- Published:
- Wednesday 27 May 2026 at 11:07 am
Labor is celebrating small and family businesses and their extraordinary contributions to communities and the economy.
Minister Suleyman joined the small business sector at the Victorian Small Business Awards at the National Gallery of Victoria this week.
The awards brought together small and family business owners and organisations that champion small businesses.
Teeth On Wheels was awarded the Youth in Business Award.
Brothers Joseph and Rami Zeid established the mobile dental clinic in 2015 and have since partnered with over 250 schools to treat more than 80,000 children.
Rakis on Collins won the Multicultural Business Award.
The Melbourne CBD hair salon has operated for more than 40 years, with founder Stavros Tavrou a committed mentor to the next generation of talent.
NLA Logistics was awarded the Women in Business Award.
Starting with one truck in 2016, Nicole Appleton has grown her 100 per cent women-owned business to a fleet of more than 150 contractors, servicing infrastructure and construction projects across Victoria.
Apostle Whey Cheese was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award.
After 30 years as dairy farmers, Julian and Dianne Benson diversified their business to manufacture artisan cheese at their Cooriemungle dairy farm in 2005.
The business is a major tourism drawcard in the region, offering diverse produce including milk, ice cream and gin, promoting local artisans and demonstrating resilience and innovation.
Victoria is proudly home to more than 735,000 small and family businesses. The small business sector employs more than 1.3 million Victorians and contributes over $417 billion annually to the state’s economy.
For more information about the Victorian Small Business Awards, visit business.vic.gov.au
Quotes attributable to Minister for Small and Family Business Natalie Suleyman
“Small and family businesses are the beating heart of local communities across our State.”
“Behind every one of our 735,000 small businesses is a real story and the Victorian Small Business Awards are about recognising and celebrating them. Thank you to all of our small and family businesses for everything you do.”