Australia's achievers: Overseas Trading is pleased to announce the winners of the second annual Trailblazer Awards 2005. We've selected 15 of Australia's top home-grown exporters--the companies who are leading the country's increasingly successful export drive.

• Position: 2005 TRAILBLAZER AWARDS - Cover Story

Agribusiness

MURRAY GOULBURN

From small beginnings as a co-operative in 1950, Murray Goulburn has developed into a leader in the Australian dairy industry and a major player in global dairy trade.

The same determination, drive and commitment of its pioneering founders is still present throughout the organisation today. Strong leadership, a passion for innovation and a commitment to teamwork continues to drive the co-operative towards new and exciting heights.

With eight plants located throughout Victoria, Murray Goulburn processes nearly 35 percent of the nation's milk supply into quality products which are sold on both domestic and export markets.

Quality and food safety are the foundation of Murray Goulburn's reputation as a preferred supplier of food products. All Murray Goulburn's processing plants are accredited to ISO 9001:2000 manufacturing facilities and are certified to the NSF HACCP--9000 standard for HACCP and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices). Compliance with finished products specifications is independently verified using Dairy Technical Services, the Australian Dairy Industry Reference Laboratory located in Melbourne.

Murray Goulburn works closely with the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS), Dairy Food Safety Victoria and other relevant regulatory bodies to ensure their compliance to changing requirements.

Research and Development is a key factor in Murray Goulburn's on-going success. From process improvement to product innovation, their goals of maintaining leadership as a low cost producer and meeting the evolving needs of their customers are achieved. By working closely with their customers, in their own operations and the customers, the product development process is hastened and their success rate heightened.

While research and development capability within their own operations is substantial, the global network of contacts in research facilities, complements their own resources and ensures that they remain at the forefront of dairy technology and the possibilities for future product development.

Automotive

TOYOTA

Back in 1982, Toyota Australia decided to complement its domestic market by establishing an export program. This dream became a reality in 1985 with the export of the first vehicles from Toyota's Australian operations to New Zealand. From this small beginning has grown Australia's largest vehicle export operation.

Toyota exports have contributed over $8bn in revenue since its establishment and the company shipped its 400,000th vehicle at the end of 2004. With export ties to more than 30 countries over the life of the program, the company last year exported over 66,200 vehicles, contributing around $1.4bn to Australian export revenue.

The Camry has been so successful overseas that 60 per cent of local production is now dedicated to LHD export vehicles with the Australian-made Camry ranked number one passenger vehicle in the Saudi Arabian market.

In April 2002 Toyota adopted the 2010 Global Vision, an ambitious vision for Toyota's journey towards meeting the mobility needs of our society in a way that respects our earth and all people. It comprises a set of long-term management policies centred on the basic theme of 'innovation into the future'.

Building, products, construction

BORAL

Bitumen and Oil Refineries (Australia) Limited (Boral), the first Australian owned bitumen and oil refinery, opened its doors for business in March 1946 under the chairmanship of entrepreneur David Craig. Bitumen was manufactured from imported crude oil supplied by part-owners California Texas Oil Company (Caltex). Boral entered the United States through California Tiles and the Merry Companies brick businesses.

In 1982, Boral made a very significant move with the acquisition of BMI, a company of almost equal size and asset value. This reinforced Boral's leading building materials position in Australia and added bases in the UK and Indonesia. In 1987, Boral came to control its own cement supply through its acquisition of Blue Circle Southern Cement and then pushed into Asia, focusing on plasterboard and pre-mixed concrete in Indonesia, Malaysia and China.

The acquisition of two large brick companies made Boral the largest brick manufacturer in the USA. In mid-2000 Boral formed a joint venture with French building company Lafarge to merge their Asian plasterboard operations.

The Boral/Lafarge joint venture is the largest plasterboard operator in the Asian region (excluding Japan). In 2001, Boral's plasterboard joint venture with Lafarge announced it would build a plasterboard plant in South Korea and that it had acquired Siam Gypsum in Thailand. Boral finished the financial year with a 43 percent shareholding in the joint venture.

Boral intends to be a value-driven, focused building and construction materials supplier, operating in Australia and increasingly offshore. The company's values provide the grounding for a common culture in the organisation and provides the basis for consistent business decision-making throughout the company.

LEIGHTON

Leighton Group has evolved significantly from the construction company of its origins over 50 years ago. Today it is a diversified service provider to a range of private and public sector clients. The Group utilises its financial and intellectual capital to provide integrated solutions to clients' infrastructure and project requirements.

Leighton Holdings Limited is the parent company of Australia's largest project development and contracting group. Founded in Victoria in 1949, the organisation has grown from a small, privately owned civil engineering firm into a dynamic group that includes Thiess, John Holland, Leighton Contractors, Leighton Asia (Northern), Leighton Asia (Southern) and Leighton Properties. With over 15,700...