Ramon Atayde was “speechless” when his company, Somersby-based ARC Ento Tech, was named the state’s Business of the Year after first taking out the Excellence in Innovation award at this year’s Business NSW Awards.
“It was the first time we have been nominated and to win was unbelievable,” Atayde said.
The company started just three years ago when Atayde, a mining engineer, and his brother Ricky, an entomologist, teamed up to create a business dedicated to sustainability.
“I recognised a deep problem with sustainability going forward in the steel industry and saw an opportunity to create solutions,” Atayde said.
The company uses food and other organic waste to create synthetic coal for use in the steel industry in a bid to reduce energy demand.
It also uses insects to make a new sustainable protein livestock feed and fertiliser.
“We need a circular economy and this is where it starts,” Atayde said.
“It’s not enough just to survive – we need to thrive and prosper and to do that we have to think differently.”
Premier Chris Minns officially opened the awards event to an audience of 500 people representing more than 130 businesses at Sydney’s White Bay Cruise Terminal on November 9.
Minns and Small Business Minister Steve Kamper shared their experiences of running a small business and celebrated the state’s most innovative, forward thinking and courageous businesses.
“The NSW Business Awards 2023 have shown that technology and innovation is at the heart of businesses across the state – from start-ups right through to huge corporates,” Business NSW Executive Director Regional NSW Paula Martin said.
“ARC Ento Tech winning Business of the Year 2023 clearly demonstrates to the world that innovation is alive and well right here on the Central Coast.
“The war on waste is a worldwide problem which current waste management solutions cannot keep up with.
“ARC Ento Tech has created a combo bio process using soldier flies to consume organic waste, and technology to process inorganic waste to help resolve our plastics problem and repurpose the outputs into viable products like high-grade insect meal, high-nutrient fertiliser and an innovative industrial reductant which can replace coking coal.
“More than ever, the past few years have taught us that businesses in NSW have the passion, determination and resilience to face any challenge.
“The achievements of the state’s 840,000 businesses have been especially impressive in the face of spiralling insurance and energy costs, skills shortages and the state’s housing crisis.”
Terry Collins