Tell us about your family business.
Farm Foods is a family owned manufacturing business based in Geelong, which specialises in value-added meat products like sausages, kebabs, burgers and meatballs. We began in 2003 as a small shop in Birregurra selling fresh hand-made sausages and locally sourced wine, cheese and condiments. From these humble beginnings, our journey has been one of continuous growth and innovation.
Expanding beyond our initial storefront, Farm Foods ventured into wholesale operations, serving independent supermarkets across Hamilton and coastal Victoria. As demand surged, we invested in processing facilities, first in North Geelong, then relocating to Boundary Rd, Breakwater in 2009 to accommodate our expanding operations.
We relocated once more in 2013 to a larger, more advanced production facility at 60 Leather St in Breakwater, with our headquarters positioned nearby at 70 Leather St.
With over 50 years in agribusiness and food production between the three brothers, we bring a wealth of experience to the table. We’re now one of Australia’s leading private label meat manufacturers, processing over 100 tonnes of meat weekly. Farm Foods makes nearly 10 million trays of value-added produce annually, supplying Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, Metcash, Ritchie’s and IGA and now internationally.
What has been your greatest success?
Our greatest success has been standing back from the day-to-day, and appointing Greg Hughes as an outsider CEO to manage the business. We identified that the business was at a stage for external management.
Why did you join FBA?
We’d like to network and understand where other businesses are at, particularly those that are a few years ahead of us in terms of turnover but still have the complexities of a family-run company. Challenges are cyclical in business, and we want to get to know other businesses that have already been on the same journey that we are on, and connect with others who may be experiencing things we have already been through.
What advice would you give to other family businesses?
Structure and governance are more important than you think. Having very clear roles, having a board which runs the strategy, which is then executed by management. Families can sometimes work a bit ad hoc. That’s a great way to start, but eventually things need to evolve.
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