Since starting working life as an apprentice butcher, Andrew Bonnell has gained experience in business management and sales. He now has a flourishing small business in Collie and has been elected as leader of a local business group.
ANDREW Bonnell has come a long way to his newest role in the Collie community.
Last week, he was elected as the Collie Chamber of Commerce’s new president.
He joined the chamber in 2004, the year he opened his business, Collie Farm Factory Direct.
“I joined because I believed that the chamber is a union for business,” he said.
Since then he has spent three years on the executive committee and two years as a retail representative. Then he decided it was time he ran for president.
A major focus for him is small and medium business, working with heavy industry, and strengthening the community both socially and economically, he said.
Andrew was born in Greensborough in Victoria and, after a few moves, spent his teenage years in Lilydale where he attended the local technical school.
“It was like high school, but the main focus was on trades and apprenticeships from year seven until year 11,” he said.
In 1979 Andrew started his butchering apprenticeship and in 1982 he bought into his first partnership as a retail butcher.
He moved to Perth in 1986. The Americas Cup yacht race off Fremantle was the initial drawcard. It had received a lot of publicity and he had always been interested in Western Australia, so took the opportunity to have a look. “I had visions of staying for a while,” he said.
And that’s what happened.
He bought his second retail butcher shop in Mount Claremont, which he owned from 1986 until 1992.
Andrew continued working as a butcher until 1995, when he became a sales representative for Clover Meats and Peters and Brownes. “During this time my job required travelling to various parts of Western Australia,” he said.
“Some of the most interesting areas were the remote Aboriginal communities.
“A combination of retail butchering and working as a sales representative gave me a few ideas for this business (Collie Farm Factory Direct).
“What I have done here is take some agency concepts and directed them at the general public.
“The product range of meat, seafood, poultry, smallgoods, dairy and frozen food has been well received by retail and wholesale customers,” Andrew said.
Andrew employs two full-time and two part-time staff.
“I am currently training Nick Shaw as manager,” Andrew said. “He has been here since he was 14 years old, starting as a clean-up boy and now he is 18. He is currently studying for a Certificate in Business Administration at Collie TAFE.”
Andrew met his wife Kelsey in 1992 and they married in 1998. They have three children, Luke, Scott and Austin.
The couple bought a property and moved to Collie in 2003. “We were looking for a tree change with plenty of room for the boys to grow up in,” he explained.
Why Collie? “You can buy five acres in Margaret River but 100 acres in Collie.”
Andrew also is a long service member of the Swanbourne Surf Life Saving Club, where he also served on the committee. He was a patrol captain and club vice-president for many years. His hobbies now involve paddling, spending time with his family and being involved with the Collie Swimming Club.
“I have always enjoyed water sports for exercise and fitness and I have been paddling for 20 years. I have completed nine Avon Descents,” he said.
Despite his busy work life, Andrew said he loves living in Collie and is not planning on going anywhere soon.
“My goal at this stage is to have the business successfully run with Nick as manager.
“I hope to one day be involved in more paddling around the Collie River and perhaps getting more younger people involved,” he said.
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