POOLE and Jackson has been serving the Mallee and Wimmera regions since the 1960s.
However, the business recently changed ownership for the first time, marking a significant milestone for new owners Scott and Meredith Rowney.
The transition to business owner has been a unique opportunity for Scott, who completed his heavy diesel apprenticeship with the business in 2006.
The next year he headed south and, as fate would have it, he ended up working at Meredith’s family farm near Bendigo.
After dating for several years, the couple moved to the Mallee town of Turriff West.
Meredith pursued her midwifery career, travelling between the farm and Mildura, while Scott returned to Poole and Jackson in 2019 after 12 years of working on farms.
“We love the Mallee and are very passionate about it,” Meredith says.
“We like this lifestyle and I grew up on a farm, so it wasn’t a big change for me.”
The couple married in 2013 and have four children.
Today, Meredith is the maternal health nurse for Buloke and Mildura councils and spends her time working between Sea Lake and Ouyen.
While life was busy, when the opportunity arose to buy Poole and Jackson they didn’t hesitate to explore the idea.
“We knew Doug, the previous owner, was getting older and he was looking to wind things back a bit,” Meredith says.
“We thought, ‘What have we got to lose’, and began to look into it a bit more.”
They first approached Doug in August 2020 and 18 months later took over the business.
“We were looking at things we could do locally, while improving our financial position, and also helping the local community,” Meredith says.
Poole and Jackson proved to be the perfect fit, ticking all their boxes.
“As first-time business owners, we were very lucky to have great support from existing staff,” Meredith says.
“Their experience and expertise has been invaluable as they continue to guide us and support us throughout the transition.”
Since taking over in February, they have already expanded the business and are dealers for Rogator self-propelled sprayers and Versatile tractors.
However COVID-19, soaring fuel prices and supply-chain issues getting stock to Australia has proved to be their biggest challenges so far.
Actively engaged in the Mallee community, the business also provides sponsorship to local sporting clubs and other local events, including the field days.
They also recognise the important role young people will likely play in relation to technology and computerised maintenance in the coming years and are keen to help train them by offering apprenticeships.
“Our goal is to supply good service to our local community and keep the farming industry viable and moving in our area,” Meredith says.
