National Family Business Day 2019 celebrates the “heartbeat” of Australian business

family businesses

19 September marks a celebration of the family business in Australia with the National Family Business Day

“Family businesses are the lifeblood of our communities and key contributors to our economy,” said Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell. “National Family Business Day is a time to recognise the significant role these businesses play, accounting for up to 70 per cent of Australian businesses and employing around half of the country’s workforce.”

“I urge people to show support for the family business in your community and buy local,” Carnell said.

Dale Dixon, MYOB’s Head of Small Business Products, commented on this occasion saying, “We will be supporting National Family Business Day at MYOB by encouraging our employees to shop local. With more than 2.2 million small businesses in Australia and many of them family-run businesses, we know these businesses make a huge contribution to Australia’s economy. We agree with the ombudsman and urge Australians to support family businesses today and every day.”

Family Business Australia (FBA), which organises the National Family Business Day, calls the family business as the “heartbeat” of Australian business, having contributed to the country’s economy and culture.

“Family Business Day acknowledges family businesses as the heartbeat of Australian commerce, employing 50 per cent of the Australian workforce. Most family businesses are Australian-owned, providing considerable investment and employment opportunities. When you spend money on a family-owned Australian business it remains in our communities”, said Greg Griffith, CEO of FBA.

As part of National Family Business Day, FBA has also announced winners of its annual Family Business National Awards, and new inductees to the FBA Family Business Hall of Fame, at its Family Business Conference in Melbourne. The most prestigious category, the Distinguished Family Business of the Year Award, was presented to Seeley International, Australia’s largest air-conditioning manufacturer.

In addition, a number of family businesses were also inducted into the 2019 FBA Hall of Fame, which include the following:

  • Bowhill’s Engineering, specialist fabricated steel manufacturers
  • Colorific Australia, toy manufacturer
  • Ella Baché, skincare and cosmetics
  • Linneys Jewellery, Perth’s largest jewellery store
  • Matthews Australasia, provider of intelligent product identification and information-driven manufacturing
  • Matthews Real Estate, a Brisbane-based agency
  • Normark Landscapes, a Melbourne-based landscaping firm
  • Trendpac, manufacturer of personal, household and industrial products