Friday 20 September Adelaide, brought the family business community together for a half-day of learning and networking at the Family Business Insights State Conference SA/NT in the newly opened Marriot Hotel.
It was a great event, starting with a delicious lunch during the Family Business Excellence Awards winner presentations, an address by Hon Andrea Michaels MP, followed by keynote presentations and speakers discussing how to navigate out of voluntary administration, avoiding insolvency in family businesses, creating an effective workplace culture and embracing philanthropy. Finishing the event with canapés and drinks as the South Australian and Northern Territory family business community came together to swap stories and network with one another.
Family Business Excellence Awards
The Family Business Insights State Conference kicked off with the presentation of award winners for our South Australia and Northern Territory Family Business Excellence Award winners.
The Family Business Excellence Awards are presented to an outstanding family business demonstrating excellence and achievement in the core business principles of Governance, Entrepreneurship and Stewardship, and exhibits how family ownership and involvement has helped the business to achieve a competitive advantage.
Blackman Recruitment were the winners of the 2024/25 Founder's Family Business Award for SA/NT. The award was accepted by Joanne Blackman, Arielle Jennings and Lachlan Jennings.
"We connect talented people, each with their own unique stories and career goals with opportunities that have the potential to transform their lives. And that’s why it’s no surprise that our favourite part of the day is delivering the news with a call that starts with… ‘Congratulations, you have a new job’ and ‘Congratulations, your new team member has accepted the role’.”
“I’d like to thank FBA, my incredible team and to our families for their unwavering support. Here’s to many more years of working together and growing. Thank you.”
Black Recruitment demonstrates a well-defined strategy, clear family values, and a strong commitment to sustainability. Founded to move away from traditional corporate norms, their family business has built a reputation for integrity, honesty, and transparency. Their competitive advantages include client trust, effective family dynamics, and robust strategies for balancing family and business roles.
The 2024/25 Established Family Business Award for SA/NT was awarded to Metro Fresh Findon, and accepted by Michael, Jessica and Enza Manov.
"I want to express my gratitude to our loyal customers, suppliers and staff, whose support has been essential to our success. Your trust in us motives us to continue striving for excellence. I also want to acknowledge my family and amazing team who are the backbone to our success."
"This award reflects our shared dedication to quality, community, and innovation. We are truly honoured to receive such a prestigious award. We want to thank FBA for bringing South Australian businesses together and creating a supportive network to support each other."
Metro Fresh Findon is a family business that has flourished over the past 35 years, growing from a small retail store into a key player in the community's food scene, highlighting the best of South Australia and Australia. Metro Fresh Findon excels in innovation and growth, with strong governance and clear family values. They prioritise local growers and producers, offering top-quality produce at affordable prices, paired with exceptional customer service.
Finally, Jessica Hill-Smith and Annabel accepted the 2024/25 Legacy Family Business Award for SA/NT for Yalumba.
“I feel very very lucky that each generation of our family has been pioneering and innovative.”
“We get to bring people together with what we do, to open a bottle of wine and tell a story about why that means something to us. And that’s worth holding onto,” Jessica said.
“It’s been 175 years of surviving the highs and lows, we absolutely love it, and we’re not going anywhere. Thank you for recognising Yalumba today.”
Established in 1849, Yalumba has flourished under six generations of family ownership. This exceptional family business is recognised for its remarkable history and steadfast family values. With 175 years of success, it has seamlessly integrated these values into its strategy, demonstrating resilience and strategic foresight. The business’s commitment to sustainability and effective storytelling highlights its enduring legacy and competitive edge.
Family Business Insights State Conference
We were joined by Hon Andrea Michaels MP, South Australian Minister for Small and Family Business, Consumer and Business Affairs, and Arts, who addressed the audience highlighting the importance of the family business sector, discussed the key initiatives available in partnership with FBA, such as our Navigating Family Business workshop series. She also highlighted that South Australia is the only state with a dedicated Minister for Small and Family Business. Hon Andrea Michaels MP also handed out the awards to our deserving winners on the day.
We then heard an inspiring keynote presentation from Kevin Webb, Director and Head of Finance at Spring Gully Foods. He shared the powerful story of his family business coming back from the blink of collapse after entering voluntary administration in April 2013. A key takeaway, "Don't wait, be prepared" for any situation. Know your numbers.
Insolvency specialists from Andreyev Lawyers, Hood Sweeney and Hall Chadwick shared key lessons in managing insolvency risk and the protective measures that can be taken, from both accounting and legal perspectives, to protect business assets and family wealth.
For our third session, Jo Marshall from Culturise and Brandon Arrowsmith from Gallagher explained the importance of psychological safety and managing psychosocial risk in family businesses, providing strategies to cultivate a supportive and effective workplace.
Access the session's content slides
In our last presentation of the day, Jenny Hurley, from Hurley Hotel Group, Brett Miller, Miller Dental Group and Kay Burton, SA Philanthropy Network discussed how family businesses can best channel their goals of giving back to the community to ensure they create real impact. Jenny Hurley explained that contributing your time, in-kind support, and leveraging your connections can be just as meaningful and impactful as monetary donations. Brett Miller emphasised the importance of developing innovative models for service delivery and the importance of diversifying revenue streams to future-proof the long-term sustainability for a family business foundation. Finally they both expressed how important it is to engage the next generation in both the business and philanthropy activities, ensuring the continuation of the family legacy and commitment to community impact.
Photo Gallery
Thank you to all those who attended, presented and made the event such a success.
Thank you to our Table Sponsors:
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