Movers & Shakers

Beaut ute
Booming sales at a Geelong paint store have netted the proprietor a brand new $30,000 Holden ute.
Darby’s Paint Place edged out more than 100 stores to take the prize for topping the nationwide supplier’s chain in sales of selected products.
Owner Geoff Darby last week took delivery of the new VE Commodore ute, ready-painted with the store’s logo.
Mr Darby said a massive expansion to the Moorabool Street store would more than double its showroom when complete in June.
“We’ve always had a strong presence in the automotive and trade markets and with car enthusiasts but now we’re increasing our presence in the house paint market,” Mr Darby said.
The company’s Ballarat and Geelong operations service trade and automotive industry clients throughout western Victoria.
Early adopters
Ten Geelong organisations have signed on to spearhead a new buy-local policy trying to stop locals spending more than $1.2 million outside the region each day.
Organisers of the upcoming Buy-Local campaign hoped the “early adopters” had set an example to other local organisations wanting to combat out-of-region spending.
Organisations to have already committed to the scheme include Gordon Institute of TAFE, Telstra Country Wide, Fagg’s Mitre 10, Josie’s Transport, Elsworthy’s Retravision, Allabout Tours and Travel, Sales Force, Lake Imaging and Telstra Shop Corio.
Buy Local project manager Digby Hughes, of Geelong Business Network, said several other major organisations were preparing to sign up to the scheme.
Participating businesses will benefit from a $150,000 marketing budget, while their customers will share in over $70,000 in incentives and prizes.
Expo grows
Organisers of Geelong’s first National Careers & Employment Expo have had to find additional venues to cope with overwhelming demand from companies wanting to exhibit.
Expo founder Cliff Stoneman said the event, scheduled for early May, would end up twice as big as initially anticipated.
“It aims to increase Geelong’s social and economic diversity by highlighting a range of businesses and industry groups within the local area and from other parts of Australia,” Mr Stoneman said.
Visitors would gain an insight into an array of exhibiting employers providing career pathways.
“It’s my hope that residents of the Geelong community will embrace the event and the opportunities presented to them through this format, “Mr Stoneman said.
Life savers
Telstra Country Wide’s Geelong branch has chipped in to help buy vital lifesaving equipment for local surf life saving clubs.
The company’s area general manager, Jodi Manion, said Telstra had been donating $30 for every subscription to selected mobile, broadband and fixed-line services.
Telstra Country Wide last year donated more than $300,000 to Victorian surf life savers, with more than $50,000 from the Geelong region.
“The work that these surf life savers do for the community in saving so many lives is just amazing and Telstra Country Wide is proud to be able to support Surf Life Saving Victoria to continue delivering such high levels of service to the community,” Ms Manion said.