WHEN entrepreneur and philanthropist Dick Smith handed $1 million to the Country Women’s Association this week, the donation marked $10 million handed over to Australian charities since the company was set up more than a decade ago.
The company’s model is based on the late American screen icon Paul Newman’s “Paul Newman’s Own” brand of value-added food products including salad dressing, pasta sauce, frozen pizza, fruit juices and now even wines.
Lilke Newman’s brand, Dick Smith Foods is a company that donates its profits to charity.
It also helps Australian farmers, by buying Australian-grown food, processing it in Australia and selling it only in Australia.
The philosophy of both men was: We’ve got enough money, let’s do some good and share it about.
Sadly it is a model that seems doomed to history, as capitalism tightens margins in every theatre of operations, sourcing the cheapest product, the cheapest packaging and the greatest number of saleable units in a bid to generate the most profit.
