Leading Australian family-owned agribusiness unveils new brand position ‘Grow Forward’
E.E. Muir & Sons has announced it is changing its name to Muirs and introducing a new brand position of ‘Grow Forward’ to highlight the company’s modern approach and expansion ambitions.
This is the first change to the company’s name in nearly 30 years and chief executive and managing director Andrew Muir said it was an evolution of the brand to better support the company’s deliberate shift to focus on innovative, sustainable products and practices – acknowledging the change won’t be too unfamiliar to those in the sector.
“Yes, we are officially changing our name to the way many people across the industry refer to us, so it’s probably not a revolution in that respect. But it is an important shift as we modernise our business, to maintain consistency while setting us up for the future,” he said.
“We’ve very much got a forward-looking mentality now. While we are very respectful of the legacy of our business, which is almost a century old, we’ve got to be forward thinking.
“Our goal is to positively impact grower profitability and future-proof industry opportunity as the support for and partner to on-farm innovation that will ensure sustainable outcomes for all Australians.”
Muir said the company has always been involved in new technologies and searching for the best agricultural ideas from around the globe to help Australian agribusinesses grow and flourish.
“Grow Forward is a clear articulation of this to our clients, supply partners and our people, and is supported by our company values which encourage our team to passionately innovate, create value and grow while remaining authentic and respectful towards our customers and other stakeholders in the industry,” he said.
“This is core to our success, so it is important that our identity is fully aligned to our values, commitment and ambition.”
Muirs remains an Australian family-owned business, now being led by its fourth generation. With a national network of more than 40 branches, the company’s specialist agronomists and technical experts are close to growers across all key agricultural regions of Australia.
In recent years, the company has expanded its services to include more traditional broadacre farming areas, beyond the horticultural specialisation it built its reputation in.
“We’re now exposed to a lot more cropping zones nationally and must remain agile to be relevant to our client base. We want to make sure that we’re taking an integrated approach to providing the many services and products growers need,” Muir said.
“We partner with local and international input providers to deliver best-in-class products, services and expertise. And as the industry and our business has evolved, so too has the way we engage with and talk to growers.
“We want to advance the future of Australian agriculture by creating long term value from innovation and delivering a sustainable product portfolio to the market.
A new Muirs logo and visual identity will be rolled out across the company’s mainland retail arm in the coming months.
“Our new logo still integrates a leaf and water motif as the backbone of the Muirs identity,” Muir said.
“You will start to see our new brand come to life from mid-to late-May as we lead into our major partnership at Hort Connections in early June. We will be working closely with all our business partners to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible.”
Muir said he was incredibly proud of the new brand and how it reflects the work the Muirs team does every day to support growers.
“Our new brand representation recognises and celebrates the changes we’ve already made to improve our organisation. It is a great endorsement of who we are and a significant progression as we build on our legacy,” said Muir.
“What Muirs promises is that, as we have done for almost a century, we will continue to be at the forefront of on-farm innovation, providing commercial growers with the tools, services and expert advice to help improve their farm efficiency and productivity.
“Our ambition is to build a strong future, to Grow Forward sustainably and profitably with our customers and partners.”
A full interview with Andrew Muir will be published in the upcoming editions of Produce Plus. Subscribe here to get your copy.
