How industry collaboration launched an international spotlight on Australian fencing and agriculture products…

Collaboration over Competition: A concept that has allowed Aussie farming businesses to enjoy international success and has changed the face of the fencing industry locally.  This is how they did it.  

In 2017, Nicole Davidson and her teenage son Jimmy were building a new fence on their family farm in Casterton, Victoria.  After an exhausting day of hammering in fencing staples, they realised there had to be an easier way.  Within an hour – Nicole’s husband, Rod, had designed Davo’s Fencing clip.  A clip that is quicker, easier and stronger than most traditional methods of attaching wire to posts.  

After 12 months of research and development Davo’s Fencing Clip launched onto the market.  It was obvious from the get go that the product had huge potential, but the question was how to market effectively with no marketing experience?

Throughout 2019, sales were strong and they could see the demand was high.  Then Covid-19 hit and with no in-person sales events possible, they discovered the power of digital marketing.  In June 2020 the Davidson’s were introduced to Australian agriculturalist and educator turned ‘posterboy for fencing’, Tim Thompson, who released a product review video of their fencing clip.  Sales for Davo’s Fencing Clip skyrocketed with interest from 12 countries from Sweden to Belize, and Canada to India.  Sales have been consistent to the US, the UK and New Zealand.  

What makes this success story even better is they are now helping other Aussie businesses achieve the same success. Thanks to a passionate Aussie owned manufacturer, Ashley Davidson from Woodshield, they were connected with seven other small businesses proudly manufacturing innovative fencing products in Australia – a connection made due to their official Australian Owned Certification.

The eight Australian Owned Certified businesses created the Aussie Owned Aussie Made Fencing Group and are now supporting each other’s marketing efforts and collaborating on future product development.  Most importantly, they are wanting to encourage businesses to maintain control of manufacturing and keep jobs and investment in Australia.  

“People used to say to me that we should be getting our product made in China so it would be cheaper.  I always rescinded saying that we are manufacturers at heart, not retailers.  Why would we give our jobs away?” said Davo’s Fencing Clip founder, Nicole Davidson.

“We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to contribute a simple but significant improvement to Fencing and Agriculture around the world.  It has been wonderful working with other small-scale manufacturers in Australia who are just getting on with the job – and most importantly, keeping jobs here in Australia.”

Australian Owned General Manager, Kristy Ponting, was thrilled to see the added licensee benefits of the Australian Owned Certification Program being taken up by these businesses.  

“With a network that includes thousands of Australian Owned business owners, we are in the unique position to facilitate introductions.  This service is provided as a means to enable businesses to support each other so that jobs and investments stay here now and for future generations.

“I would love to see more industry collaboration happening across the board. Hopefully the success of this Aussie Owned fencing group will inspire others in our certification program to collaborate and grow their business!”

Australian Owned Certification provides businesses a way to positively market their Australian roots and helps the consumer easily identify Australian businesses, products and services. The Australian Owned™ certification trade mark is a high value asset to business and industry and obtaining your certification evokes trust and confidence.

To find out more about how you can collaborate with Australian Owned businesses in your industry, contact [email protected]. 

Australian Owned Fencing Collaborative:

• Woodshield Fence Posts AO 01054
• Spiralfast Wire Joiner AO 01791
• Davo’s Fencing Clip AO 00646
• Vini-Clip AO 01866
• Walters Hand Powered Wire Winder AO 01585
• Fence Repair Tool AO 01594
• Fastway Fencing Tie Offs AO 01840
• Wireman HQ AO 02049
• Tim Thompson Media – you can check out Tim’s youtube channel here.

Australian Owned Certification Receives International Recognition

Australian Owned has been awarded ‘Best Business Certification Service Australia’ at the 2021 APAC Insider Business Awards, announced last month.  

APAC Insider Business Awards are presented annually to recognise the achievements of businesses within the Asia-Pacific region that are at the forefront of their field, have made outstanding contributions to the industry and are positioned to make a significant impact going forward.    

“Winning this award is an incredible achievement for us.  We are proud of the immense amount of work our team have undertaken over the past two years and this award is recognition of that,” said Eddie Kocwa from Australian Owned.

“Our vision has been to build transparency and trust in the AO Certified logo for both business and consumer.  The logo has a strong message – support this business and profits stay in Australia.”

The AO logo is only held by businesses that pass a rigorous assessment process and includes a unique AO ID number.  The AO Certification Trademark is strictly administered, and its Rules are lodged with the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (“ACCC”).  

