Rathbone Wine Group
Family-owned Rathbone Wine Group has built a strong brand domestically and internationally. With wineries in the Yarra Valley, Grampian and Margaret River, the business is passionate about sharing quality Australian wine with the world.
Need
Approximately 84% of Rathbone Wine Group’s wine products are exported. As a result of the impact of COVID-19, the business was forced to close its cellar doors and restaurants. To help offset the reduction in revenue and cash flow, Rathbone Wine Group needed financial support.
Solution
Our $1.7m Export Contract Loan will support grape grower payments and finance bulk wine purchasing, enabling Rathbone Wine Group to have the cash flow to resume normal business operations.
Rathbone Wine Group is a family-owned bulk wine producer with wineries in Victoria and Western Australia, selling domestically and overseas. Our finance provided working capital support to help continue their normal business operations during COVID-19.
Patrick Sin, their Chief Financial Officer, says about half of its business comes from exporting to countries in Europe, USA and Asia including China.
Rathbone Wine Group has invested considerable time and energy in building up strong, long-term relationships with partners in each country. Its biggest challenge is one that impacts all winemakers exporting internationally.
“We have an incredibly long working capital cycle,” Patrick explained. “It’s a very long lead time from planting and harvesting and then maturing the wine to exporting and selling the wine and finally being paid.”
Export Finance Australia has been great for us. They’ve been willing to listen to us and engage with us about our particular finance needs. I would definitely recommend them.
Patrick Sin
Chief Financial Officer, Rathbone Wine Group
Freeing up working capital
Patrick found out about Export Finance Australia through Google, while looking for finance options to help cover its working capital costs. After contacting us, Patrick worked with our team who determined the business was eligible to apply for a credit facility.
After a successful application process, Rathbone Wine Group was able to access a $1.75m Export Line of Credit. Patrick says it has been critical in that it takes the pressure off its working capital.
“To grow and sustain our business, we need to be selling wines while we are growing fruit for our next vintage,” Patrick said.
“We also need to buy additional fruit from other growers at the same time. Having access to finance means both ourselves and the growers have assurance of payments as per agreement, and help us all to have a better focus on our day to day operation.”
Patrick said he was impressed with how responsive Export Finance Australia was in understanding Rathbone Wine Group’s financing requirements.