MEET OUR MANAGING DIRECTOR
Agritrading’s Managing Director Richard Milne might have moved to the big smoke a long time ago, but is still a Naracoorte boy at heart.
Richard, 43, was born and bred on a hobby farm on Wild Dog Valley Rd, 5km from Naracoorte, and recalled his glory days at North Naracoorte Primary School.
“Everyone remembers the old swimming lake across the road from there - gee, it wasn’t the place you put your head under,” he said.
“And Wortley Oval - I definitely used to kick a few goals there.
“One of the absolute have-to’s in Naracoorte is the Morris Bakery kitchener buns - I grew up on them and they literally haven’t changed since I was a boy.”
It was a happy home in Wild Dog Valley - where Richard grew up with his sisters Victoria and Landy and his parents, Michael and Peppy.
Michael worked in the State Department of Agriculture and helped Richard establish a knowledge base around all things agriculture, while Peppy worked as a nurse in Naracoorte.
Richard said his father was primarily a livestock advisor who helped farmers improve their operations.
“His job was to assist farmers in growing cattle more efficiently and find new ways to improve output and profitability,” he said.
“Then he helped develop standards for the MSA (Meat Safety Australia), which are still going today and has been a great success.”
So Richard’s Naracoorte upbringing couldn’t have gone better, and when Michael and Peppy took the boy out of the country - placing Richard at St Peter’s College in Adelaide as a boarder - things got even better.
He said the boarding house contained “plenty of mates” who had farms - mainly in South Australia.
And despite Richard’s Adelaide education flourishing and his networks strengthening and lengthening, the country - quite simply - could not be taken out of the boy.
“I completed International Business at Flinders University so I like the idea of importing products,” Richard said.
“As my folks were hobby farmers, they didn’t have a farm for me to go back onto, but the hobby farm also meant I didn’t know how farmers traditionally sourced their products, so a great opportunity came up.”
After completing his bachelor degree, Richard and Agritrading Chairman Fergus McLachlan conceived what’s now one of the fastest growing agricultural suppliers around Australia.
“Fergus was involved with an agronomy company called Australian Soil Planners, which at the time had a client with a liquid fertiliser system they needed specific inputs for,” Richard said.
“I was managing vineyards at the time and looking for a career change - so ‘Ferg’ and I came up with an idea of importing products directly to farms ourselves.”
So having no preconceived ideas about the traditional agricultural supply chain proved to yield benefits for Richard.
He said holding fewer overhead costs like warehouses, agronomists or trucks - instead arranging freight from capital city to farmer - was a reason his business was flourishing.
However, he said the best thing about his job was his working relationships.
“Growing up in the country, I’ve loved the country life, but I also love country people,” he said.
“The whole business is relationship-driven so selling products is one thing but in our line of business, you’ve got to have a strong relationship with your farmer and your suppliers.”
“Being a country boy has helped me relate to and be trusted by farmers.”
Richard’s concerns for farmers included ensuring they got a competitive price and on the farm when required.
“Agritrading needs to make it clear to farmers we’re not just SA-based, but we operate nationally,” he said.
“Our products are essential but it’s about making sure we’re competitive.”
“The corporates around the country - often who aren’t Australian-owned - are buying out independent suppliers, which will result in less market competition and eventually higher costs for farmers.”
“The role of independent suppliers like Agritrading is to ensure we drive competition in the market.”
When Richard isn’t helping farmers Australia-wide, he’s either spending time with his wife and Agritrading Office Manager Jacqui and his children Charlie and Alice; thinking about his next trip in South-East SA.
“In the summer, the family loves going down to Robe and that’s always a good chance to catch up with my old Naracoorte mates; it’s great to get out of town,” he said.