GIPPSLAND Abattoir operator Rob Radford has won NAB Agribusiness leader of the year award.
Mr Radford's family-owned meat processing company, Radfords, also won the environment and energy management category of the national awards announced last week.
Mr Radford operates the Warragul business started by his father 65 years ago.
He said receiving the individual award was an honour.
"I love the industry, I was born and bred into it, but to get an award at this level was beyond what I'd expect," Mr Radford said
Radfords is the only large-scale domestic abattoir in Gippsland and processes 80,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and lambs annually.
In the past four years, Radfords has spent more than $8 million on a new plant, equipment and supporting infrastructure.
Since the implementation of an environment improvement plan in 2005, Radfords has increased throughput by nearly 40 per cent and cut consumption of electricity by 4 per cent, gas by 30 per cent, fuel by 19 per cent and water by 44 per cent.
