Drought break prompts rural firm to expand with global expertise

Media release - 13th July, 2016

Full-service rural real estate firm, Raine & Horne Rural Sydney, has expanded its sales and advisory team with the appointment of former ANZ executive Andrew Gordon, as well as James Menzies, who held senior finance roles at Grampian Country Foods, a Scottish-based meat processing company.

With drought conditions appearing to break across Australia, the addition of the highly credentialed Gordon and Menzies is timed to perfection, according to Andrew Tout, Co-Principal, Raine & Horne Rural Sydney.

“We expect to see a fair bit of liquidity in the rural property markets, after some activity was previously deferred because it’s just been too dry,” said Mr Tout.

“Now is the right time to get the right results for our vendors and Andrew and James have been added to the team to give us more scope to service our vendors.”

With more than 25 years’ experience in the agricultural industry, Mr Gordon started his career in a mixed family farming enterprise at Cudal in the central west of NSW. Until recently, he was also a partner in a mixed farming enterprise at Condobolin on the Lachlan River.

“Andrew spent 12 years as an agribusiness development manager with the NSW Government, leading programs that supported business ventures throughout the Central West region of the state,” said Mr Tout.

Most recently employed by ANZ as an agribusiness manager, Mr Gordon’s resume includes a stint as a contract economic development manager with Lachlan Shire Council in Condobolin.

“Andrew has a passion for agriculture and a Bachelor of Business (Agricultural Commerce) from the University of Sydney,” said Mr Tout.

Mr Menzies joins Raine & Horne Rural Sydney with deep agriculture industry experience, which includes the ownership of a successful livestock grazing enterprise.

Originally from the Scottish Highlands, Mr Menzies is a farm management graduate of the highly regarded RAC Cirencester. He is an agri-food marketing and business management graduate from the Harper Adams Agricultural College.

In addition to his Scottish ancestry, members of Mr Menzies’s family helped to launch the Bank of New South Wales in 1817. The family also owned extensive Australian farming interests including well-known properties such as ‘Illilawa’, ‘Gelam’, ‘Budgee-Budgee’, ‘Khancobin’, ‘Indi station’, ‘North Yanco’, ‘Bringenbrong’, ‘Walla Walla’, and ‘Eurella station’.

“James’ resume includes stints in financial planning with Newton Barr Edinburgh, which is part of the Lincoln Financial Group, business development, food processing/milling and farm management,” said Mr Tout.

“Our new recruits are well connected nationally and internationally and James and Andrew will add a wealth of agri-business knowledge and a greater sphere of influence for our business.

“James and Andrew have a full understanding of our business, which includes rural sales and leasing, rural business recovery and insolvency and property advisory services, and they will be excellent additions to our team.”

For all your rural real estate sales needs, contact Raine & Horne Rural Sydney on 02 9258 5400.

-ENDS-

For further media information contact:

Andrew Tout, Principal, Raine & Horne Rural Sydney on 0428 277 233

Andrew Harrington, National Communications Manager, Raine & Horne on 02 9258 5400