Franchisees celebrate at Poolwerx awards

Poolwerx held its three-day convention earlier in the year, bringing together more than 300 franchise partners and suppliers in the Hunter Valley, culminating in a gala awards ceremony where franchisees were recognised for their achievements.

Hilary and Richard Kelly from Poolwerx Mt Gravatt Queensland were named the 2025 Franchise Partners of the Year, an award recognising exceptional performance within the Poolwerx ANZ network.

Poolwerx CEO Nic Brill acknowledged them for their remarkable journey.

“In just four years, they’ve built a powerhouse business from the ground up, achieving record-breaking growth while setting new benchmarks for service, leadership, and innovation,” he says.

Poolwerx award winners

• Retail Store of the Year, Poolwerx Wagga Wagga, NSW

• New Retail Store of the Year, Poolwerx Ellenbrook, WA

• Retail Team Member of the Year, Poolwerx Bay of Plenty, Connor Simpson, NZ

• Technician of the Year, Poolwerx Kotara, Jarad Boorer, NSW

• Operations Person of the Year, Poolwerx Rosebud, Jarrod Hilderbrand, VIC

• Employer of the Year, Poolwerx Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Andrina & Darren Tribbeck, QLD

• Brand Excellence, Poolwerx Caloundra, Emily King & Luke Knight, QLD

• Innovation & Entrepreneurial Excellence, Poolwerx Castle Hill, Bev and Tim Oldfield, NSW

• The Shane Doyle Rising Star, Poolwerx Bunbury, Ayrton Paris, WA

• Most Improved, Poolwerx Mackay, Rene & Shayne Wood, QLD

• Commercial Business of the Year, Poolwerx Bay of Plenty, Kelly & Brendon Woodhouse, NZ

• Top Sales, Under $3,000,000, Poolwerx Spearwood, Karlee & Cory Thomson, WA

• Top Sales Over $3,000,000, Poolwerx Upper North Shore, Prue & Malcolm Price, NSW

• Top Mobile Sales (Single Territory), Poolwerx Coffs Harbour, Shann & Ged O’Sullivan, NSW

• Top Retail Sales (Single Unit), Poolwerx Wagga Wagga, Melissa and Andrew McPherson, NSW

• Community Ambassador of the Year, Poolwerx Clarence Valley, Shauna Brigden, QLD

• Regional Operational Manager of the Year, Phil Colburn

• Poolwerx Support Centre Team Member of the Year, Learning & Development Advisor, Trinity Overduin

• Regional Franchise Partner of the Year, Poolwerx Burpengary, Wendy & Grant Polglase, QLD (Brisbane North & Central Queensland)

• Regional Franchise Partner of the Year, Poolwerx Mt Gravatt, Hilary & Richard Kelly, QLD (Brisbane South, Far North QLD, Northern NSW & Northern Territory)

• Regional Franchise Partner of the Year, Poolwerx Ringwood, David & Zivanja Copsey, VIC (Victoria & Tasmania)

• Regional Franchise Partner of the Year, Poolwerx Greater Adelaide, Craig Bruins, SA

• Regional Franchise Partner of the Year, Poolwerx Applecross, Steve Burn and Brett Jorgensen, WA

• Regional Franchise Partner of the Year, Poolwerx Castle Hill, Bev and Tim Oldfield, NSW

• The Garth Parker Award, Regional Franchise Partner of the Year, Poolwerx Bay of Plenty, Kelly & Brendon Woodhouse, NZ

• Franchise Partner of the Year, Poolwerx Mt Gravatt, Hilary & Richard Kelly, QLD

IMAGE: 2025 Franchise Partners of the Year, Hilary and Richard Kelly, with global CEO Nic Brill and founder John O’Brien