Celebrating the Stars of SA Business

All businesses, great and small, drive the South Australian economy. They support thousands of jobs and are the catalyst for growth, now and into the future, for all South Australians. Meet just a few of the local companies that are putting SA on the business map, both nationally and internationally.

All businesses, great and small, drive the South Australian economy. They support thousands of jobs and are the catalyst for growth, now and into the future, for all South Australians. Meet just a few of the local companies that are putting SA on the business map, both nationally and internationally.

PHIL HOFFMAN TRAVEL

When Phil Hoffman launched his own travel company at the age of 43, his vision was to run a small agency that would allow him to ease off and hit the golf course on a Wednesday afternoon. Almost 30 years later, Phil Hoffman Travel has 12 branches and employs more than 200 staff across general retail, group, cruise, incentive and corporate travel.

“Something went wrong with my masterplan,” Hoffman says with a laugh. And luckily it did. Since 1990, Phil Hoffman Travel has blazed the way with new routes and ways to travel. “When I started, I didn’t just want to do Bali and Singapore: I wanted to make sure we were also very well informed on Europe,” Hoffman says. “I then started developing specialisation in the Middle East; the next big one was Canada and Alaska.” Hoffman was also a key player in bringing cruising to SA. “When I first suggested to the staff we were going to get into cruising in a big way, they all thought I was on drugs,” Hoffman chuckles. “In 1996 we opened probably one of the first cruise-only divisions in Australia.” For Hoffman, his staff are akin to family. “We’ve always said we wanted to maintain a family culture in the business,” he says. “We’ve never lost sight that our biggest asset is our staff.” That family connection also extends to his clients. “I love the association we’ve had with our clients over 30 years,” he says. “I never see a client for a small booking: I see a client for life.”

BLUSH & CO

Jacquie Arnold knew what she wanted: elegant, affordable, rose gold jewellery for both everyday wear and special occasions. The problem was, she couldn’t find it. So she set out to make her own, balancing being mum to two young boys with working late into the night at her kitchen table to create items of beauty and style. Less than five years later, Arnold’s Blush & Co jewellery range of earrings, necklaces and rings can be found in about 50 stores in metropolitan and regional South Australia, at weekend markets and online. There are also plans to expand nationally. “I’m looking at expanding into each state and doing pop-up markets in the next couple of years,” Arnold says. “I have just implemented one in Melbourne and it’s working really well.” Arnold can still remember the very first creation she sold. “It was the At First Blush Statement Necklace which I sold to my sister-in-law on Christmas Day five years ago,” she recalls. “It made me very proud. And the necklace is still going great guns now.” Blush & Co’s success, she believes, stems from two of her passions: high-quality products and high-quality customer service. “I pride myself that my style creates on-trend but also timeless, elegant designs, which I know from my customers who purchased something four years ago and still wear today,” she says. “I will always go above and beyond for my customers and have a really strong relationship with all of them. “I love what I do and wouldn’t change it for the world, even if I have to work till 2am. I’ve put my heart and soul in the business and it’s not work for me."

HAGGLECO

Adrian Manera knows how to put the fun into furniture. For the past 15 years, he and his family have run HaggleCo, a family-owned furniture chain selling on-trend, high-quality items for the whole home, as well as accessories such as rugs, manchester and homewares. You may also recognise him from HaggleCo’s lighthearted ads such as Night of the Living Bed Sale. “Our catchphrase is, ‘We’re furniture with personality’,” Manera says. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously.” What Manera, his father Bob, mother Lynn and sister Angela do take seriously is their commitment to their South Australian customers. “The family work in the different stores so we’re always there to do the best we can for the customer, which is great,” Manera says. “Because we are SA owned, our finger is on the pulse with the South Australian people. And the majority of our products are in stock: people can deck out a home overnight.” This commitment has seen the company grow from one store selling rugs and mattresses in 2004 to two warehouses and five metropolitan stores employing 50 people, with plans to expand further. “We have holes we want to fill in Adelaide; there’s an opportunity in regional SA we’re going to pursue in 2020 and then we’re going to look into interstate as well,” Manera says.

