2018 Annual Report 2 PRESIDENT’S REPORT First and foremost, on behalf of MGA’s Prominent NSW independent Australian Convenience and Petrol Board of Directors, I wish to thank all supermarket operator Andrew Bray Marketing Association for many years. members for supporting your industry also retired after over 9 years as a MGA Welcome Graeme. organisation – MGA and MGA TMA. Director in late 2017. Andrew operated supermarkets in regional NSW as well as Carmel Goldsmith (Fitzgerald) and Welcome to our new MGA TMA the Sydney suburbs of Allambie Heights family are the proud owners of an members, formerly from Timber and Castlecrag. Andrew represented IGA in a beautiful township south of Merchants Association Victoria, who our NSW member with aplomb, Wollongong NSW, Jamberoo. Carmel will form the foundation membership participating in many NSW state is an extremely passionate advocate for our organisation to grow our timber government committees and inquiries for the well-being and welfare of the and hardware business membership including, planning and development, independent supermarket and liquor nationally in the near future. tobacco control and involvement sectors. Any matter to tackle on behalf with the NSW Small Business of members is not too big or arduous. I would also like to take this opportunity Commissioner’s office. Carmel’s refreshing “can do“ attitude is to sincerely thank two long serving a wonderful trait to have to further the Directors who retired in the last financial Andrew too has been instrumental cause for family owned independent year. Former MGA Board Vice President in developing strong MGA polices supermarkets and liquor stores around Steve Miller, a prominent member of the toward safeguarding the livelihoods Australia. Welcome Carmel. independent supermarket community of independent family enterprises in Victoria for over 40 years. Steve and privately owned supermarkets MGA’s Board of Directors looks forward retired in early 2018 as a MGA Director, and liquor stores. We sincerely thank to serving our growing membership and after over 20 years of dedicated and Andrew for his deep passion and are more than aware of the challenges committed service, initially as a Director commitment and wish Andrew and our members face each day, whether it for the MGAV which was over 100 years Suzanne all the very best for their be at a state or a federal level. old and in 2006, the national peak future ventures. industry body, Master Grocers Australia. Like many of our members businesses, MGA and MGA TMA’s business, which Steve’s deep knowledge of the solely serves and supports you, our industry, his fierce determination members, has been challenged by to help independent supermarket a number of factors including online operators succeed, his flawless ethics disruption and competition. MGA’s and his strong guidance as a director, Board is aware of these challenges contributed strongly toward MGA and encourages all members to use being the peak national industry MGA’s facilities, whether they be body it is today. Thank you Steve legal and HR, compliance or Andrew Bray (and Yvonne) for your unbelievable professional development training. commitment and dedication – we wish MGA’s training solutions are subsidised you both well in retirement. With the outgoing is the incoming – for our members and the more usage replacing both Steve and Andrew, we by members the more MGA can warmly welcomed Graeme Gough and secure sustainability. Carmel Goldsmith to our Board. MGA’s Board strives to keep Graeme Gough and his family, who hail membership fees at a low from Ballina in Northern NSW, have and affordable level whilst not been involved in various businesses compromising the support and service for many years, particularly specialising members require. Significant investment in service stations and supermarkets. has been made into employing more Graeme is no stranger to Boards, having qualified staff and in providing members Steve Miller served as a Director for ACAPMA – with a user-friendly website. MGA 2018 Annual Report 3 MGA’s Board of Directors have had a liquor as well as timber and and challenges that may face members. very busy year identifying members’ hardware products. MGA membership remains stable business needs and many matters of around Australia with an opportunity concern that effect the viability and This team is very capably led by our to grow the MGA TMA membership sustainability of their businesses. First tireless CEO Jos de Bruin. He continues by attracting family owned timber and and foremost, I wish to thank MGA’s to be the driving force behind MGA hardware businesses. dedicated and committed Board of - the Board greatly appreciates his Directors for the enormous amount of dedication and unending passion for On behalf of us all of at MGA we wish time, enthusiasm and energy they put the independent industry. to sincerely thank all our members for into the running of MGA. supporting your industry