Victory in the categories of Outstanding Young Employee (Amanda Woodbine), Outstanding Business Leader (Tim Faulkner) and Excellence in Business (20+) saw the park named 2018 Business of the Year at a gala awards ceremony at Crowne Plaza, Terrigal, on October 20.
The Australian Reptile Park first opened in 1958 at North Gosford when naturalist Eric Worrell had the idea of combining snake venom production with tourism.
Following increasing visitor numbers in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s Mr Worrell passed away in 1987, with ownership of the park taken over by passionate employees John and Robyn Weigel, who continue to run it today.
In 1996, the park relocated to Somersby with its 26-metre concrete dinosaur mascot Ploddy situated on the M1 to welcome visitors to the region.
255,000 visitors
The Park has gone from strength to strength over the years and now welcomes more than 255,000 visitors a year, with five new attractions planned for construction in the next two years.
The original hands-on zoo, the Australian Reptile Park features a unique visitor experience that includes not only reptiles, but also a wide range of native fauna and flora.
General manager and director of the park Tim Faulkner reckons it represents the Aussie dream of starting small and building to great things.
“The staff are the heart and soul of the business with many employees serving 10 plus years,” he said.
“Success is seen across the board, from our high zookeeping standards and innovative marketing to our ground-breaking work in conservation and antivenom.
“We have 24 full-time staff, seven permanent part-time staff, 35 casuals and 50 volunteers.
“Just being finalists in so many categories is a huge honour but it was the icing on the cake to win them all and be recognised for all the hard work the team does.”
