181 - Jarrod Stephenson - General Manager - CadMac

Arete Podcast with Richard Triggs

It’s always nice to speak to a business leader who understands the power of community. Jarrod Stephenson is the GM of CadMac: agricultural machinery specialists with branches in Southern Riverina and North East Victoria. He tells us how his company connects with the local agricultural community to (literally) keep the wheels turning, and how he has overseen change in the business to move its focus away from the bottom line and towards becoming ‘purpose led’. Agtech is certainly an exciting sector. Where previously a firm like CadMac would spend most of their time servicing or repairing machinery, they are now expected to provide innovative tech solutions. He tells us a bit more about ‘precision farming’ and how agtech in general is revolutionising the way things are done in the agricultural sector. This provides an interesting challenge… how exactly can people be persuaded to adopt technology in a sector steeped in tradition, with family businesses that go back multiple generations? Listen in to find out how Jarrod has navigated through Covid to deliver a record-breaking 2021 for CadMac, and how he has guided the company through a period of change without forgetting any of its community spirit. Episode Highlights: -The definition of a purpose-led business -How to successfully target family businesses -Innovation in the agricultural space -Why uni life wasn’t suitable for Jarrod -How Jarrod made the transition from small to large company -How Jarrod learnt to make change in a bigger organisation -How CadMac rode out Covid when farmers were not spending any money -How CadMac invests in its staff -The difference between being a branch manager and a GM -The growth opportunities in agtech -How agtech is enabling lower chemical use and staff costs -How the disruption to the labour force during Covid affected fruit farming -How to persuade people who don’t think they need new technology -Why farming machinery is far easier to operate now than ever before -The national trend of people moving out of the cities -The importance of integrating with local communities Jarrod Stephenson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarrod-stephenson-81167b63/ Cad Mac Website: https://cad-mac.com.au/ Richard Triggs on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardtriggs/ Arete Website: https://www.areteexecutive.com.au/