One of Bendigo's young business owners said he was completely blindsided by his nomination for the upcoming Be.Bendigo awards.
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William Farmer Funeral Directors owner and operator Jesse Cattell has been named as a finalist for the young and professional category.
Mr Cattell will be going up against Alissa Van Soest from Discovery Science and Technology Centre, Jacinta Douglas from DJAARA and Kira Hyde from The KH Studio.
The 28-year-old funeral director has been involved in the business since 2012 and does not know who nominated him for the award.
"I guess you're always a little bit taken aback but you always appreciate when people recognise you," he said.
"I did not expect it by any means so it was a bit of a shock when it came through the email."
Mr Cattell said after receiving the nomination he had to fill out an application outlining his experience at the business and what he does in a day-to-day capacity.
A family business at heart
He said at the heart of the William Farmer Funeral Directors was that it was a family business set up to support Bendigo residents say goodbye to their loved ones.
"We are a family business, it is continuing on, myself and my wife have taken over the company from my aunt and uncle in the last 10 months," he said.
"I have been very lucky, my aunt and uncle have nurtured me into the business for the last 12 years and with the change might bring fresh ideas.
"We are always looking at ways to improve and better serve our families and provide our families with the best -- we are always looking at ways to do that each and every day."
Mr Cattell said the funeral directors business originally started in the 1870s with the original William Farmer being buried in Bendigo cemetery.
His aunt and uncle took over the business in the 1980s and ran it until he and his wife took it over.
Mr Cattell said there was a "lot of tradition" at the business and was looking forward to the awards night.
Awards layout
From large scale companies to start up initiatives, the Be.Bendigo awards finalists include people from all backgrounds and experience levels.
The 2024 Bendigo Business Excellence Awards night, scheduled for August 15 at the Red Energy Arena, will highlight some of the best and brightest minds working in the central Victorian region.
In total, 73 finalists have been named across 20 awards categories.
Some of the categories include the events and tourism award, the climate leader award and the volunteer of the year.
