Jonathon Green's first memories of anything related to his families' EG Green & Sons' business is of cattle grazing the paddocks of their small farm on the outskirts of Harvey.
He admits to not being particularly interested in agriculture back then, but almost four decades on it's a very different story.
"Like a lot of my friends I was more interested in riding motorbikes and boogie boarding down the irrigation channels around the farm" Jonathon said.
"Then when I was in grade six we moved to Perth but we always came back to Harvey as often as we could."
Today he is the only Green still working at the processing facility started by his great grandfather Ernest George Green (EG Green) and wife Mary a century ago, and now owned by Andrew and Nicola Forrest under their Harvey Beef (Harvest Road) banner.
It's not lost on him that he is the last bastion - but at the same time he is not shackled by his history or his lineage.
Rather he sees himself as someone doing a job he chose and loves, not one he was born to and believes he will be judged on his performance, not his name.
Jonathon's career started as a 15 year old looking to earn some cash in the 1997 Christmas school holidays and a desire to get out of the city and back to the bush.
His grandfather Colin was running the business at that stage with a hands-on, vice-like grip in his inimitable controlling and some would say draconian style.
There were no special favours and Jonathon spent his time washing out cattle pens and moving cattle.
He would return for more of the same for every school holiday for the next two years and on completing his studies at Scotch College, enrolled at university.
Two years of study was enough to decide this was not for him and it was the family processing works that he was drawn back to starting full-time employment in February 2002.
In mid-2002 he enrolled in a two-year meat processing diploma completed in conjunction with MINTRAC and Victoria University.
With staff from other WA processing companies also enrolled, the practical sessions provided valuable contacts, while the in-house training was a great learning curve giving him time in almost every aspect of the EG Green & Sons business.
That included the stockyard, slaughter floor, boning and slicing room, and production planning.
In 2004, given an aptitude for IT and a processing background, Jonathon was tasked with implementing a new computing and data capture system and on completion returned to production planning.
One year later, he would experience the darkest day in the 100 year history when EG Green & Sons was put into administration and receivers appointed.
By this time, following the death of patriarch Colin Green in 2000, the company was being run by a management team and no family member was actively involved in day to day management of the business, meaning a disconnect between management and owners.
"I remember getting the call from my father the night before the company entered voluntary administration and the next day I was shuffled out to the farms, which although unsettling did expose me to another invaluable aspect of the industry," Jonathon said.
"Administration was a terrible time, not only for my family and me personally but for the whole business and the wider community."
In the eyes of many, Colin Green was seen as the glue that held the business together and it became directionless without him.
Consequently division within the family meant they couldn't agree on a pathway forward and the company became too top heavy with outside managers, with minimal understanding of the complex WA processing and livestock sectors.
Once in administration and despite the upheaval, the company continued to operate and Jonathon was later approached to continue within the business, heading first back into production planning and later into the livestock department where he remains today.
Jonathon is clearly passionate about the industry, the clients he deals with and staff he works alongside but admits there was some company bridge building required with some producers, post the downfall.
He and colleague Campbell Nettleton now work the State as the company's cattle buyers, Jonathon servicing cattle producers north of Harvey including the pastoral regions and Campbell to the south along with focusing on the supermarket supply chain and feedlotting requirements of Harvey Beef.
Jonathon and Campbell are closely aligned with the requirements of cattle suppliers and are excited by the future prospects of the beef industry, Harvey Beef and Harvest Road Group.
"The investment from Harvest Road Group to build a new facility at Koojan Downs along with its many diversified interests makes it an interesting time to be within the Harvest Road family," Jonathon said.
On that score he is happy to see another family entity at the helm of the business, in the Forrests.
"They (Andrew and Nicola) have brought a renewed confidence and a real passion for the WA beef industry," he said.
"That rubs off on all employees, sets our values and enthusiasm."
"We are all part of a WA beef family trying to provide the best beef we can for our customers.
"It's about upholding the best standards and returns we can to our producers enabling them to invest back into their businesses to produce even more quality Western Australian cattle.
"WA farmers produce some of the best quality cattle in Australia, and it is important that our customers understand how and from where their red meat is sourced and produced," Jonathon said.
"Andrew and Nicola have employed a senior management team who understand processing and the WA supply chain and they have invested heavily in infrastructure to increase capacity, efficiency, improve food safety and animal welfare outcomes."
This includes installing the first cattle double deck unloading ramp at an abattoir within WA, whereby top and bottom truck decks can unload simultaneously, allowing for reduction of stress for both animals and transport operators alike.
Jonathon credits five people as mentors and influencers throughout his journey starting with recently retired Harvey Beef employee of more than 50 years Joe Baggetta who "showed him everything there was to know about meat" and then packing area supervisor Heather Thompson who "treated him firmly because he needed it and instilled the importance of a solid work ethic and of doing the job right."
Similar standards of quality and working to the best of your ability have come from his boss Harvest Road general manager of agriculture and livestock and "information source" Kim McDougall, while Campbell Nettleton's constant presence has meant his vast knowledge of the beef supply chain has been absorbed over years working together. Terry Flemming has also been a valued source of information in relation to all aspects of the cattle industry and it was he who exposed Jonathon to his first cattle job, inspecting ex live export cattle at the Bridgetown saleyards.
Looking to the future Jonathon sees rapid development as the business strives for stable 52 weeks per year production and a continuation of its transparency and producer engagement policy.
"We are all part of the same beef supply chain and we need to work together to achieve the best outcomes for all," Jonathon said.