association. As I say each year, members can be We look forward to continuing to be of I also wish to acknowledge and thank assured that under the stewardship of service to you and your business! members in the hard-working MGA this Board of Directors and the strong National Liquor Committee and the MGA management team and staff we MGA TMA Committee of Management have working for our industry, that for their collective dedication and MGA and MGA TMA is a viable and commitment to protecting and further strong employer industry association Rodney Allen, growing family enterprises and privately with a clear direction that is well President owned business stocking and selling prepared for any future opportunities MGA Independent Retailers MGA Board of Directors MGA’s committed and dedicated Board of Directors has again worked hard to keep up with the many state and national matters that effect MGA and MGA TMA members on a day to day basis. The Directors have been active in developing policies and addressing and allocating MGA resources to help meet the needs of members. PRESIDENT Rod Allen COMPANY SECRETARY Phil Ibbotson Carmel Gino Mick Debbie Graeme Gough Chris Grant Goldsmith Divitini Daly Smith New South dos Santos Hinchcliffe New South Western Victoria Queensland Wales South Australia Tasmania Wales Australia MGA 2018 Annual Report 4 CEO’S REPORT First and foremost, I wish to state that from the “year of engagement” to commissioned by Treasurer Scott it has again been a privilege to lead “partnering for success”. Morrison, as well as, meeting a committed team of professionals at and advocating our members position MGA. This organisation has no conflicts As a part of MGA’s 2020 strategic to Minister for the Environment of interest and is completely dedicated imperatives, MGA has had another very Josh Frydenburg. to the welfare and prosperity of family exciting year of achievements, including enterprises and privately-owned the absorption of the Timber Merchants There were many other matters of businesses in the supermarket, liquor Association of Victoria to form the concern that consumed MGA’s time and timber and hardware sectors. MGA Timber Merchants Australia both at a federal and state level as (MGA TMA), the launch of a MGA and mentioned later on in this report. I wish to thank MGA’s Board of MGA TMA dedicated website, the Directors for their support and further growth of membership for a MGA’s legal and HR team led by guidance toward MGA being the truly national Liquor Committee, the Marie Brown have had a very busy best industry association for its relocation of MGA’s total data base and year answering the plethora of members that it can be. operations into the cloud, the amazing members staff related queries as well renewal of MGA communication as preparing and submitting a range Sincere thanks to Steve Miller and tools such as e-Checkouts, e-Alerts, of submissions, in particular, the 2018 Andrew Bray who retired as MGA the Training Course Guide, training National Wage Review. Directors. They have been an newsletters, MGA TMA newsletters, the outstanding source of knowledge and joining of the Strikeforce organisation as MGA’s legal and HR team successfully guidance for all of us at MGA. an associate member, the engagement completed its first year of service to the with the AHC organisation to provide Australian Hairdressing Council (AHC). Special thanks their members with legal and HR advice MGA entered into an arrangement with must also go and the complete refurbishment of the AHC to provide its members with a to MGA Board MGA national support offices. Further reliable and trusted workplace relations President Rod member support services are planned support service, a unique feature of the Allen. Rod’s for the 2019 financial year. AHC organisation. leadership of the Board and Understanding the issues that matter MGA’s training solution offer has had his passion to most to our members is paramount in significant challenges including the do what is right determining what strategies we develop withdrawal of certificate 3 and 4 training for members Rod Allen to make a positive difference to our from its training portfolio. Government has driven members businesses. funding to support members training MGA to excellence. Rod has served their staff has dried up, limiting any on MGA’s Board for 20 years and A number of major issues became a opportunities for members to upskill as MGA’s President for 15 of those focus for MGA and MGA TMA none and train their staff. As the industry amazing years, overseeing the growth more so than electricity prices. The compliance training specialists, MGA of your organisation from a state based dramatic and unsustainable increase has adapted by understanding our organisation in 2005 (MGAV) into a in electricity charges was the single members needs by developing a series national industry employer association most destructive cost to our member’s of online courses that are simple to today.