Briefcase: Business clippings from across SA

In this week’s briefcase, Riverland businesses are being urged to join Queensland’s new fight against wine flies, SATC to review regional plans and SILK Laser Clinics plans another acquisition to continue its rapid national expansion.

‘Critical time’: Commercial growers urged to join fight against fruit flies

The State Government is urging commercial fruit growers in the Riverland to access free lures and baits to protect their crops from fruit flies, with a new eradication program launched for the new year.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Affairs (PIRSA) launched its new “summer eradication program” last week to raise awareness in outbreak areas about preventing the grape fly.

According to PIRSA’s outbreak map, there are still nine Queensland wine fly outbreaks in the Riverland affecting land near Renmark, Loxton and Waikerie.

The new eradication drive, which runs from January to March 2023, will offer free bait and traps to commercial growers across the Riverland, and the State Government said it had made changes to the program to make it easier for growers to participate.

It comes at a “critical time” for fruit fly detection as the pest reaches the end of its life cycle in April, the State Government said, and commercial growers are “strongly encouraged” to take part in the free bait and trap scheme.

“The Malinauskas Labor Government remains committed to addressing the Riverland wine fly and working to re-establish a pest-free area,” Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven said in a statement.

“Significant progress has been made in eradicating fruit flies during the spring and the increased level of activity will go a long way in reducing the number of flies.”

According to Scriven, 282 million sterile fruit flies have been released since August 2022 in an attempt to contain local outbreaks.

This is in addition to 39,000 traps set, 200,000 liters of bait mixture used and 21,500 residential buildings visited “regularly”.

The Riverland, Swan Hill and Goulburn Valley are responsible for more than 50 per cent of the nation’s stone fruit production.

The Riverland growing region is also the third largest citrus growing region in Australia, with 5,518 hectares of citrus trees planted accounting for 20 percent of Australia’s commercial citrus industry.

SA regional tourism in review

The South Australian Tourism Commission has commissioned a “comprehensive” review of the state’s regional tourism structure and is looking for “opportunities to market our regions more effectively”.

The SATC last week launched the competition for the “South Australia Regional Tourism Review”, which examines four areas: regional structure management, regional promotion, product development and industry capacity building.

According to the tender, SATC is seeking a “comprehensive review of South Australia’s current regional tourism structure and labor relations” through a “written report with recommendations for the sustainability of South Australia’s regional tourism structure”.

It also asks the successful applicant to “identify opportunities to market our regions more effectively through better joint application of SATC, RTOs (Regional Tourism Organisations), local councils and regional tourism industry marketing resources”.

The review will consult regional tourism managers and chairmen along with councils and boards, the Tourism Industry Council of South Australia and Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison.

The final report and its recommendations are due on April 30, 2023.

SILK mulls $8.4m NSW acquisition

Adelaide-based beauty therapy chain SILK Laser Clinics is proceeding with the $8.4 million acquisition of 10 beauty clinics in New South Wales and the ACT.

In its latest national expansion drive, the ASX-listed company has announced the acquisition of Eden Laser Clinics – an 11-year-old cosmetic business with more than 130,000 clients.

The $8.4 million acquisition, which is expected to be completed in March 2023, will add 10 beauty clinics (nine in NSW, one in the ACT) to SILK’s national network.

It will increase the number of clinics owned by SILK from 131 to 141, bringing the company closer to its pre-IPO goal of expanding to 150 clinics.

SILK chief executive Martin Perelman touted the acquisition as “an exciting opportunity for SILK to grow in the key state of New South Wales”.

“Eden Laser clinics are closely aligned with our existing service offering and provide an advantage by increasing injection sales to our customers and through procurement and systems initiatives,” he told the ASX.

SILK reported a net profit after tax of USD 9.56 million for FY22 thanks to a huge increase in its injection services offering.

The company ranked 49th on InDailySouth Australia Business Index 2022

SILK was established in Adelaide in 2009 and offers laser hair removal, cosmetic injections, skin treatments, body contouring and skin care products.

New leadership and technology at Harrison McMillan

Adelaide recruitment and HR consultancy Harrison McMillan is forecasting triple-digit growth in 2023 after managing director and co-founder Dani Cuff takes sole ownership of the 10-year-old business and steps in as CEO.

The company also announced the national launch of its high volume recruitment technology solution which already supports customers such as Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), Opal Packaging and Bridgestone.

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Cuff, a former member of the InDaily 40 Under 40, said the post-Covid landscape was the right place to introduce their “Employment 4.0” approach to the national market.

“Covid-19 has changed everything we have accepted as ‘normal’, none more so than in the HR and employment sectors where the ‘new normal’ dominates,” she said.

“Today, it’s all about agility with work-from-home options and flexible full-time equivalent (FTE) solutions that need to be balanced with the traditional office work scenario and full-time workforce to achieve the best outcome for all concerned.”

She said the new model combines the art of recruiting with the science of advanced technology.

The company says it has also recently added “Hybrid Recruitment Process Outsourcing” to its suite of recruitment services.