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Enterprise Tuesday highlights business success
The inventor of the popular wool-insulated Australian Cooler Bag will reveal the secrets of his company’s success at the next Enterprise Tuesday event at the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Innovation Centre on 14 August at 4pm.
Leigh Hemming, co-founder of the Caloundra-based company Didgeridoonas, will speak about “Recognising opportunities” as he outlines his company’s journey to becoming an exporter of Australian oilskin, leather and woollen products.
Mr Hemming and his wife Barbi started Didgeridoonas in 1995, with just two sewing machines and a casual seamstress.
After initially focusing on clothing manufacturing and retailing, the couple saw an opportunity to design and brand a range of products that could benefit from the use of wool.
One of these was their highly-successful signature product, the Australian Cooler Bag.
Didgeridoonas now has a range of products for travel, lifestyle and even for pets, and the company has won many industry awards, including the Reed Australian Gift Award in 2001, 2003 and 2004.
The products are sold in selected stockists across Australia and exported to a growing number of countries including the United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Holland, Switzerland, the United States, Bermuda and Canada.
USC Innovation Centre Student Enterprise Manager Alison Dique said Enterprise Tuesday was a free program of early evening events open to the local business community and to staff and students at the University and other educational institutions.
Each monthly event includes a presentation by a successful entrepreneur and an opportunity to network and meet new people.
“This second Enterprise Tuesday event is an excellent opportunity to showcase a real local business success story – Didgeridoonas – and to learn from their experience in building export business from the Sunshine Coast,” she said.
“The Enterprise Tuesday series is a great way for the local community, University students and staff to interact and to get to know each other and it has already sparked some very useful connections.”
Those interested in attending Enterprise Tuesday events can phone the Innovation Centre reception on 5459 4567 or register via the Innovation Centre website at: www.innovation-centre.com.au
– Terry Walsh