Top 100 CEO Interviews
Issue No. 25 - October/November 2005
Top 100 Feeding the expansion machine
This year, Drake Foodmarkets took the ambitious step of expanding its operations out of South Australia for the first time.
Ambitious, because in the cutthroat world of food retailing, any expansion step has to be well thought out indeed. When like Drake you make a point of favouring local products over cheaper imports, you push the envelope further still.
Roger Drake finds the Queensland pioneering effort “frustrating” because he is having to set up so much infrastructure. It’s costly and slow, but he’s certain of one thing — the management will be up to scratch.
While Drake Foodmarkets employs more than 3000 South Australians and Queenslanders it adheres to family business principles, senior management striving to maintain SME culture.
“Promoting from within is a very conscious part of company policy for the past 32 years,” Roger says. He prides himself on knowing as many staff as he can by name and goes out on site every day to talk to staff and customers.
Another current project is Drake’s push to become its own WorkCover insurer. Self-insurance for workers compensation involves negotiating very difficult procedures and compliance regulations.
“I don’t believe the good employers should be paying for the bad ones.
“We have a very good track record of low claims and against our opposition (major chain stores) that is a significant advantage.”
Roger has no qualms about taking on challenges and says so in the Drake Foodmarkets’ mission statement — to be “the leading independent retailer in the world”.
That’s putting your cards on the table.
Roger started his career with the Coles Myer Group in 1965. In 1974 he opened his first supermarket – Jack and Jill's, a three-lane supermarket at Mitcham with four staff. In 1977 the company opened its first large supermarket at Torrensville.
Drake Foodmarkets is now SA's largest independent superma...
