Family Business Member

Michelle Corby | Company Accountant
Mangan Logging

Business Industry/Description
We are a part of the Forest Industry in the Macquarie Region in NSW delivering superior outcomes in harvesting and road transport of pine plantations both in terms of productivity and safety.

What generation is your family business?
Our family business is currently in its 2^nd generation. Our Grandparents started the business in 1961, which was then taken over and run by my Mother and Father in 1984.

How many family members in your business?
Our family consists of my Mother, Father and four Siblings. We all work in the business as Senior Managers in our own area of expertise.

What is your role in the family business?What is your role in the family business?
I am the Company’s Chartered Accountant who manages the finance, compliance and bottom line of our business. I act to measure and analyse the profitability of each sector of our business and in conjunction with my Mother, Father and Siblings strive to improve our bottom line, community and family public profile and our safety standards by the most productive and efficient means.

Who is a major influence for you in the family business? Why?
As the youngest member of the family, I consider my five direct family members as being a major influence. My mother works hard to support all of us both personally and professionally, my father has successfully grown our business from one harvesting operating system to over 10 harvesting operating systems through innovation, experience and extremely hard work, my eldest brother Matt has a profound technical and production knowledge of our harvesting operations, my sister Lisa manages our workshop store efficiently and effectively and my brother Chris has an extensive technical and executive knowledge of our transport operations. Each of their contributions and passion has influenced the professional investment and passion I have for our family business.  

What keeps you up at night?
Apart from a very vibrant almost three year old boy, the normal stresses of any family business including profitability, business risk, people management and succession planning to name a few. However, I am gradually learning to separate business and family which makes for a very peaceful sleep.

What’s the key benefit of your FBA membership?
I was introduced to the FBA by a mutual contact when we were struggling with succession planning. Since joining the FBA I have received ongoing support and guidance via both free and paid seminars, webinars and professional advisors in succession planning and other areas specifically tailored to family business. In this time we have engaged a professional advisor who is guiding us in developing the knowledge to and taking the steps to a successful succession plan from second to third generation. The networking at the FBA events provides excellent opportunities to grow and learn from family business’ that have gone through, are going through or are about to go through the same issues as our family business.