Today celebrates National Family Business Day and award-winning Sutherland Shire businessman Paul Crowther is one of many who have spent their life working within one.
Mr Crowther, whose family’s coach business was started by his grandfather Sid Crowther, has operated in the shire since the 1930s.
“I’ve spent my entire life working with family, and our business for over 90 years has always prided itself on exceeding people’s expectations when they come on a journey with us,” Paul Crowther said.
He joined other iconic family business operators based in the Sutherland Shire and St George area to celebrate National Family Business Day on Wednesday, September 19, at Sealevel Restaurant Cronulla.
These businesses included Tynan Motors, Sealevel restaurant, Bates Bicycles, AJ Beard Bedding Company and Crowthers Coaches.
Gary Beard, managing director of AJ Beard bedding company which was started by his great grandfather Enoch William Beard, will celebrate 119 years of business on November 25, 2018.
Mr Beard, has also been chairman of the NSW branch of the Family Business Association (FBA) for more than 20 years
“The FBA’s purpose is to help family business succeed. We do this by assisting family businesses and harness their unique competitive advantage, leveraging ‘family business’ as an asset,” Mr Beard said.
This family business asset is very real said sports promoter and owner of Bates Bicycles at Carlton, Phill Bates.
“It’s always great to have grandfathers bring their grandchildren to the bike shop to purchase their first bike and admit that they had also purchased their first bike from my father, 60 years earlier,” Mr Bates said. “It is what separates family business from others”.
Adam, Blake, Marc and Nathan Allouche are forging new frontiers in the restaurant game, recently opening Next Door, a café style operation right next door to their Sealevel restaurant. They also recognise that the family business asset created by their fathers Claude and David Allouche over a 35 period in the restaurant gamehas provided them with a fantastic platform to create their own legacy.
Madeline Tynan whose father Michael started Tynan Motors 53 years ago said Michael believed family business was the backbone of the economy.
“It's all about investing in the next generation and it makes good business sense,” Madeline said
“We now have the third generation involved within Tynan Motors and we will celebrate family business day together as a family – as one unit”
