Briefcase: Business Snippets from around South Australia
In this week’s briefcase, Babcock pursues a global supply chain, the impact of family business is revealed, and proposed energy compensation for small businesses.
Babcock pursues global supply chain
Foreign investment for 1414 Degrees
Balco on the move
Spacetalk announce raise
KI hotel recognised internationally
Family business impact
Mercato’s seafood partnership
Federal funding for homes
Kennett’s sustainable solution announced
Energy compensation for small businesses
Babcock pursues global supply chain
Babcock Australasia has begun talks with international stakeholders to find commercial opportunities for its supply chain, based in Australia.
Members of the company’s supply chain team recently spent time in the UK and Europe, identifying export opportunities for Australian small and medium enterprises within its international operations.
The company was recently selected for the Commonwealth Global Supply Chain Program (GSCP), designed to assist Australian suppliers in accessing global markets.
Members of the GSCP team joined Team Defence Australia’s delegation on a trip to the International Defence Industry and Military Technology Exhibition in Poland.
“This tour has been invaluable in understanding the needs of our international business and has already resulted in several active leads being pursued by the Babcock GSCP team,” Babcock Australasia global supply chain program manager Kellie Jenkins said.
– Isabella Kelly
1414 Degrees secures foreign investment
1414 Degrees, which provides silicon-based thermal energy solutions, has secured an investment of up to $4.7m from the Lind Global Fund II, an entity managed by New York-based firm The Lind Partners.
The company will use the investment to fund industry placement of its technology and develop its Aurora Precinct grid-scale battery near Port Augusta.
“Lind was a seed investor in 1414 Degrees prior to its IPO,” Lind Partners founder Jeff Easton said.
“Lind continues to believe in 1414 Degrees, and was delighted to be selected by 1414 Degrees to re-invest so as to support 1414 Degrees’ product roll-out.”
1414 Degrees executive chairman Kevin Moriarty said the company was “pleased [to] continue working with Lind to support roll-out of our SiBox technology in industrial trials and taking our Aurora Energy Precinct projects to ready-to-build status”.
– Joshua Owen-Thomas
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Balco makes moves
Balco Australia has announced its fourth hay processing plant in Australia, on a 157-hectare Monarto site which it says will be operational in around two years.
The announcement comes as the company prepares to move to a new head office, relocating from Balaklava and an existing Adelaide office in a move that will see a “small number” of staff made redundant.
CEO Rob Lawson said the company was “in the midst of a major growth phase”.
“There is strong demand for high quality Australian hay across the world and we’re looking to capitalise on the opportunity. We’re on track to sell 270,000 tonnes of oaten hay this year, up from 190,000 tonnes last year.”
– Isabella Kelly
Spacetalk raises $1.6 million
Adelaide-based tech business Spacetalk has completed a $1.6 million equity raise to fund the purchase of inventory, cover marketing costs and develop new products.
The company is set to raise a further $1.7 million from retail investors this week.
– David Simmons
Kangaroo Island luxury hotel named ‘Best in Oceania’
Kangaroo Island’s Southern Ocean Lodge was named the ‘Best in Oceania’ in the Telegraph’s inaugural International Hotel Awards.
The Lodge ranked eighth out of the 50 best hotels in the world, finishing higher than the two other Australian hotels on the list, Brisbane’s The Calile Hotel at 39 and Qualia on Hamilton Island at 41.
“After almost four years in the planning, design and construction since it was razed in the 2020 bushfires, the new-look luxury accommodation on the south coast of one of South Australia’s most iconic destinations has already got the attention of the world, drawing visitors from around the globe and boosting the region’s international recovery even further,” Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said.
– Joshua Owen-Thomas
Pink Yellow Blue Disco, a Flinders Foundation event raising funds for cancer research and care, at the Adelaide Convention Centre on October 12.
Tchin Tchin Networking Evening, a French-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry event with Smart Home Vision Reality as part of the Sustainability Forum, at Lochend Community Hall on October 17.
Australia’s Space Future Conference, a French-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry event with REDARC Defence & Space and Neumann Space, at REDARC Electronics on October 29.
Trump vs Harris, an AmCham panel event on predictions for the US election, with Christopher Pyne, Adelaide Football Club chairman John Olsen and more, at the Playford Hotel on October 31.
Wake up to Change, an Adelaide White Ribbon event with criminologist and former senior police officer Vincent Hurley on the prevention of violence against women and children, at the Adelaide Convention Centre on November 7.
The impact of family business
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Modelling from the University of Adelaide has shown family businesses make up between 60–70 per cent of the private sector nationally.
“Australian family businesses employ around 52 per cent of the entire private sector workforce (6.7 million Australians) and provide nearly 50 per cent of industry value added to the national economy,” the university’s head of family business education and research group at the Adelaide Business School Chris Graves said.
“Although many Australian family businesses have successfully become very large like the Detmold Group, over 90 per cent are small-to-medium enterprises employing between five and 200 people.
“They contribute around $1 billion each year to educational support and poverty alleviation for those most disadvantaged, as well as scientific research, technological advancements, arts, and health-oriented philanthropic activities,” Graves said.
– Isabella Kelly
Mercato partners with Fair Seafood for 100% seafood traceability
Campbelltown Cafe Mercato has announced a partnership with Fair Seafood, providing fresh and locally sourced seafood that is 100% traceable.
John Caporaso, Managing Director of Mercato, said that Fair Seafood’s approach strongly aligned with his company’s ethos.
“We’re excited to offer quality seafood that represents not only good value for our customers but also gives them total comfort knowing they’re making both an ethical and sustainable choice,” he said.
– Joshua Owen-Thomas
Federal funding for SA homes
Under the first round of the federal government’s Housing Australia Future Fund and National Housing Accord, 893 homes will be delivered across South Australia, as part of more than 13,000 homes delivered nationally.
Construction on almost 40 per cent of the houses is expected to begin this financial year, with Housing Australia recommending contract negotiations for 21 South Australian projects. 90 per cent of the South Australian dwellings are expected to be operational by the next 2025-2026 financial year.
– Isabella Kelly
Adelaide builder leading the way in sustainable practice
Adelaide construction company Kennett Builders has opened a ‘material bank’ of building resources in an Australian first, allowing materials to be reused.
Anthony Carbone, Kennett General Manager, said that the bank will cut construction costs and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“In construction, raw materials are mined from the earth and manufactured into building materials, which is when the most emissions are created, then they’re demolished and put into landfill, or re-manufactured into low-grade materials when a building reaches the end of its lifespan,” he said.
“Kennett’s material bank will see building materials continue in an upcycled state and be recertified and reused in new buildings.”
A $37 million Bowden housing development is the first project to participate in the material bank.
– Joshua Owen-Thomas
Small business energy protections
Households and small businesses will be able to claim up to $15,000 in compensation for property damage due to electrical infrastructure failures, under the state government’s proposed Small Claims Compensation Scheme.
Under the proposal, energy consumers that use less than 160MWh annually could claim compensation from SA Power Networks when an infrastructure failure contributes to property damage, such as to electrical appliances and food spoilage.
Consumers will not be required to establish the energy distributor was at fault, or negligent. Consultation on the proposal is currently open on the YourSay website.
– Isabella Kelly
