NUFFIELD INTERNATIONAL
CONFERENCE
ADELAIDE STH. AUST.
SEPTEMBER 2011
Building diversity into the
strategy
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Humble beginnings
Survival, business and the last 20 years
Setting the system, diversity and structure
Planning and development
Management of risk
Opportunities
Business Structure and continued
improvement and vision
• People – relationships, business and staff
Motivators
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Passion for agriculture
Adversity
Fathers accident – ability to let go, naivety
Alastair joining the business – family
tenacity an exploiting everyone’s strengths
• Nuffield Scholarship
• Ability to look within, recognise weakness,
adopt change and maintain diversity
• Determination
MT. BOOTHBY PAST. CO.
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6 Tintinara Properties 5600 Ha in total
2200 Ha into grain production
250 ha per year into pasture renovation
4500 Merino ewes as self replacing and
prime lambs
300 Angus breeders
40 Ha under irrigation – hay then lucerne
600 sow intensive piggery – Tintinara
1250 sow intensive piggery – Mid North
Production focused
integrated philosophies
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Grain Production
Grain Storage
Feed Manufacture / Distribution
Pork Production
Grower facility to market weight
35000 bacon pigs annually sold
Pig waste spreading / land - pasture
improvement – increase grazing capacity
Mt. Boothby Grower Facility
HR Pre Nuffield
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It was always their fault
They should have done it like this
I couldn’t allow them to make that decision
I wish they’d hurry up
Haven’t got time to listen and talk about it,
just do it like this
• Recognised as one of the districts worst
employers
Retention of staff
• Giving responsibility and ownership of
decision making
• Regular management meetings
• Identifying key roles and responsibilities
• Highly competitive salary packages
• Good conditions, facilities and machinery
• Recognising individual pursuits and wish’s
• Bonuses
Mt. Boothby Structure
Board of
Directors
Managing Directors
Andrew Johnson
Alastair Johnson
Secretary – Sue Edmonds
Mt Boothby South – Alastair
Johnson
Piggery – Alvin, Leonido, Angus
Sheep Cattle – Brendon Voss
Cropping – Ben Carey
Mt. Boothby North – Shane Ellis
Maintenance & Trans. – Chris
Large
Production - Marc Tan
Bangalee – Michael
Snowtown – Romel
Weaners – Jamie and Charlie
Skilled Migration
• 457 Temporary Skilled Visas
• Highly regulated
• Small percentage of employers abusing
privilege
• GFC – major changes to temporary entries
• Lifted base salary to over $45000
• Agriculture really becomes excluded as
considered above the award
• Regional Skilled Migration Scheme
The beginning of change and
diversity in the management
• Business Analysis – forecasts and trends,
Implementing a Board Structure
• Staff and management – Immigration
• Strategic plan and KPI’s
• Recognising 2 businesses, land and
production
• Systems
• Search for opportunities and never give up
Process
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6 months
We have 5 Filipinos in our business
Treated like everyone else
They turn up with a bag and no money
We also prefer to have their families come
We provide furnished housing,
transportation, security
• We integrate them into the community
VERY IMPORTANT
Staff Turnover
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
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Staff Turnover
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2011
Income and
Profitability
Enterprise Performance
150
100
Property
Pork
Beef
Sheep
Cropping
50
2010
2008
2006
2004
2002
2000
1998
1996
1994
1992
1990
0
Nothings more important than
the generation you leave behind
Opportunities
once we developed a structure
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Private V’s Corporate
Local and regional
Great Southern
Macquarie Bank
Singapore Foods
Mt. Boothby
Continued supply chain management
Continual business growth development
BOARD AND MANAGEMENT
OFFICE
FEED
SOURCING
MANUFACTURE
BUILDING
WASTE
REMOVAL
DISPOSAL
GENETICS
FEED MILLING
CONTRACT CLEANING
PRESSURE
CLEANING
DISTRIBUTION
5000
SOWS
STRAW
PROCUREMENT
5000
SOWS
WEANER FREIGHT
G1
G2
G3
G4
G5
MARKET FREIGHT
PRIMO-COLES
G6
G7
G8
Trial With Pigs and Dominance Hierarchies
J. Alcohol Abuse 1987 45: 56-67
 Pigs in social groups of 10 dominance orders established
 All pigs given Ad Libitum Alcohol (Beer / Cider / Wine)
 Observations on intakes
Results
 Days 1 and 2 - All pigs drank heavily, got drunk and slept soundly
 Day 2 onwards
 Pigs 1 & 2 - never touched alcohol again – needed a clear head to preserve
their position in the hierarchy
 Pigs 3 – 8 were moderate drinkers – occasionally drank at times of stress!
 Pigs 9 & 10 – remained heavy consumers and were mostly permanently drunk
throughout the trial
One thing about going
the extra mile.....
There’s never a lot of
traffic.
Thank you