General Manager of Australian Owned, Kristy Ponting, said the award confirms the confidence businesses can have when obtaining their AO certification.

“With a team of qualified compliance & marketing professionals, we have developed a national, market leading and cost-effective certification program. 

“We will continue to innovate and deliver solutions to provide value to our certified businesses.  To give them the tools to grow, to strengthen communities through jobs and investment and contribute to the long-term prosperity of this country.”

To find out more about APAC Insider Business Awards visit their Awards Hub.

To find out more about our award-winning Australian Owned business certification and how to apply visit our website.

Proudly Australian Owned

You might be surprised to know that half of the major milk brands sold in Australia are owned by overseas companies. When you pick up a bottle of cheap milk, the chances are the profits are being sent overseas – to Italy, France and Japan.

The grocery store aisles can be a confusing place so how do you know which dairy product is 100% Aussie owned?  No need to navigate complicated ingredient labels, just look for the official Australian Owned Certified logo.

Procal Dairies is one of the many Aussie businesses proudly identifying their products as certified Australian Owned. Based in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Procal is one of the largest independent dairy companies in Australia, sourcing their milk from farms located across northern Victoria and supplying it locally and internationally. 

100% Aussie owned and operated, Procal are a family business that has been run by the Thyssen family since 2003. Being officially certified by Australian Owned (“AO”), Procal have used their AO certification and AO logo to better assist the consumer in identifying them as Australian owned.  Their AO logo is predominantly printed on the packaging of their Full Cream and Low Fat Milk cartons. 

“We are a proudly owned and operated Australian business,” said Eve Vafiadis, National Sales and Marketing Manager at Procal.  

“Being able to display our unique Australian Owned logo on our products shows our dedication to the Australian dairy industry and its future”.

Buy Aussie owned and support Australian dairies. 

You can find more about Procal Dairies at their website.

To learn more about Australian Owned certification, visit www.ausowned.com.au.

With Christmas just around the corner, it’s time to bring out our Aussie owned favourites. And is there nothing more quintessentially Australian than the humble bickie.  These melt-in-your-mouth bickies will make you a hit with your whole family and give you those Christmas season feels, knowing you have supported and invested in Australian jobs. 

Kookas Country Cookies are a proud Australian Owned Certified business from humble rural beginnings, producing a high-quality biscuit range with a handmade country appeal.  

Established in 1991 and operating in the small country town of Donald in Victoria, they originally supplied biscuits to the town and surrounding districts.  Since then, they have weathered the elements of the business world and have become a well-known Aussie brand available at major supermarkets and airlines. 

And their growth continues with a staff of 25, supporting regional Aussie jobs.  They have a loyal local community who support the company and a true Australian attitude. 

Australian Owned are proud to have awarded Kookas Country Cookies Australian Owned Certification in acknowledgement of their Australian produced and owned products. 

“People love our biscuits and they love the idea that it’s Australian,” said Kookas Country Cookies Manager, Kerry Vogel.   

“We have always showcased that our products are proudly Australian made and owned and having our certification with  Australian Owned has helped us promote our Aussie roots to our customers and solidify our brand.”

It’s never been more important to support Aussie owned businesses who are employing locals and contributing directly to their local community.  Stock up on these bickies on your next grocery shop or visit their store online.

Find out more about the Australian Owned initiative here.  

Australian Owned are pleased to announce the signing of a new partnership with the giving platform iSponsor.  This partnership will help Aussies navigate the process of ‘shopping local’ by identifying Aussie owned businesses to support and by doing so, help raise funds for local sporting clubs, charities, P&Cs and other community groups.

Life is busy and whilst it can be our best intentions to shop local, the process can be complicated and overwhelming.  How do you know if a business is legitimately Australian Owned?  This partnership makes it simple – shop via the free and easy to use iSponsor app, look for the Australian Owned Certified logo, receive awesome discounts and on top of all that, support your local community groups.  

There is nothing better than being able to see the impact you are making in your local community. With this new partnership, your efforts will be directly seen through the improvement of grassroots clubs and charities and the growth in Aussie owned businesses.  

This partnership is a win-win for Aussie owned businesses and local clubs and charitable organisations.  Not to mention the helping hand it gives to consumers, conscious of supporting Aussie owned.  

Becoming official partners gives Australian Owned Certified businesses the opportunity to register to iSponsor. Customers using the app will be able to easily identify Australian Owned business to support with the addition of the Australian Owned Certified logo next to certified business profiles.

