Special Features
Doing it the right way
Hayward Hydraulics’ evolution was founded on something Rob didn’t need to be taught. Care. And he makes sure his staff do, too. “I didn't come from a real wealthy family, so we were brought up to work; you work, you do the job right, you get paid,” he said.
Read the full storyDOING IT THE RIGHT WAY
Not every business starts with a blueprint. For some, it begins as a calling… in more ways than one. Burdekin local Robert Hayward had been in the hydraulics industry since he was 18. A diligent worker who loved his job, he quickly built a reputation locally as one of the best in the business.
Read the full storyMakinex Renewables
Makinex Renewables is setting an ambitious target, saving 100 million litres of diesel in five years. In an industry long reliant on traditional diesel generators, the Australian-made and owned company is helping reshape how remote and off-grid operations power their sites.
Read the full storyBrad Geiger The Heart & Humour Behind Geiger Solutions
As the CEO of Geiger Solutions, Brad Geiger has helped shape one of Mackay’s most respected trade businesses, delivering roofing and plumbing services across the region and beyond. But behind the business is a man whose approach is refreshingly straightforward: work hard, do the job properly, look after your people and never lose your sense of humour along the way.
Read the full storySTANDING ON STRONG SHOULDERS: STRENGTH IN UNITY
The story of CANEGROWERS on the Herbert is unique. CANEGROWERS, or as it was first known Queensland Cane Growers Association (QCGA), came about when the Queensland Government legislated for commodity associations with compulsory membership and farmer levies. Yet even before the imposition of compulsory association there was a highly organized association advocating strongly for sugar farmers on the Herbert, the Herbert River Farmers’ League (HRFL)
Read the full storyCanegrowers Herbert River: Supporting Local Growers Every Step of the Way
Since 1926 Canegrowers Herbert River has long been the cornerstone of support for sugarcane farmers in the Herbert River district. Their unwavering commitment to advocating for and assisting their members has made them an essential partner in navigating the challenges of modern farming. Offering a range of services, from
Read the full storyLEADING THE CHARGE INTO A NEW ERA
After a century of ardent advocacy, CANEGROWERS remains one of the strongest voices for growers in the Burdekin and beyond. Yet despite the many hard-fought victories of its illustrious past, the organisation now finds itself confronting a new era of challenges, making its current work more critical than ever.
Read the full storyPIONEERS OF PROGRESS
Populin Enterprises – Automatic Billet PlanterIn the early 1970s, Home Hill cane farmers and brothers Lui and Peter Populin (deceased) reshaped the global cane planting industry with a world-first innovation: the single-row automatic billet planter.
Read the full storySTEVE PILLA
In another universe, Steve Pilla is roaming hospital halls. In this one, fate led the Giru native back to cane farming after a brief stint in nursing, and he hasn’t looked back since.After dipping his toe in the world of healthcare in the late 1980’s early 1990s, Pilla returned to the family farm in Giru, continuing a story that began when his grandfather arrived in Australia in 1939 and bought the property a decade later. It was a path that felt inevitable in hindsight.
Read the full storyOWEN MENKENS
Owen Menkens grew up surrounded by farming, even if he briefly looked beyond it.A fourth-generation cane farmer from Home Hill, Owen spent his holidays working on the farm his great-grandfather first purchased decades ago. Despite that early exposure to the industry, he initially opted for a cooler, more predictable career, heading to university to study accounting.
Read the full storyGREG WATSON
Although not a farmer in the conventional sense, Greg Watson has a passion for the sugar industry.Born and raised in Home Hill, Greg grew up surrounded by cane fields. His grandparents used to own a farm, his parents worked as cane harvesting contractors, and Greg spent much of his childhood helping with the family’s harvesting contract.
Read the full storyGLENN BETTERIDGE
Farming has always been in Glenn Betteridge’s blood.A third-generation cane farmer from Home Hill, Glenn has spent his whole life in the region surrounded by the cane crop he goes to battle for today.
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