Mitolo Family Farms wins global award

The biggest potato producer in Australia, Mitolo Family Farms was awarded the World Potato Congress Industry Award, the first time an Australian grower has received the accolade.

Mitolo Family Farms supplies major supermarkets and wholesalers nationally with produce. It has farms in the Riverland, Mallee and Virginia Regions in South Australia, with more in New South Wales.

Managing director Frank Mitolo said the award was “testament to the incredible legacy my parents… established as well as the many people who have been part of our hard-working team over the 50-year journey”.

“Our operation is now spread over 40,000 hectares in South Australia and New South Wales and we produce 200,000 tonnes of potatoes and 60,000 tonnes of onions each year,” Mitolo said.

– Isabella Kelly

Sparc Hydrogen progresses green hydrogen project

Sparc Hydrogen – a joint venture for ASX-listed Sparc Technologies, the University of Adelaide and Fortescue – has moved forward with its pilot green hydrogen project and signed an agreement with Shinshu University in Japan.

The Collaboration Framework Agreement will further each party’s work in advancing photocatalytic water splitting as a method to produce green hydrogen at a commercial scale.

Sparc has also reached an agreement with the University of Adelaide to locate the green hydrogen pilot plant at the uni’s Roseworthy Campus.

The company said each milestone represented “material de-risking of the pilot plant development workstreams”.

“Sparc is delighted with the progress that the Sparc Hydrogen team has made over recent weeks and months with respect to key development workstreams for the pilot plant,” Sparc Technologies managing director Nick O’Loughlin said.

“In particular, formalising a relationship with Shinshu University providing a collaboration for the supply of their world-leading photocatalysts for testing in Sparc Hydrogen’s reactors, is a significant milestone.”

– David Simmons

Paul Brock, Growth Expert; Dominic Smith, Pundi Produce; Kedeisha Kartinyeri, KML Business Solutions; David Mallett, Yanun Project Services; Ryan Williams, Growth Expert; Rebecca Wessels, Ochre Dawn. Photo: supplied

First Nations businesses receive UniSA support

The six-month Growth Ramp program by UniSA has announced the first five First Nations businesses to take part.

KML Business Solutions, Ochre Dawn, Pundi Produce, The Cryogenics Group and Yanun Project Services have all enrolled in the program.

The Growth Ramp program is delivered by UniSA’s Australian Centre for Business Growth in partnership with The Circle First Nations Entrepreneur Hub, which is funding the initiative, and the Office for Small and Family Business, with the Government of Western Australia’s New Industries Fund.

The fully-funded program is aimed at Aboriginal CEOs, managing directors of Aboriginal-owned companies, and Aboriginal business owners looking to grow their businesses.

The Circle’s operations manager Kelly May said the program created a “powerful peer learning experience, as participants share their business growth journeys and form a lifelong network with other entrepreneurs”.

– Isabella Kelly

Duxton Farms makes land acquisition

Duxton Farms has acquired a 2386-hectare plot of land in the Northern Territory for $10 million.

The acquisition includes a water licence valid until 2040, with an annual limit of 8021ML.

Funding for the acquisition came from the company’s Timerscombe divestment.

The Stirling-based company manages a portfolio of agricultural assets across 165,067 hectares around New South Wales, Victoria, and the Northern Territory.

– Isabella Kelly

Fair Work Ombudsman cracks down on illegal job ads

The Fair Work Ombudsman has fined employers more than $89,000 following a crackdown on illegal job advertisements.

A total of 151 Infringement Notices have been issued to employers since March 2023, the date when the Ombudsman was given the power to issue fines on employers posting job advertisements with illegally low pay rates.

Fair Work Ombudsman Anna Booth said Fair Work was “calling on all job websites to maximise awareness to employers, recruiters and the public about the importance of advertising legal minimum wages”.

“We are also requesting job websites make it easier for employers to put legal wage rates in their ads, such as by allowing advertising employers to enter their own specific wage figures rather than having preset ranges,” Booth said.

– Isabella Kelly

Photo: supplied

Detpak launches range in South East Asia and Middle East

Packaging solutions company Detpak has launched its Eco-Products range, formerly available exclusively in Australia and New Zealand, in South East Asia and the Middle East.

Fully owned by the Detmold Group, Detpak has been partnering with US-based Eco-Products since 2021.

Detpak launched the Vanguard range in late 2023, and was the first Australian business to release a broad range of certified compostable sugercane plates, bowls and containers with no added PFAS.

