The recent announcement that mining magnate Andrew Forrest and his wife Nicola, have bought the iconic Aussie brand RM Williams, is excellent news all round. Firstly, it bucks the trend of overseas companies buying up our local brands and sends a positive message that manufacturing can thrive here.
Combine this with Aussie celebrity Hugh Jackman being the global brand ambassador – he gets a $10 million cut out of the deal – this is a great story of a committed Australian business surviving in today’s tough manufacturing and retail world. It’s time for all Australians to support local businesses, particularly amid the rising trade tensions with China, it’s more important than ever that manufacturing continues at home.
In my second interview on this topic, this time with Stephen Cenatiempo from Canberra’s 2CC, we discuss the impact of this buy back and what impact this could have for other manufacturers and retailers here in Australia.