“Partnering with iSponsor just makes sense,” said Eddie Kocwa from Australian Owned.

“With aligning business missions, our partnership with iSponsor will help support the Aussie owned business community even further, giving them a new captive audience from consumers and the clubs and organisations they choose to partner with.”

iSponsor CEO and Founder, Richard Siganto, agreed the partnership was a natural fit.  

“iSponsor was created to help Australian sporting clubs, charities and other NFPs as well as drive more business to local Australian businesses. When we found out about Australian Owned it was only natural that we try to partner with them on some level. This partnership makes sense on many levels but the biggest one is to have Australians support Australians.”

General Manager of Australian Owned, Kristy Ponting said the Australian Owned Certified logo carries a strong message.

“Support this business and profits stay in Australia. Our vision has been to build transparency and trust in the Australian Owned Certified logo for both business and consumer.   Now customers can shop with confidence, knowing they are supporting Aussie owned and supporting their local community group at the same time,” said Ms Ponting.  

iSponsor’s giving platform is free to use.  Download the app and set up your account here.

Is Australian Owned on your household budget agenda?

With preference for goods and services that benefit the Australian economy on the rise since covid, many households are looking for switches they can make, to businesses that put their money back into Australian jobs and the Australian economy.

Often hard to navigate is the utilities spend category. New research shows that half of Australians  are not sure if their energy company is Australian owned – or not. When business names and marketing campaigns sometimes implicate strong references to ‘Australia’, it can be hard to keep up with who the truly Australian owned and operated companies are.

The 100% Australian owned and operated energy company, Bright Spark Power, now proudly wears the Australian Owned logo across their customer communications. 

CEO of Bright Spark Power, Arran Coughlan said the addition of the “specialised Australian owned certification is a fast way for customers to know where they are spending their money”. He said, “being 100% Australian is a value we hold dear, we have a ‘priority Australian’ procurement policy and where ever we can, we support small, local, Australian businesses.“

As reported in MSN, two energy providers connecting a significant number of homes have been owned by Chinese companies for some time – Energy Australia was sold by the NSW government in 2011, and Alinta Energy was sold in 2017.Bright Spark Power is a truly local choice for your electricity supply. They are a 100% Australian owned and operated electricity supplier connecting homes and business across all of NSW and the south east QLD (Energex) region. Bright Spark Power’s contact details can be located in the Australian Owned Business Register here or visit their website for further information www.brightsparkpower.com.au.

MEDIA STATEMENT – Australian Owned Logo Evolution

Australian Owned (“AO”), a certification and licensing organisation, has announced the evolution of the Australian Owned logo.  Determined to reflect the organisation’s advancement, Australian Owned will no longer issue star ratings, instead officially awarding assessed businesses, Australian Owned Certification.  As a result of this change, the star-rating indicator will be phased out, replaced by a certification indicator – “Australian Owned Certified”.  

This change coincides with the recent review of the Australian Owned Rules governing use of the AO trademark.  During this review, Australian Owned conducted in-depth research, market analysis, as well as engaged in discussions with existing licensees and the public.  Founder Eddie Kocwa explained, “Our vision has been to build transparency and trust in the Australian Owned Certified logo for both business and consumer.  As a result of the findings from our extensive research and market engagement, we are thrilled to unveil our refreshed certification logo, reflecting the organisation’s evolution while keeping our core beliefs and mission unchanged”.

“We uniquely have the capabilities to make connections that bond Australian businesses and businesspeople to get sustainable results for our country and economy.  This advancement will ensure transparency and contribute to our mission of local and national growth objectives in the business sector, with particular focus on manufacturing.  This all contributes to the long-term prosperity of our country, as well as fostering the development of new Australian business relationships” Mr Kocwa said.  

All Australian Owned logos will continue to bear AO identification numbers.  This was identified as a “high-value” feature of the logo.  The Australian Owned Certified logo offers a transparent message, that the business bearing this mark has been certified as an Australian Owned business.  Only businesses with considerable Australian influence are awarded an Australian Owned Certified logo, signifying, and recognising that the Australian economy will benefit by the support of the business/product bearing the logo.

Australian Owned (“AO”) was established in early 2020 and since being launched, has grown exponentially with thousands of licensees based across all corners of Australia.  The AO logo is only held by businesses that pass a rigorous assessment process and includes a unique AO ID number.  The Australian Owned Certification Trademark is registered with IP Australia and its Rules are lodged with the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (“ACCC”).  For enquiries, contact [email protected].