THE BEND MOTORSPORT PARK

As a fervent motorsport fan and an amateur racer, Sam Shahin was frustrated by the state of many racing circuits across the country – so he decided to build one himself. The result was The Bend, a world-class motorsport circuit at Tailem Bend, which opened its doors in April 2018. “We wanted to create something South Australia could be proud of in the same vein as the Adelaide Oval, where participants could enjoy driving or riding a circuit, where spectators could enjoy both major and new events,” says Michael Rossi, The Bend’s marketing manager. “And also for grass roots growth where we can have the opportunity to develop more South Australian talent. We hope to have SA V8 supercars teams based here.” As well as car racing, The Bend offers 4WD coaching, rally rides and a karting circuit. But it’s those bucket-list experiences that really get the heart racing. “Our biggest is the opportunity to have a pillion ride on the back of a superbike,” Rossi says. “Guests can also ride in our Formula 1-style Toyota race car: as far as we’re aware, there’s nowhere else in the country you can do these.” The Bend also has the potential to drive international traffic Adelaide’s way. “The Asian Le Mans series is coming to the country for the first time in January,” Rossi says. “It’s a big coup and really places SA on the international motorsport map. It’s pretty exciting.”

GLUTTONY – ADELAIDE FRINGE

Every February, Rymill Park in Adelaide’s East End transforms from park land to possibility. The space fills with tents, bars, food stalls and sofas as Gluttony sets up home. As the sun goes down, the tree lights come on and the stars come out, the setting becomes even more spectacular. A major player in Adelaide’s annual Fringe festival, Gluttony has grown from a two-day food and wine festival created back in 2004 to a 28-day smorgasbord of food, drink and entertainment. With 17 venues, more than 150 shows and close to 1000 performers, it’s a national and international drawcard, attracting global superstars such as Marcia Hines and showcasing the best South Australian talent. “We unquestionably have the strongest SA-based performers: Matt Tarrant, Isaac Lomman, Hans, Amity Dry,” says Daniel Michael, Gluttony director. “We’re proud of that.” The 2019 Fringe sold more than 220,000 tickets; having added a second venue, the Masonic Lodge on North Tce, Michael expects next year’s event to grow that number by around 50,000. And that, he says, will be enough in terms of expansion. “You can always be better but I don’t think we need to be any bigger,” he says. “It’s about improving how we cater for what audiences want to see, but also challenging them a little in presenting things they might not otherwise have seen.”

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It’s time we all back SA business

Nick Reade, Chief Executive BankSA

In South Australia, there are more than 140,000 small businesses, making an enormous contribution to the prosperity of the state and creating thousands of jobs. 

At BankSA, we’ve been backing small businesses for 171 years, and today support 1 in 3 businesses in South Australia. 

Through our daily interaction with businesses, we know that owning a business is a big investment. For many, going into business literally means betting the house and making sacrifices to keep the business afloat. 

We also know that business owners are courageous with plenty of passion and purpose however, it’s been a challenging year for many. With subdued consumer sentiment and spending, business owners are feeling the pinch of tightening household budgets. 

Small business is the heartbeat of our economy and it’s these small businesses that create jobs and help our economy to grow. 

Now more than ever, it’s time for us to rally behind our local business and back them during the Christmas retail period - the biggest quarter of the year for economic activity. 

So, in an unprecedented move for a bank, we recently released a BackSA Gift Guide. 

The Guide distributed to 400,000 households across South Australia, features over 120 local businesses and retailers (with the majority being BankSA customers) showcasing more than 300 Christmas gift ideas ranging from fashion and toys, lifestyle and experiences, food and wine – covering all budgets and ages. 

Recent research commissioned by BankSA showed that more than half of South Australians would prefer to buy their Christmas gifts from a local business, 50% find Christmas shopping relatively stressful and over two thirds will draw inspiration from store catalogues that come in the mail when looking for gift ideas. 

The BackSA Gift Guide takes the stress out of gift buying and makes it easier to shop local by giving South Australians a convenient way to browse for gift ideas. If each household that received the Guide spent just $50 at one these local retailers- that’s $20 million back into the South Australian economy. 

Make sure you shop local this Christmas (and everyday) - it’s good for people, good for business and ultimately good for the state!

Originally published as Celebrating the Stars of SA Business