MEMBER PROFILES

Pastorale by Meccanico

Pastorale by Meccanico at the Riverine Club held its grand opening in March. Building on the success of Meccanico Wine + Espresso Bar, the latest offering from owners Richard Moffatt and Karl Hulford promises to provide a dining experience more reminiscent of a capital city experience than what you might expect to find in the Riverina.

We spoke with Richard about the expansion of the business and the influence he hopes both Pastorale and Meccanico will have on the broader dining experience within the region.

Quest Apartments Wagga Wagga

Committee for Wagga recently caught up with Eileen Steel, the Business Development Manager for Quest Wagga Wagga. Located in Gurwood Street, Quest Wagga Wagga offer relaxed and comfortable accommodation in their serviced apartment style hotel rooms suitable for short and long stays.

‘To say that we are ‘just a hotel’ undervalues the home away from home service we provide to our guests.’

Yammatree Family Trust

Committee for Wagga recently caught up with one of our newest members, Brenton Henwood from Yammatree Family Trust.

Chatting with Brenton, it’s clear a love of family, the land and primary production has resulted in Brenton and his four siblings joining their parents, Raymond and Pam, in working together in the family operation.

Brenton and his siblings grew up on the family farm “Yammatree” at Bethungra and Wagga Wagga provided a base for the whole family and business operations. Today the entire family live locally with the members of Brenton’s generation enjoying the lifestyle that comes with raising their own families in the area.

Patrick Almanci - Snap Printing and Design

In 2002 Patrick Almanci recognised Wagga Wagga was underserviced within the print industry. Establishing Snap Printing provided an opportunity to distinguish the business in the local market from a creative, supply and technology angle. At the time the industry was embracing digital instant print, today it’s a staple of the business which now extends to website design, construction and maintenance and e-commerce options.

Chatting with Patrick, his passion for his family, music and the community are obvious. Since moving to Wagga in 1997, Patrick has dedicated much of his time to various community events including mentoring local participants of ‘Wagga Wagga Takes 2’.

Tony and Luita Aichinger - McDonald’s Family Restaurants

If you’re involved in a sporting club or charity in Wagga Wagga, there’s a good chance you’ve benefitted from the generosity of Tony and Luita Aichinger.

McDonald’s franchisees for the past 20 years, Tony and Luita have won a raft of awards, including Australia’s top gong – The Ronald Award – twice and The Ray Kroc Award, an international prize given out once every two years to the top 0.01% of operators in the world.

We caught up with Tony to discuss his McDonald’s success story and why it’s important to give back.

ProWay Livestock Equipment

In 2000 three farmers from Dubbo relocated to Wagga Wagga establishing ProWay Livestock Equipment (ProWay). Almost 20 years later the agriculture manufacturing company, specialising in livestock equipment and facilities, is a market leader in product design, innovation, and their investment in their people.

Committee for Wagga caught up with General Manger, Paul Gianniotis, to discuss the development and growth of the company, and what differentiates ProWay from its competitors.

Adjusting to Social Distancing - Cadell Place and Meccanico

The northern end of Fitzmaurice Street has recently been revitalized by the Cadell Place development. Several businesses have opened in the precinct, including Meccanico Espresso + Wine, and locals have been re-engaging with the rejuvenated community space that saw ‘an old shed’ become Wagga’s newest marketplace.

Committee for Wagga caught up with members Cadell Place developer, Danny Russell, and Meccanico founder, Richard Moffatt to discuss how the new businesses are adapting to the recent COVID-19 trading regulations.

Justeen Kirk, GHD - Published May 2018

For the past year, Justeen Kirk has called Wagga Wagga home.

With a background in project management, Justeen relocated with her family from Canberra to manage GHD’s office in the Riverina – a world leading professional services company providing engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services to private and public sector clients.

Here Justeen gives an insight into GHD operations and why it chooses to support C4W.

Jill Toohey, Knight Frank - Published October 2017

Negotiating multi-million dollar property deals is all in a day’s work for Jill Toohey.

For the past nine years, together with husband Laurence, Jill has built her Knight Frank franchise into the only dedicated commercial real estate agency in the Riverina, providing a range of services including commercial management, sales, leasing and valuation.

On the board of Committee 4 Wagga since 2016, we caught up with Jill to discuss current trends in commercial sales, upcoming changes to local council plans and why she supports C4W.

Joel Board, ICG Construction - Published July 2017

For 15 years, ICG Construction has specialised in the design and construction of commercial and industrial projects. Their work includes the Oasis Aquatic Centre, Watermark Apartments and Borambola Conference Centre.

Last year, Joel Board returned to Wagga to accept a role with ICG and is now project managing multiple large construction works. He shares what brought him back to Wagga and why he wanted ICG to become a Committee for Wagga member.

Ryan Knight, Viewco Glass - Published April 2017

Viewco Glass is a Wagga business on the rise, recently launching its new factory and showroom in Jones Street.

Owner Ryan Knight talks about the decision to invest in Wagga despite only a third of its business being generated here, and a deal he’d like to see forged to ensure the future prosperity of the city.