Detmold general manager of product and brand Keith Bishop said the company was “stepping up to create a more sustainable packaging industry”.

“In South East Asia and the Middle East, consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about food waste and used packaging disposal and more conscious of composting and using more products made from recycled content,” Bishop said.

– Isabella Kelly

Charting New Waters, a conversation around AUKUS with the director-general of the Australian Submarine Agency and more, at the Playford Hotel on July 2.

Executive Women Series with LK, an event by the French Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry SA Chapter discussing leadership in design with Diane Dixon, Josephine Evans, Fiona Slechten and more, at Lot Fourteen on July 4.

SA State of the State: focus on critical service delivery, a CEDA event exploring critical services, the economy, government regulation, health and ageing with Ministers Nick Champion, Chris Picton and Nat Cook at the Adelaide Convention Centre on July 24.

2024 CEDA Economic Outlook, an event presenting the latest on the global, national and state economies with CEDA’s senior economist Melissa Wilson at KPMG on August 15.

Government developing National Small Business Strategy

Small and Family Business Minister Andrea Michaels last week met with small business ministers from around the country to discuss support for small businesses and work on a National Small Business Strategy.

The national strategy will create a vision for the sector, following South Australia’s $14 million strategy which was released in July 2023.

The state strategy has 20 initiatives aimed at helping the 150,000 small businesses in SA adapt and grow.

“South Australia has led the way in developing a Small Business Strategy and a new national plan would work in conjunction with this and support small businesses Australia-wide,” Michaels said.

“We were able to share the successes we have had here in South Australia including with our Women in Business program and the specific regional and fundamentals programs we have launched with the rest of the country.”

– Isabella Kelly

Photo: supplied

City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters take out architecture awards

The City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters received four awards at the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects 2024 Landscape Architecture Awards for its $4.45 million upgrade of St Peters Street.

The project received awards in the Infrastructure Award of Excellence, Water for Life Award, and Healthy Parks, Healthy People Award categories.

The street was also awarded the inaugural Minister for Planning’s Award from Nick Champion.

Mayor Robert Bria said the recognition was “testament to the thoughtful and innovative thinking that underpins the design of St Peters Street”.

“The upgrade took over a year to complete given its size and complexity, but the result has seen the amenity rise a very high standard, which includes wider footpaths, verge and median plantings and over 150 trees planted on both sides of the street,” Bria said.

– Isabella Kelly 

Program announced for Australian Space Forum

The Andy Thomas Space Foundation’s Australian Space Forum, supported by the Australian Space Agency and the South Australian Space Industry Centre, will be held July 24 and 25 at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

Speakers will include Treasurer Stephen Mullighan, NASA deputy administrator Pam Melroy, Minister for Space from the New Zealand Government Judith Collins, and Defence SA chief executive Matt Opie.

The second day of presentations at the 17th annual forum will include CEO of Fleet Space Technologies Robyn Clay, CEO and founder of Inovor Technologies Matt Tetlow, and CyberOps principal consultant and director Daniel Floreani.

The event provides a place for those in the industry to collaborate and share discussions on emerging technologies, with participants able to attend in person or watch online recordings.

– Isabella Kelly

Jesse Cordoma. Photo: supplied

Young Entrepreneur of the Year named

Jesse Cordama has been named the South Australian Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the SA Business Chamber.

Cordama’s product, Quison, which uses recyclable pods to create cocktails, is nearing its launch phase, collaborating with local design, engineering and commercialisation companies.

Cordoma said the product was inspired by a “disappointing” batch of French Martinis he made.

“I invested a total of $134 on ingredients and equipment to make that single type of cocktail and followed a recipe that promised the perfect result… it was the worst French Martini I ever tasted,” he said.

– Isabella Kelly

Troublechild Wines to take part in future of Shiraz project

Emerging natural wine project Troublechild Wines has been selected to participate in Inkwell’s Hacking the Future of Shiraz project, becoming one of five winemakers to receive one tonne of free Shiraz grapes.

The project aims to regenerate interest in Shiraz by creating new production styles that resonate with younger wine drinkers.

Troublechild’s Shiraz will be judged by a group of international judges, led by Mike Bennie.

Troublechild offered three wines for its inaugural 2023 vintage; Smells Like Love (Chenin Blanc/Grenache Spritz), Better Together (Chilled Grenache) and Late Bloomer (Cabernet Franc and Grenache blend).

– Isabella Kelly