Port Macquarie's Touchwood Flowers are riding high after winning a number of industry awards recently.
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The local florist won the Fresh Award for Merchandising and Branding at the Sydney Market's Fresh Awards on July 24 and followed the win by winning two excellence awards at the local Holiday Coast Credit Union Greater Port Macquarie Business Awards only days later.
Touchwood Flowers owner Ashley Sargeson said the Fresh Award came about from being part of the Mystery Shopper program.
"When we signed up to be a business in the Mystery Shopper program we had no idea about what might happen," Ms Sargeson said.
"We thought it would be a great way to get anonymous feedback on our business but then we became finalists in the Fresh Awards which came as a great surprise.
"They had even flown up a mystery shopper from Sydney to check us out.
"When we found out about the nomination we decided to attend the award ceremony just for the experience.
"We had no expectations and was just planning on living it up for the night."
Ms Sargeson said she was speechless when Touchwood Flowers was called as the winner.
"Going in with no expectations whatsoever we really had no words to describe winning when our name was called," she said.
"Of course it is really lovely to be nominated and then to win and it goes to show that a little country florist can make it with the big guys in Sydney."
On August 19, the NSW Business Chamber also announced the finalists for their Regional Business Awards and Touchwood Flowers was again recognised as an outstanding business in the category of Outstanding Young Employee Kayla Fuller and in the category of Excellence in Micro Business.
"We are absolutely thrilled to make a finalist in the regional finals for the NSW Business Chamber awards," she said.
"It is so exciting that what we do everyday is being highlighted. I love being part of awards like this because it means we can reflect on what we do as a business so we can constantly improve.
"Being a small business owner is a lot of hard work and it is wonderful for all that hard work to be recognised."
Ashley and Kayla will attend the gala awards evening on September 13, at Sails Port Macquarie by Rydges.
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