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A toast to growth: The partnership between Menzies Vineyard & RSM
For more than 25 years, RSM has had the privilege of advising Rob and Emma Menzies across every stage of their business journey — from selling and restructuring businesses to navigating tax and superannuation.
Seven years ago, they planted the first vines in Metricup, in WA’s beautiful South West. Now, they are celebrating the launch of their new cellar door, Menzies Vineyard.
RSM Business Advisory Partner Angus Smith, who has been with RSM for 35 years, reflects on working with Rob and Emma not just as clients, but as friends. Watching their businesses grow and evolve has been a rewarding journey, and we’re proud to have been by their side every step of the way.
READ TRANSCRIPT
Rob: I'm Rob.
Emma: And I'm Emma. And we are the owners of Menzies Vineyard Wilyabrup Margaret River, Western Australia.
Angus: I'm Angus Smith. I'm a Partner of RSM Australia. I work in the Busselton, Margaret River area. I deal with small businesses and I've enjoyed it for 35 years.
Rob: When I was younger, I worked in Bordeaux. The passion of the people... You could see it a mile away and you could see it at lunchtime when they sat down and—
Emma: Rob's always had a passion for growing something on the land and producing something.
Angus: I started as a graduate with RSM out at Northam and I had the great opportunity to go and work in quite a number of offices in the Wheatbelt.
Rob: Our neighbours all around here would have about 2,000 vines to the hectare. We have 10,000. Everything's by hand. Pruning's by hand. We pick the fruit by hand and the high-density vineyard gives you higher quality fruit.
Angus: Vineyards and wineries are quite big down this way. Lucky I came from an agricultural background. RSM, over my career, has grown from a smaller business advisory [firm] with a good audit-strong background… [To now offering everything] from cyber security through to ESG, [with] many many industry focuses.
Emma: I asked a good friend of ours who's got a local dairy farm and he recommended Angus as someone really practical,
really level-headed, [who] knows the local industries. So, yeah, that was our first sort of recommendation and contact.
Angus: Rob and Emma have changed businesses along the way and there's a real hardcore business in the background: their SWAT trading business, that [is an] agricultural supply business and supports the wine industry, not only here, but also in the Swan Valley.
Rob: He's a business partner, but also comes across very much as a friend when you go and meet.
Emma: You know, he's been practical. He's an accountant and he's cautious. He's also knows, you know, [this is] someone's passion and dream.
Angus: Accountants as advisers have to be careful that they don't get too emotionally involved and just be agreeing. So sometimes you’ve got to be firm, fair and friendly. And then of course as the government brings in more and more compliance on businesses… The latest being that pressure point in our single touch payroll, and it's going to be superannuation payments at [the] time of payroll in the future.
Rob: I'd like people to buy two bottles from these people every year.
Emma: It's his dream come true to be able to share with anyone that comes to visit us at the cellar door.
Angus: And I think it's going to be really successful, and I think they will pass on a great legacy to their family and the future generations of the Menzies family.
A high-density vineyard and an ambitious dream
It is difficult to cultivate a vineyard or wine business that stands out in the heart of wine country along WA's Margaret River. But Rob and Emma Menzies have achieved it, with a vineyard that boasts 10,000 vines to the hectare, standing out amidst neighbours who average only 2000 vines per hectare.
For Rob Menzies, deeply influenced by his time spent working in Bordeaux, wine is about passion.
His wife Emma echoes this sentiment, saying, "Rob's always had a passion for growing something on the land and producing something."
Rob’s dedicated hands-on approach includes pruning and picking the fruit by hand. He says, "The high-density vineyard gives you higher quality fruit."
Grounded advice to pair passion with practicality
RSM adviser Angus Smith is the practical voice supporting Rob and Emma's dreams. With 35 years of experience in and around the Wheatbelt, Angus uses his agricultural background to help small businesses thrive.
Emma recalls how they first connected with Angus. "I asked a good friend of ours who's got a local dairy farm and he recommended Angus as someone really practical, really level-headed, [who] knows the local industries." This recommendation marked the beginning of a fruitful partnership.
Angus believes in understanding and supporting the passions and dreams of his clients, and he is known for his friendly approach. However, he also emphasises the importance of delivering honest advice rather than just telling clients what they want to hear. He notes, "Accountants as advisers have to be careful not to get too emotionally involved ... you need to be firm, fair, and friendly."
Navigating change with confidence
RSM provides advice that evolves with the needs of our clients, which Rob and Emma have benefited from as they have changed businesses throughout their journey.
In addition to their vineyard, Rob and Emma run what Angus describes as "A hardcore business in the background." Their SWAT trading business supplies winery and vineyard supplies to the wine industry.
Angus offers insights to help Rob and Emma achieve their goals with each business venture and monitors upcoming legislative changes that could impact their operations. After assisting clients in adapting to single-touch payroll, Angus remains proactive in preparing for compliance challenges such as making superannuation payments at the time of payroll.
Looking ahead
Menzies Vineyard, their new cellar door business, represents the realisation of Rob's dreams. Emma shares, "It’s his dream come true to be able to share this experience with everyone who visits us at the cellar door."
Angus believes that Menzies Vineyard is poised for considerable success and is ready to support Rob and Emma in the future. He comments, "I think they will pass on a great legacy to their family and future generations of the Menzies family." Angus's expertise in succession planning and estate services ensures their vision will transition into a resilient future.
Beyond their individual success, RSM promotes a culture of shared knowledge. Valuable insights from Menzies Vineyard's journey are disseminated across RSM's national network, empowering other agribusinesses and wineries with proven strategies and regional expertise.
Learn more about how RSM supports the agricultural sector or reach out to your local RSM office.
