Stream Group has won the Telstra Queensland Business of the Year award, with the judges impressed by its software platform and saying the firm creates “tangible benefits to consumers impacted by disasters” while reducing costs to the industry.

The assessing and repairs management service founded by Don McKenzie in 2007 has expanded from 122 to 145 staff since January to cope with the claims load from catastrophes and its core operations of “business as usual” claims.

Mr McKenzie says the firm has grown from managing 2000 claims in 2008 to 15,000 in 2010, and he believes the judges were impressed by its ability to scale up to meet the demand from natural disasters.

“Where we have a problem, we have found solutions,” he said. 

For example, Stream flew in 10 American assessors to assist local specialists when it received 5000 building and contents claims after Cyclone Yasi. More than 92% of claims have now been authorised.

Stream took over Freemans Group NZ last year and is managing more than 10,000 claims from the Christchurch earthquakes, working on all areas from assessment to completion of repair work.

Stream earned $22 million in professional fee revenue in 2011 and the Telstra judges said its “financial results are superlative with an enormous growth curve”.