National Family Business Day is an annual event organised by Australia’s peak body for family businesses, Family Business Australia (FBA), recognising the contribution family business makes to the Australian economy and culture.

Approximately 50 per cent of the Australian workforce is employed in family businesses, in a sector worth approximately $4.3 trillion.

Greg Griffith, CEO of FBA, said Family Business Day acknowledges family businesses as the heartbeat of Australian commerce. 

“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,” Mr Griffith said. 

As part of National Family Business Day, FBA 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. 

Seeley International was started by Frank Seeley in the early 1970s, after he grew tired of selling portable evaporative coolers and decided to manufacture cooling units himself. 

Seeley International employs more than 500 people, has manufacturing operations at Lonsdale, South Australia and Albury, New South Wales, sales offices in each mainland state, as well as in the USA and throughout western Europe, and exports to more than 120 countries.

In accepting the award, Mr Seeley said, “Together with our Seeley International Extended Family, we will continue to push boundaries to keep producing even more innovative and energy efficient products; and this award will spur all of us on, so that we will continue to be the best in the business.”

Mr Seeley remains an active leader within the business in his role as Executive Chairman and continues to have direct oversight of more than a dozen engineers that form the “Imagineering Department” which focuses largely on “over-the-horizon” innovation and product development.

The FBA’s Next Generation Achiever Award was given to Amie Lyone, an executive with Complete Office Supplies (COS), which is Australia’s largest privately owned office products distributor. 

FBA Chairman’s Award recipients included John McLean at Bundaberg Brewed Drinks, Angela Mary Ciliberto at C-Direct, Bill Noye at KPMG, and Graham Henderson at Mitchell Group Australia. 

FBA’s Life Membership was awarded to Dr. Jill Thomas, in recognition of over 20 years’ outstanding service to Family Business Australia. Dr Thomas undertook the first PhD in the area of family business in Australia, focusing on family business leadership. She has given presentations internationally, and published research papers and chapters in text books about family business leadership, governance, communication, internationalisation and human resources. 

The Accredited Advisor Award was given to John Broons of Perth based Family Business consultancy John Broons Advisory. 

2019 FBA Hall of Fame inductees include: 

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, providing intelligent product identification and information driven manufacturing.

Matthews Real Estate, a Brisbane-based agency.

Normark Landscapes, a Melbourne-based landscaping firm.

Trendpac, manufacturing personal, household and industrial products since 1963.

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell also encouraged Australians to shop local.

 “Family businesses are the lifeblood of our communities and key contributors to our economy,” Ms Carnell said. “National Family Business Day is a time to recognise the significant role these businesses play.”

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