To everyone in the room, the look on Claire and Nathan’s faces, (Directors of Shoalhaven Occupational Therapy), when they won ‘Business of The Year’ among other accolades at the 2024 Shoalhaven Business Chamber Awards, was priceless. 

The husband-and-wife duo have been named finalists for the past 3 years in various categories, having only established their business 4 years ago in the midst of COVID. 

This year they took out: Employer of Choice, Excellence in Innovation and of course the big one – Business of the Year. 

Claire, Principal OT and Clinical Director, started from the boot of her car having worked in the hospital system and wanting more for her patients, colleagues and family. Nathan an Engineer by background with skills in industrial automation joined the business the following year managing the business and operational aspects of the business. 

In the last 12 months the team has more than doubled along with a 97.4% increase in service hours and 42% increase in clients. 

Their culture, (which earned them a spot in STAR’s Top 5 workplaces in all of Australasia), demonstrates the high satisfaction within the team. Being able to articulate that employment value proposition and communicate it to others through the work of Think Regional has made a difference in filling key roles and meeting demand says Claire: 

“Our team has grown from 7 to 15 since becoming a Think Regional Partner Employer and introducing new software. We knew the environment we provide is the answer to so many of our industry workforce challenges but now others know that too.”