals business, Wesfarmers CSBP Limited.

After working as a mortgage broker for seven years Greg Pennells and his partner, Ross Begley, had become disillusioned and disappointed by the lack of support available to mortgage

Martin Black began his working life as a journalist and followed a common path into public relations. His creation of a chocolate factory, however, was an unusual career move.

Lianne Hulse has made her mark in an industry where it is difficult for non-professionals to own and operate businesses.

Capt Suzannah Vaughan, 30, got a taste for salt-water waves on board a Leeuwin training vessel in 1989.

THE past few weeks have brought good news to about 20 steel fabricators around Perth. Engineering firm Monadelphous has been progressively sub-contracting $30 million worth of work for BHP Billiton's Area C iron ore mine and port expansion projects.

Kevin Gallagher is responsible for planning offshore well operations throughout Australia.

Andrea Pearson discovered the beauty and value of freshwater pearls in China where she lived for four years.

Russell Barnett has worked for some of WA's most renowned broking houses.

In three years Anthony Hasluck has created a number of PR and design-based consultancies that have made Clarity Communications one of the fastest growing consultancies in WA.

At 29 years of age, and with a newborn baby and a two-year old, Dr Neda Meshgin Varan decided she wanted to run her own medical practice.

WA'S sole private electricity retailer says onerous regulations and charges are preventing more players from entering the State's electricity market.

IF there was an award for companies achieving high local content on Western Australian projects, BHP Billiton would take line honours, while Woodside would be a con

COMPANIES hoping to win big contracts from the Western Australian Government are now required to prepare Australian Industry Participation (AIP) plans.

DESPITE a difficult overall trading environment for insurance firms, Western Australian-based St Andrew's Insurance has announced a 32 per cent jump in pre-tax profit for 2002.

THE $437 million railcar contract for the planned Mandurah railway highlights the wide gap between rhetoric and reality that sometimes muddies the local content deb

THE centrepiece of the new local content incentive scheme, which formally commenced on January 1, is Australian Industry Participation (AIP) plans.

A new scheme to maximise local content on major projects formally took effect on January 1. Mark Beyer takes a close look at how major Western Australian projects are performing.