Our Goal And Vision

It’s quite simple really.

Our job is to work with those in the agribusiness sector who are absolutely focussed on building highly profitable, customer focussed and self-managing businesses.

They are the committed entrepreneurs, CEOs and senior managers of farm businesses and product/service providers in the food and fibre value chain—who are as passionate as we are about expanding into focussed, market driven enterprises that meet their own needs, while meeting those of their clients.

Why do this?

ABDI was established because over the last 27 years, its Founder and Director Gordon Stone has worked with a range of people throughout the rural and regional food and fibre sectors, who have been doing innovative things. These are the people who make Australian agriculture iconic, and make us world leaders in this space. Many are the silent achievers who do so much and in many cases get less than is due to them. Our job is to change that.

Agribusinesses – farmers and their service providers – are the essence of supplying the high quality food we eat and the goods we use in our everyday lives. And it is the firm belief of Gordon and the ABDI team that it’s only fair they GET THE BEST POSSIBLE FINANCIAL RETURN on effort expended. That’s where we come in. ABDI’s focus is on working with the top, forward thinking agribusiness operators to achieve those goals.

We want you to be crystal clear about what you want out of life. We want you to create the specific business which can be the vehicle to achieve what you want. Our End Game is to focus those we work with on creating a self-managing business they can leave in the hands of others to run, or to sell to one of the many investors out there seeking involvement in Australian agribusiness.

What ABDI can do for you?

What we do

Have you always thought that making more money, expanding the business and providing a better life for your family, simply comes down to working longer hours or selling more product? This is an outdated mindset, and one that ABDI is seeking to change.

How we do it

We offer a variety of ways to support agribusiness people to grow.

Our programs provide the opportunity for participants to step away from their business (even if just to hop onto the computer for an online course) and spend some time working ON their business. Our on-going business coaching helps in the change and transition process from where you are now … to where you want to be. And, in cases where focused effort or fast-tracked outcomes are required, we also act in advisory roles 1 on 1 with clients.

“When I sold my irrigation manufacturing business … I wasn’t sure where to direct my efforts to achieve the income and quality of life that I knew I wanted. Gordon Stone was recommended to me as a person who could assist in establishing a new business model that would fit exactly what I wanted. Over the last 18 months we have gone through a system of clarifying my expectations of this new business, creating a business that now meets those criteria, establishing a sales and marketing program, defining my financial expectations, considering how to leverage different parts of the business, looking at alliances, etc. Above all I appreciated how Gordon was able to support and guide me through this development process.”

Malcolm Thompson – Director, Freedom Irrigation – Toowoomba, Australia

Meet the team

ABDI Management Team

Gordon Stone – Business Strategist and ABDI Founder/Director

Gordon has operated in the agri-business sector since 1991 and has exceptional skills in strategy and business management. He has a diverse background, ranging from running events (from field days through to country music festivals), to strategic planning and advice for organisations such as University of Southern QLD and Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture. His real skills and passion lie in supporting smaller business owners improving and making positive changes in their businesses. He is a master group facilitator, and believes in the power of supportive group settings, where business owners can interact with like-minded individuals. Gordon is also an Adjunct Professor at USQ.

Rebecca Lindert - Client Engagement Facilitator

Rebecca is passionate about Agriculture and comes from a large family broadacre and cotton enterprise in western Queensland. Over the last 10-years, she spearheaded a ground-breaking cotton industry niche marketing and product development process, that disrupted the traditional commodity supply chain model. This produced a premium and boutique, yet scalable practical innovative supply chain from “dirt to shirt”. Her skillset in supply chains, marketing and strategic business management enables her to support ABDI clients to further develop their business strategies.

Amanda Burchmann - Business Manager

Amanda is a senior professional with extensive experience in administration, business management, ‘managing the books’ and operations. She has worked in various industries; including managing a ‘franchised’ pharmacy, as a paralegal, establishing a conveyancing business unit in a legal practice, and running her own business. Her role in ABDI, as Business Manager, is to manage procedures and policies, restructuring and fine-tuning financials, and developing ABDI’s business units. Amanda has strong attention to detail, and her strategic thinking combined with her skill in ‘managing operations’, means she brings these skills to working with ABDI and its clients.

ABDI Project Team

Lisa Barrios 

Lisa has over 14-year’s experience working in the red meat industry. Her focus has been on building key client relationships, managing a range of projects and operations, community engagement and database services, plus communications and marketing plans. Lisa’s recent role has been in Meat & Livestock Australia’s Integrity Systems through product managing the Livestock Production and Assurance (LPA) Program along with MLA’s National Livestock Identification System. She has also managed MLA’s ISC Quality Management System as a Lead Internal and External Auditor. Her focus with ABDI is client engagement working with corporate and small business customers to support their business development plans.

Mark McNamee 

Mark is a strategic thinker and marketing professional who also is a skilled group process facilitator. While Mark has an agronomy background, he has worked as a Sales Coach and Key Account Manager at some of Australia’s largest agribusinesses. He brings an understanding of how corporate agribusinesses manage their sales and marketing operations.

Damian Street 

Damian is a professional corporate adviser, full time investor and business owner / entrepreneur who has a wide experience in a range of sectors including property, manufacturing, service companies and retail (with some agribusiness). He is currently the Chairman of the ABDI Advisory Board, and provides his professional services to ABDI’s clients. He has key skills in and advises on the following areas: (1) Engaging investor ready businesses with aligned investors (2) Corporate Governance (3) Strategy development (4) Financial management (5) Business Development planning (6) Franchise Conversions (7) Restructuring, and (8) Shareholder Value generation activities.

David Stone 

David has a diverse background, across small to medium enterprise (SME) business capability development, increasing Indigenous and local business participation in supply chains, stakeholder engagement, business strategy and operations, project management and environmental management. He has worked with a range of clients, from small family business to global corporates, across resources, energy and power, government, agriculture and environment. He provides specialist advice to ABDI’s clients, and supports in delivery of its business development programs.

Paula Grassano 

Paula has been a part of the ABDI family for many years now taking care of everything digital and managing the communications that our subscribers and customers receive. Paula's wide experience in customer relations and communications, combined with her technical and digital skills means that she is able to ensure everything online runs smoothly for all ABDI clients. 

Dee Parker 

Dee's marketing career started in live events and PR but in the last ten years has focused purely on digital marketing and working specifically with established businesses to grow and scale their online offering. Dee's aim with ABDI is to implement the online marketing strategy and ensure the smooth delivery of our business development programs.

Joanna Middleton  

Joanna has experience working with small business owners, developing and supporting engagement on a variety of social media platforms.  Joanna has experience with marketing and values the importance of building connections with clients.  Joanna's aim with ABDI is to build relationships and client engagement.  

“From initially seeing the webinar ‘Raising Corporate Finance’ conducted by the ABDI team of Damian Street and Gordon Stone, to the evolving of a plan to expand our farming enterprise; subsequently working with us to get our potential business venture off the ground by producing a comprehensive Information Memorandum (for investors) so quickly, has been nothing short of amazing! Despite initial failure to raise corporate finance, your insight, belief, flexibility and counsel finally led us to succeed in the expansion plan – thank you very much for your input and professionalism. We are looking forward to an exciting year!”

Andrew, Melissa and Dougal Eliott, Mixed Farming, Walcha, NSW.

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