Growing with Geraldton
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When Brad Perks’ parents David and Beth suggested a drive from their Perth home to Geraldton to buy an ice-cream in 1980, the then-12-year-old never could have predicted how much his life trajectory was about to change.
Four hours seemed like a long drive for a treat for Brad and his four siblings, and they soon discovered that ice-cream wasn’t the only thing on their parents’ radar that day. “I didn’t know it at the time, but Mum and Dad were actually there to look at a business, McDonalds Wholesalers,” Brad recalls. “That trip changed all our lives.”
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Having owned a Four Square store in Perth, David and Beth had some experience dealing with food distributors, but it was really the opportunity to have a sea change and grow a business to support their five kids that drew them north. “It was a very small business with four or five staff and mum and dad worked seven days a week,” Brad recalls. “Mum would sit at the dining table every night, working through a pile of handwritten invoices.”
What David lacked in foodservice experience, he made up for in vision. “Dad did a lot of thinking, and he had some great people around him to help him achieve his vision,” Brad says. “It started with a small range of products and when customers would say, ‘Why don’t you do this?’ we’d start to range it. We always wanted to be a one-stop shop and eventually expanded beyond Geraldton into the outlying areas and opened a ‘cash and carry’ to service the community. Becoming a founding member of Countrywide in WA gave us the buying power and the network to expand in a regional area, which isn’t easy.”
Brad bought the business off his parents in 2021, now leading a team of 35 including his own children Ashe as CFO and Reece as COO. “They’ve brought in a lot of IT skills, introducing programs like our new online ordering app, which Ashe thinks is amazing,” he says.
Brad bought the business off his parents in 2021, now leading a team of 35 including his own children Ashe as CFO and Reece as COO
David & Beth Perks with their great grandchild - the next generation in a proud family business.
A Promising Future
The post-COVID caravan-buying boom has brought a new generation of travellers to Geraldton, which has been great for hospitality. “Everyone bought caravans and started coming to Geraldton.” Brad says. “We’ve had the foreshore redeveloped, new infrastructure, mining activity – the place has really turned around.”
McDonalds has undergone significant growth to service the tourist boom, with Brad at pains to keep their famous level of service on track. “We always have teams on the ground so we can see what’s going on – our team leaders visit our customers and care about them,” he says. “If someone wants a different brand of fly spray or bacon, we look at it.”
While food trends and product lines have changed over McDonalds Wholesalers’ decades in business, the business’s core premise remains the same. “Listen to your customers, treat them with respect, and be part of your community,” Brad says. “In regional areas, that matters.”
McDonalds Wholesalers has grown significantly to meet the tourist boom, while maintaining its renowned level of service.
Managing Director, McDonalds Wholesalers