Our Insights

Corrina and Daniel Michael are broadacre farmers in the Mid-West region of Western Australia. The farm spans some 7,500 hectares, with 5,500 hectares owned and an additional 2,000 hectares leased. The family primarily engages in broadacre cropping, including wheat, lupins, canola, and barley, along with some cattle and sheep farming. This legacy has been cultivated over generations, with the current generation taking full control of operations in recent years. 

 The change of control coincided with the nearing retirement of their long-term accountant, who had served the family for nearly two decades. Corrina and Daniel started to look for new advisors and Thorntons came highly recommended by their farm advisor, bank managers, and other farming businesses. 

 Corrina said, “We had a really good first meeting with Darren Fissioli – he understood our business and we just got a good vibe. Thorntons have a wide range of clients across various industries, and we thought we’d benefit from the diversity of their experience and their network. We found Darren to be easy going, approachable and we felt very comfortable.” Corrina added, “The transition to Thorntons was straightforward. Thorntons work with various programs that we used, and they did made end of financial year work much simpler. It was much easier than changing banks!”  

 Since transitioning, Corrina remarked that Thorntons have been instrumental in several critical areas of the family business: 

 Advising of Business Structure changes: 

Supporting the family with business structure changes for the next generation.  

 Succession Planning: 

The transition of the business from one generation to the next. Thorntons provided comprehensive support, including liaising with lawyers and facilitating communications with other family members. “Darren made himself available to speak to family members. It was handled really well.” 

 Tax Planning: 

Effective tax planning has been another significant area where Thorntons excelled. “They work closely with us on all aspects of the business and tax planning. I have found this “complicated” area slightly easier to manage with their support.” 

  Advisory and Board Participation: 

Darren has taken an active role in the family’s business strategy by joining the board. Corrina explains, “We invited Darren to one of our board meetings and I said, “He needs to come to every meeting!”, so we invited him to join the board. It probably wasn’t something that we’d expected, but it’s beneficial having him because he just gives such good insights into financial decisions and especially during the succession planning phase.” 

 In addition to Darren being accessible and responsive, Corinna spoke fondly of the Thorntons team in Perth, “They are great and have really exceeded my expectations. I know exactly who I need to speak to when I need help. They’re accessible and very helpful.” 

 The family’s experience with Thorntons has been overwhelmingly positive. Corrina highlights the ease of transition, the proactive and accessible support, and the overall improvement in their business operations. “Thorntons have exceeded our expectations. They’re amazing and have made complex processes much simpler for us.” 

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Thorntons is an accounting and advisory practice to mid-size, family-owned businesses in Western Australia. We offer a fully integrated portfolio of financial, tax, succession, and estate planning services and have the experience to guide you through the complexity so that you can enjoy stability, peace of mind and certainty. 

 To discuss your individual business needs and find out if we might be a fit for you, please contact Thorntons at tp@thorntons.biz or call (08) 9421 1722.