The Northern Rivers is an amazing place to be in business, with a calibre of entrepreneurial spirit and sustainable business acumen that is unrivalled.

The ‘in good company’ Northern Rivers project has been developed as a project and campaign driver for keeping business in the region and attracting business to the region. We invite you to be part of the project as we celebrate, connect and collaborate to enhance business opportunities and facilitate economic development.

Our region is home to a diverse range of business and industry leaders and as you explore their business stories you will see a common thread and tribute to establishing or operating in the Northern Rivers. Whether it is in a coastal village, hinterland hamlet, a CBD or industrial estate Northern Rivers businesses are the mainstay of the economy and integral to employment growth and sustainable community endeavours.

In a region of close to 300,000 people within an enviable landscape of 20,000 plus kilometres, the Northern Rivers has a GRP of $13.305 billion (2.3% of the state) and significant opportunities for continued industry sector growth and development. Our project partners are facilitators in the area of economic development and have collaborated to leverage the dynamic strength of the entire Northern Rivers business offering.

Sharing business stories, connecting businesses to each other and creating collaborative opportunities are important to developing a thriving economy and positioning our region for future investment and reinvestment. We would love for you to be part of our first campaign, Bigger Backyard, and take the pledge today.

Business Stories

 

Discover the people behind the businesses in Northern Rivers and follow their journey to establish and grow their enterprises. Celebrate their achievements and share with your networks – as we work together to shine a light on our own backyard.

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In Ventura we trust

Ventura Brewing
Ventura is a symbol of luck, chance and good fortune – and while Ventura Brewing’s two founders have had a good dose of all three – it’s mostly been a lot of hard work and focus to launch this craft kombucha brewery amid a global pandemic.

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old-fashioned approach reaps rewards

Kyogle Country Store
It feels like a brave decision, buying a hardware and rural supplies store in the age of the corporate superstores. Though it was a challenge…

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A fighting spirit … and great networks

Five Sixty Farms
Stranded on the roof of his house with his wife and their eight children, Pepe Fassos watched helplessly as his beloved greenhouses smashed and floated away in a tsunami of floodwater.

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from generation to generation

Brookfarm
After buying a rundown dairy farm in the Byron hinterland in 1989, it was another ten years before Pam and Martin Brook made their shift to the…

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Farmers in the fields

Norco Primex
Bruce Wright has made his career by bringing together and supporting many of the region’s farmers and primary producers.

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in for the long haul

Herb Blanchard Haulage
If you happen to be in the ‘jacaranda city’ of Grafton or its surrounds and you see a big blue truck out on the roads, the chances are its part of the…

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Be part of a region of business leaders who are increasing their ‘in region’ vs ‘out of region’ spending. When every dollar retained in the Norther Rivers has a multiplier effect on the local economy and impacts on business growth and sustainability – it’s a small step towards making difference. Take the pledge today.

Business Stories

 

Intro text to business stories. We’ve spoken to 40 awesome Northern Rivers businesses to find out how the succeeded in business in the region and the advantages they found from being based here. These stories have been published together in a printed book to coincide with the Commonwealth games 2018, and are archived here on the website.

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Flexing the entrepreneurial muscle

Summit Sport & Fitness
Like many Northern Rivers businesses, Summit Sport & Fitness has undergone immense change in 2022 – except, rather than being buffeted by floods or pandemic, these changes are positive, and mark a new chapter for owner Matthew George.

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sewing love for a lifetime

Patches of Kyogle
Jeannine Smith grew up under her mother’s sewing machine in Western Samoa. “My mother was a professional dressmaker,” says Jeannine…

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Community connection runs deep

Connect Business Solutions
Connect Business Solutions can be thought of as the glue that holds a business community together.

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all fired up for global attention

Aurora Suspended Fires
Aurora Suspended Fires arose from the perfect marriage of Chloe Allan’s creative talents with Neil’s engineering background. But building a successful…

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