Nine firms win Deloitte Private Best Managed awards

Deloitte Private has named nine Australian businesses as winners of its 2025 Best Managed Companies Awards, marking the programme's sixth cycle in the country.

Google Cloud sponsors the Australian programme, which Deloitte Private positions as a way to identify and recognise private companies and their contribution to the national economy.

An independent judging panel selected the winners through an assessment process that benchmarks participants against an international network of more than 1,300 private companies.

Winners List

The 2025 winners span tourism, insurance, agriculture, retail, construction, IT services, eCommerce and recruitment.

APT Travel Group was recognised in the travel category. It describes itself as Australia's largest locally owned tour company and operates a portfolio of touring and cruising brands.

BizCover received an award in insurance. It runs an online platform for comparing and buying business insurance and works with a range of insurers in the Australian market.

Comfresh was recognised in the agriculture and food supply chain sector. It works with a local grower network and supplies fresh produce to major Australian supermarkets and other businesses.

QBD Books also made the list. Founded in Queensland in the late 1800s, it describes itself as Australia's largest locally owned and operated bricks-and-mortar book retailer.

Two construction companies were included. Hamilton Marino focuses on multi-level apartment and commercial construction, while Sitzler specialises in projects it describes as unique, multifaceted and remote across a range of scales.

Kinetic IT was recognised in technology services. It operates as a technology integrator and service provider, and says its work includes transforming and securing customer environments through IT solutions and services.

New Aim was selected in eCommerce. It says it uses proprietary technology across procurement, supply chain management and price decisioning.

Talent rounded out the group in professional services. It operates as a global digital and technology recruitment specialist and says it has "a vision to empower people to build a better world of work for all."

Assessment Approach

The Best Managed Companies Awards follow an international programme format that runs across multiple markets. In Australia, the judging includes benchmarking against a global cohort of more than 1,300 top-performing private companies.

The assessment model compares businesses on a consistent basis across sectors. Using an independent judging panel is intended to separate programme organisers from the final selection of winners.

The global benchmark can also spotlight privately owned businesses that operate at scale, including those competing with listed companies in domestic and international markets.

Private Sector Focus

The 2025 winners highlight the diversity of Australia's private business landscape. The list includes companies tied to consumer spending, such as travel and retail, alongside firms supporting essential supply chains and business services.

It also reflects demand for technology and digital roles. Technology services and recruitment businesses are among the recipients, alongside an eCommerce company that says it has built its own systems around procurement and pricing.

The inclusion of multiple construction firms points to continued activity in building and infrastructure-related work, including multi-level residential projects and remote construction.

Google Cloud's sponsorship aligns with the theme of technology adoption among private companies, adding a major global technology brand to the local programme.

Deloitte Private has not provided further details in the material supplied on the event format, the number of applicants, or the scoring criteria for the Australian cycle. It says winners were selected through a "comprehensive and impartial assessment" conducted by the independent panel.

The programme is expected to continue in Australia, allowing private businesses to benchmark themselves against local peers and the wider international cohort.