West Australian Woman Gets Top marketing award in Australia

We do not normally report on the awards in Australia, but this year the Telstra Business Woman of the year came from Fremantle, near Perth and she won the award for a product I believe a number of you would be interested in. The recipient was Leanne Wesche and the product was Safeguard a valuable product for the fruit and vegetable retailer. Safeguard Fruit & Veggie Wash Triumphing over seven of Australia’s leading businesswoman, Leanne Wesche, founder of Safeguard Innovations and Pacco Group was today named the Australian Telstra Business Woman of the year at the glittering annual awards presentation in Melbourne. In the Western Australian Telstra Business Woman state awards, Leanne won in two categories including the Yellow Business Owner Award and the Nokia Business Innovation Award. Competing against over 5,000 entrants throughout WA, Leanne was also announced the overall state winner for Western Australia. This enabled Leanne to go in the running for the national category awards and qualified her for the prestigious title of 2008 Telstra Business Woman of the Year. Leanne has over a decade of experience working in the fruit and vegetable packing industry. A dynamic businesswoman, Leanne has been self-employed since the age of 19 and has successfully launched four different companies in the manufacturing and fresh produce industries over the last twenty years. Leanne’s recognition for her entrepreneurial expertise has come in the form of numerous accolades including the WA Small Business of the Year Award at the Telstra Business Awards (2002), National Winner of the MYOB Business Owner Awards (2002) and the Small Business Development Corporation’s ‘Best Potential New Exporter’ (2002). In the same year she was also named in the BRW Fast 100 as having the 66th fastest growing business. In 2007, Leanne was the winner of the 40 Under 40 Award. Leanne currently owns and manages Safeguard Innovations and Pacco Group. Pacco Group is Western Australia’s largest fruit and vegetable packing house and supplies up to 80,000 pieces of fresh fruit and vegetables to supermarket chains each day. In May 2008, after 18 months of research and product development, Leanne launched Safeguard Innovation’s first product, Safeguard Fruit & Veggie Wash, into the Australian marketplace. Safeguard Fruit & Veggie Wash is an all-natural cleansing wash for fresh produce found to be 100 times more effective than water in removing dirt, chemicals, waxes and bacteria. Using agricultural chemicals is often necessary for farmers to maintain high crop quality, which ultimately benefits consumers. Safeguard Fruit & Veggie Wash assists in the process of ensuring high quality fruits and vegetables by removing pesticides and other agricultural chemicals that are specifically designed to be ‘waterproof’ and are not normally washed off by rain and irrigation. Some fruits (such as apples) are also coated in wax to preserve the quality and appearance of the produce. Safeguard is able to remove contaminants so that consumers can enjoy their fruits and veggies the way nature intended. Consumers are often not aware of who or what comes into contact with their produce on the journey from the growing fields to feeding their family. Safeguard Fruit & Veggie Wash contains all natural ingredients and was developed by food scientists and technologists after trialling 300 different formulas. Independent tests have shown Safeguard Fruit & Veggie Wash to be up to 100 times more effective than rinsing with water alone to remove contaminants from fresh fruit and vegetables. Consumers can enjoy the true quality and freshness of fruit & vegetables by adding Safeguard Fruit & Veggie Wash to water when washing their produce. Safeguard Fruit & Veggie Wash is a new innovative Australian product. It is a low cost, quick, gentle and natural method of reducing bacteria, dirt, waxes, chemical and pesticide residue from fresh produce, up to 100 times more effective than washing with water alone. •   Made from a blend of 100% natural and organic ingredients •   Environmentally safe and biodegradable •   Easy to use – takes 30 seconds •   No aftertaste and fresh citrus aroma •   Scientifically proven and independently tested Unlike other fresh produce washes, Safeguard Fruit & Veggie Wash is made from all natural and organic ingredients including organic aloe vera, citrus essential oils, olive leaf extract, emulsifier, glycerine and purified water. Safeguard Fruit & Veggie Wash is also biodegradable and is packaged in a recyclable bottle in order to reduce its environmental impact. Safeguard also has the seal of approval from Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA). The GECA program awards a mark of recognition for products and services that meet standards of environmental, quality and social performance. The product has already been launched overseas and is an ideal added value product for farmers markets. To find out more, visit their website www.safeguardproducts.com.au