A Winmalee construction business that lost its office, garage, shed and company cars during last year's bushfires was the big winner at the 2014 Blue Mountains Business Awards held at the Fairmont Resort on Friday night.
Blue Eco Homes won five of the 17 awards on offer, including the prestigious Harry Hammon business of the year award.
Other awards it won were excellence in sustainability, excellence in business ethics, excellence in small business and business leader to director Joe Mercieca.
Mr Mercieca and his wife Merylese, the company's business manager, said the multiple award wins came as "a complete surprise" and meant so much.
"Last year we arrived at the awards night with our clothes smelling of smoke, having just lost our office and coming here tonight we didn't expect to win even one award, let alone five," Mrs Mercieca said.
"We had to do quite a bit of marketing late last year just because many people thought we'd closed.
"We have a great team of eight staff and about 70 contractors who all worked really hard in the last 12 months."
Mr Mercieca said he can recall walking out from the burning office with only a computer and a mobile phone.
"We set up [a temporary office] on our dining room table just like we did when we started out as a home-based business 11 years ago.
"We kept going and our trade actually grew, although not as much as the previous year.
"I'm pleased to say our new rebuilt office is due to open in just a few weeks."
Other multiple award winners on the night were Rubyfruit with three and Nepean Regional Security with two (employer of choice and customer service).
Rubyfruit, a boutique vegan cafe and bakery in Leura, won the people's choice award for the third straight year, plus the awards for hospitality and excellence in Innovation.
Asked what the secret to their success was, Rubyfruit proprietors Amanda Solomons and Simone Bateman said it was passion for what they do.
"We enjoy being very hands-on so we can be found in the kitchen as well as doing front of house work," Ms Bateman said.
"Winning the people's choice is most special for us because it's determined by your peers," Ms Solomons said.
Blue Mountains Regional Business Chamber president Vent Thomas said it's been a really tough year for Blue Mountains businesses for obvious reasons.
"As a business community we've had to come together, we've had to innovate, we've had to support one another and that's what we did.
"I'm pleased to say we've had a record number of award entries.
"Our spirit hasn't died."
Other award winners were: Mortgage Choice in Blaxland and Penrith (business services); Creative Queen Bees (new business); Stainless Steel Worx and La Montagna Cafe Deli (employee inclusion award); Bestbuy Pharmacy Leura (retail business); Denise Schoer from Bygone Beauties (employee of the year); Kellie Gracey from Euphoria Hair (young entrepreneur) and Blue Mountains National Park (tourism business of the year).
