Kennards Hire has been hiring out equipment since 1948 when founder, Walter Kennard, was approached by a neighbour to borrow a concrete mixer and he said those now infamous words, “You can’t borrow it, but you can hire it.”
Since that day in Bathurst, NSW Kennards Hire has grown to over 180 branches across two countries, employing more than 1500 people. Its philosophy is grounded in its four values of ‘One Family’, ‘Every Customer a Raving Fan’, ‘Taking Hire Higher’ and ‘Fair Dinkum’. Values that have served three generations of the Kennard family in creating the iconic hire equipment company.
17 September is National Family Business Day, a moment to recognise the role of family businesses across Australia and New Zealand.
In Australia and New Zealand, family businesses are the backbone of our social fabric and economies. This is evident when you understand that around 70% of all Australian businesses are family owned and operated and employing approximately 50 percent the workforce; whilst in New Zealand 75% of consumers trust family businesses more than non-family businesses.
The ongoing COVID-19 situation has proven tough for many family owned businesses. The local café where you buy your morning coffee, the tradie you use to fix your deck, the florist who helps you celebrate important milestones, they are all most likely family owned businesses and now, more than ever, they need our support.
And all family businesses, no matter how small or large they are, have one collective thing in common. Each of their businesses are interwoven with their family values and ethos. Just like Kennards Hire. You can take a listen to an interview Andy Kennard had with Mark Simonsen from The Rental Journal, which highlights how Family Business Australia helped Kennards Hire become the business it is today.
It's a good day to celebrate family business in all its forms – the organic meat butcher, the artesian sourdough baker, and the scented candle maker. Get out there and show your support to a local family today.
To find out more about Family Business Australia or Family Business New Zealand visit their websites: FBA / FBNZ