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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-09-23 Daily Xml
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National Family Business Day

Ms MICHAELS (Enfield) (15:22): Today, I rise to recognise National Family Business Day, which was last Friday 18 September. Last Friday, many businesses across Australia took part in celebrations to recognise the achievements as part of National Family Business Day. I have had a long history with the family business sector, and I am very honoured to be standing here today as the shadow minister for small and family business, highlighting the importance of this sector to the Labor opposition.

Each year on National Family Business Day, Family Business Australia (FBA) celebrates the achievements of family businesses in Australia. FBA is an organisation that I have been involved in for some years, and South Australian businesses regularly feature in the national awards. In 2019, Seeley International was awarded the Distinguished Family Business of the Year Award. Like many family businesses, Seeley International started out in Frank and Kathy Seeley's garage.

Now Seeley International is Australia's largest air conditioning manufacturer, and Frank and Kathy's son Jon is now the group managing director. Seeley International has more than 500 employees across its two manufacturing sites in South Australia and exports to more than 110 countries. With a commitment to Australian manufacturing and innovation, Seeley International is a leader in producing energy-efficient climate control solutions.

In that same year, 2019, the University of Adelaide's Visiting Research Fellow, Dr Jill Thomas, received an FBA Life Membership Award. Dr Thomas is an international leader in the field of family business studies. She has developed family business education units at the University of South Australia and was the co-founder of the Family Business Education and Research Group at Adelaide University.

In 2018, South Australia was represented by Lowen Partridge, winning the Chairman's Award for her work as a family business adviser in brand strategy, and Van Schaik's Bio Gro from Mount Gambier was inducted into the FBA Hall of Fame. I could go on further about many other South Australian family businesses that are more than pulling their weight on the national stage in the family business sector.

Family businesses are the backbone of the Australian and, in particular, the South Australian economy. Seventy per cent of all businesses in Australia are family run, and they employ 50 per cent of the workforce in Australia. It is estimated there are 1.4 million family businesses in Australia and they have a worth of $4.3 trillion. When we talk about family businesses, we are not just talking about the mum-and-dad corner store and not just small businesses. Family businesses come in all shapes and sizes and operate in most if not all industries around Australia.

South Australia is home to some of Australia's most successful family businesses. Thomas Cooper began brewing his family's famous ales and stouts in 1862. From these humble beginnings at the family's Norwood home, Coopers Brewery Ltd has grown to become the largest wholly Australian-owned brewery based in Regency Park, just outside my electorate.

Another success story is that of Haigh's Chocolates. Alfred Haigh opened his first store in 1915, and commenced production from Greenhill Road in 1917. In March 2018, Haigh's opened its new factory at Mile End, expanding its production from 700 tonnes to 2,000 tonnes of chocolate. The Haigh's family remains strongly in control, with Alister and Simon Haigh holding positions of joint managing directors and employing over 600 people. Haigh's graciously hosted us at an FBA event last Wednesday.

While not on the scale of Haigh's or Coopers, I grew up watching my own family start its own family business. My father was a carpenter and, after working for a few years as an employee, started working on weekends in our garage making cabinets for family and friends. He got so busy that within a couple of years we moved to a property down at Beverley and built a workshop in our backyard. Mum would help him during the day before she went to work in a factory at night, and my brothers and I grew up sandpapering doors and assembling cabinets with him.

Watching my parents build their family business inspired me to do the same, so before I entered this place I started my own law firm. Owning my own business provided me with not only many great opportunities but also the many challenges of owning and operating a business. I can personally attest to the fact that our local entrepreneurs face innumerable challenges in running businesses.

The hard work and bravery of all family business operators in Australia have to be acknowledged. They are the economic engine of this state, and keep our state moving forward, and I want to acknowledge and congratulate them on their efforts.

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