Australia’s 10 best managed companies for 2021

Deloitte Private – the professional services firm’s wing focused solely on private enterprises – has named its top ten Best Managed Companies in Australia for 2021, which span a range of sectors.

A diverse group of privately-owned enterprises have been recognised by professional services firm Deloitte as Australia’s Best Managed Companies for 2021, including those operating in the retail, technology, transport, manufacturing, and construction sectors. Launched locally in 2019, the Best Managed Companies program is administered by Deloitte Private in over 35 countries worldwide and dates back almost 30 years.

For consideration, the companies must be privately owned and headquartered in Australia, with at least three years of operation under their belt and recently generating revenues in excess of $100 million.

The awards are then independently determined against benchmarked insights and best practices and through an assessment of four key pillars: strategy; culture and commitment; capabilities and innovation; and governance and financials.

This year’s top ten featured companies representing a range of sectors, led by the Industrial Products & Construction category and including BGC of Perth, Buildcorp and Adco Constructions in Sydney, Melbourne’s Vaughan Constructions, and Hazell Bros of Hobart. Also making the list were Alto Group (Sydney, Automotive), Flinders Port Holding (Adelaide, Transport & Logistics), and KING (Sydney, Manufacturing & Retail).

“It is about celebrating the passion, focus, dynamism and growth that Australia’s best private companies are renowned for,” said Deloitte partner and program leader Natalie Faull. “They are often disruptors, they are significant employers, they are always looking for growth and success, locally and beyond our borders, and they are strong supporters in their local communities. The impact of the pandemic has not changed this focus, but heightened it.”

Sydney-based legal technology company InfoTrack was one of two tech entities rounding out the list, alongside Perth managed services provider Kinetic IT, with InfoTrack CEO John Ahern also noting the impact of Covid-19. “Legal technology went from luxury to necessity overnight as professionals had to transition to remote work and find replacements for manual processes. We made it a priority to be there for our clients through the hard times.”

What are leaders doing right?

A keen focus on communication with customers through the pandemic, together with other stakeholders including employees and suppliers, was a consistent theme among this year’s winners according to Deloitte, particularly in the context of hybrid working environments, global supply chain disruptions, and having to operate in multiple states with differing health directions. Increased employee engagement and transparency was also a common point.

Deloitte CEO Adam Powick noted that the pandemic not only tested Australian businesses but helped many to focus on their strengths, initiate positive transformation, and identify opportunities for post-Covid growth. “This group of 2021 winning companies all had clear strategies, embraced innovative digital transformation, drove responsible and sustainable business practices, and truly supported their people throughout this period of disruptive change.”