October 25, 2021
Australian businesses are being slowly strangled by increasingly complex regulations. Overcoming this will require strong leadership, and business organisations need to stop wasting time on “fluffy stuff” and tackle the real issues.
This advice were delivered by Kingaroy businessman Ken Mills when he addressed the Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s recent meet’n’greet.
He also dropped a bombshell by telling the audience that former general manager David Musch would be taking over the Ken Mills vehicle dealership as dealer principal.
Ken and his wife Sheryl have been running the business since in 1993.
Reflecting on his 48 years in the automotive industry, Ken said he was stepping back from the business’s day-to-day operations and moving towards retirement.
He started as mechanic at the age of 15.
When he moved into car sales he realised the reputation of many car dealers was poor.
He thought the fastest way to distinguish his business was to treat all his customers honestly and fairly, and he soon found this was a winning strategy.
His company’s slogan – “Deals Without A Doubt” – was originally coined by one of his children, and it was something he liked immediately.
Ken also said one of his greatest joys was his company’s involvement with community groups.
He firmly believed that businesses which supported their communities were more successful than those that didn’t.
Looking ahead, Ken said he was increasingly concerned about the amount of regulations and legislation businesses now had to comply with, and thought this trend needed to be resisted.
Another big problem facing many businesses was securing good workers, and the shortage of people willing to work was holding many good businesses back.
David Musch said he was very proud to be taking over the dealership’s reins from Ken and Sheryl, but he intended to keep all the traditions it had established.
David said the business would continue to be known as “Ken Mills Toyota” and he wasn’t planning any substantial changes.
He congratulated Ken and Sheryl on building up the dealership over the past 28 years, and for all the positive contributions the couple had made to the South Burnett during that time.
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Stanwell General Manager Mining Jacob Orbell told the KCCI meet’n’greet that recent energy shortages around the globe had persuaded Stanwell to increase production at Meandu Mine by about 10 per cent.
The upside of this was creation of an additional 12 fixed-term jobs at the mine.
But the downside was that until global energy shortages could be addressed, it was likely electricity prices could increase in the short term and unleaded fuel prices could rise to $2 a litre within the next few months.
He then introduced Downer Project Manager Darryl Hunter, who told the meeting Downer wanted to move out of mining into other activities and had recently sold its interests in Meandu Mine to Indonesian company PT Bukit Makmur Mandiri Utama (BUMA).
He told the meeting this change of ownership would have no effect on employment numbers at the mine, or workers entitlements and conditions.
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South Burnett Regional Council CEO Mark Pitt announced “Phase 2” of the South Burnett’s Christmas competition, which is sponsored by Mark and his wife Nicola.
As well as the “Santa Clause Lane” promotion, this year a “Santa Clause Workshop” category would be added for local businesses.
A permanant “Santa Claus Lane” street sign is awarded to residential neighbourhoods which put in a special effort on their Christmas lights displays.
Trophies will be awarded in each of the Council’s six divisions this year in the new “Santa Claus Workshop” category.
Mark said he was hoping to see businesses create displays that provoked a sense of awe and wonder in young children – a feeling he was sure many KCCI members would recall from great Christmas displays they had seen when they were children.
Details about the new competitive category will be released shortly.
He reminded everyone that Christmas is now less than 10 weeks away.
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The KCCI is sponsoring a South Burnett Business Breakfast in conjunction with CROW-FM at Nanango RSL on November 10, KCCI President Damien Martoo told the meeting.
Kingaroy McDonalds owner Andrea Steele and Carl Rackemann, from Oz Value Ag, will be the guest speakers.
The gathering will start at 6:30am and tickets are $25 per head, which includes a hot breakfast.
Damien also told the meeting the KCCI’s Business Hub in Kingaroy Street, Kingaroy, was now being fitted out.
He said the recent KCCI ball at Kingaroy Town Hall had been a very successful evening.
