An innovative Adelaide based film-making team is the only South Australian business in the running for a major national small business award.

What began as a hobby just a few years ago for Jennifer Lyons-Reid and Carl Kuddell has grown into an innovative art and media business - known as tallstoreez productionz - which has tripled its expected profits in just its first year of business.

“As a result, we are in hot demand and loving it,” Ms Lyons-Reid said. “Currently we are producing an eight part documentary for SBS, a series of large-scale public art works and have the ABC’s interest in our youth education project,” she said.

Now tallstoreez productionz and its business mentor, Mission Australia, have been nominated for the 2006 National Awards for the Federal Government’s NEIS (New Enterprise Incentive Scheme) businesses.

The awards will be presented at the national Small Business Development Conference in Adelaide next Wednesday, October 25 at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

Ms Lyons-Reid said the support provided by Mission Australia and the NEIS scheme, which was set up by the Federal Government to help eligible unemployed people to develop and establish their own businesses, has been invaluable.

“Their NEIS training and mentoring provided us with the necessary skills to develop a humble and realistic plan while also shooting for the stars,” she said. “The result: in our first year in business, we have tripled our expected profits and more than tripled our annual turnover forecast.”

The nomination is the second major recognition of Mission Australia’s NEIS expertise after the Flava Dance Company, which it also mentored, won a major South Australian award last year.

“This is fantastic recognition not only of the development of a great local business in tallstoreez, but also of the leading role that Mission Australia in South Australia is taking with a national program,” said Mission Australia’s NEIS Coordinator Warren Silverston.

“It’s proof that with talent, dedication and the right support programs, our businesses can lead the nation.”

Media please note: Jennifer Lyons-Reid & Carl Kuddell are available, with Mission Australia’s Warren Silverston, for interviews and photographs.

For further information, please contact: Chris Rann on (08) 8211 7771 or Warren Silverston on (08) 8218 2835 or Mob: 0403 183 012