西农集团

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西农集团（Wesfarmers Limited）

官方网站网址：http://www.wesfarmers.com.au/ 英文

　　澳大利亚西农集团（Wesfarmers Limited）是澳洲最大零售企业之一，成立于1914年，前身为西澳州农民合作社，总部位于澳大利亚珀斯。西农集团的业务涉及零售、煤矿、保险、家装等广泛领域，拥有雇员20万人，是澳大利亚雇员人数最多的私人企业之一。该国最大的家庭装修产品零售商Bunnings也是它旗下的企业。

Wesfarmers - a diversified corporation

From its origins in 1914 as a Western Australian farmers' cooperative, Wesfarmers has grown into one of Australia's largest listed companies and employers. Its diverse business operations cover: supermarkets, department stores, home improvement and office supplies; coal mining; energy; insurance; chemicals and fertilisers; and industrial and safety products. The primary objective of Wesfarmers is to provide a satisfactory return to its shareholders.

The company aims to achieve this by:

• satisfying the needs of customers through the provision of goods and services on a competitive and professional basis;
• providing a safe and fulfilling working environment for employees, rewarding good performance and providing opportunities for advancement;
• contributing to the growth and prosperity of the countries in which it operates by conducting existing operations in an efficient manner and by seeking out opportunities for expansion;
• responding to the attitudes and expectations of the communities in which the company operates;
• placing a strong emphasis on protection of the environment; and
• acting with integrity and honesty in dealings both inside and outside the company.

From its origins in 1914 as a Western Australian farmers' cooperative, Wesfarmers has grown into one of Australia's largest listed companies. Headquartered in Western Australia, its diverse business operations covers supermarkets, department stores, home improvement and office supplies; coal mining; energy; insurance; chemicals and fertilisers; and industrial and safety products. Wesfarmers is one of Australia's largest employers and has a shareholder base of more than 450,000.

Wesfarmers’ long standing objective is to deliver ‘a satisfactory return to shareholders’. Guided by this principle, the company has developed a unique, highly-focused and disciplined business culture.

The scope and diversity of Wesfarmers’ operations confers an enormous responsibility on the group not only towards its shareholders, but also its nearly 200,000 employees, its wider customer base, and the communities and families across Australia where the company operates.

Despite the company’s many changes over the years, it continues to focus on providing a satisfactory return to shareholders; looking after its employees and ensuring they have a safe environment in which to work; providing excellent products and services to its customers; looking after and caring for the environment; and making a contribution to the communities in which it operates.

The early years

As one of Australia’s oldest and most successful diversified companies, Wesfarmers began in June 1914 as the Westralian Farmers Co-operative and for most of its early history was primarily involved with the provision of services and merchandise to Western Australia's rural community.

Its early operations included wool and wheat merchandising, grain and fruit exporting, oil distribution to rural areas, as well as Western Australia’s first public radio station.

On the road to diversification

In the 1950s Wesfarmers began a major diversification programme with the formation of Kleenheat Gas. Kleenheat pioneered the distribution of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and gas appliances to Western Australia's rural areas and now operates a major Australia-wide network of depots, company-operated branches, dealers and franchisees.

The 1980s saw significant changes to the company’s operations and structure.

In 1984, with the farmers co-operative as its majority shareholder, Wesfarmers Limited listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

In the same year, the company acquired fertiliser manufacturer and distributor CSBP & Farmers, in what was then Australia’s largest corporate takeover.

Wesfarmers added to its energy industry investments by moving into coal mining when it acquired Western Collieries in 1989, now Premier. In the 1990s, the company invested in the Bengalla mine in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. Further expansion of the coal interests occurred in May 2000 through the acquisition of the Curragh mine in Queensland's Bowen Basin. In early 2003, Wesfarmers won the right to develop a nearby deposit, more than doubling the recoverable reserves in and around Curragh.

Wesfarmers broadened its agricultural base in 1993 when it acquired Dalgety Farmers Limited. The following year the company established Wesfarmers Dalgety as a national rural business. In 2001 the rural business expanded after Wesfarmers Dalgety merged with IAMA Limited and formed Wesfarmers Landmark. Landmark was sold to AWB Limited in August 2003.

Also in 1994, Wesfarmers completed its acquisition of Bunnings Limited, establishing the company in hardware retailing and forest products.

In April 2001 Wesfarmers completed the transition to a broadly-based public company when shareholders overwhelmingly supported a proposal to simplify its complex ownership and control structure.

In the same year, Wesfarmers acquired Howard Smith's BBC and Hardwarehouse businesses making Bunnings Australia's leading supplier of home improvement and building products. The acquisition also included hardware and industrial and safety products businesses in New Zealand, giving Wesfarmers its first significant presence outside Australia.

Following the 2001 acquisition, Wesfarmers formed its Industrial and Safety division which is now the leading supplier of maintenance, repair and operating products in Australia and New Zealand.

Insuring for the future

In 1991 Wesfarmers merged its insurance company with Federation Insurance to form Wesfarmers Federation Insurance, one of the largest rural insurers in Australia. The insurance activities were expanded with the acquisition in 2003 of the Australian and New Zealand operations of Lumley Insurance. Further growth occurred in late 2006 and early 2007 with the acquisition of OAMPS Limited and Crombie Lockwood Holdings.

Wesfarmers moved into rail transport when, in 2000 a joint venture with Genesee & Wyoming Incorporated of the United States successfully bid for the Western Australian government's rail freight business, leading to the creation of the Australian Railroad Group. Wesfarmers completed the sale of this business to Babcock & Brown and Queensland Rail in June 2006.

In September 2006, Wesfarmers restructured its energy businesses with the creation of a separate coal division responsible for the wholly-owned Curragh and Premier mines and the company's 40 per cent interest in Bengalla. With the excision of the coal mining activities, the Wesfarmers Energy division retained responsibility for the group's gas and power business interests. These were expanded with the completion in early 2007 of the acquisition of Linde Gas, now named Coregas, a major participant in the Australian industrial gases market.

The acquisition of Coles Group

In November 2007 Wesfarmers entered a new era when it acquired Coles Group Limited. Following this acquisition three new divisions were formed, Coles, Target and K-Mart. Officeworks and Harris Technology joined Bunnings to make up the Home Improvement and Office Supplies division.

Proud history, strong future

Since the first major acquisition in the 80s, Wesfarmers has continued to transform the size and shape of its business operations through strategic acquisitions and divestments. Steeped in a foundation of retailing since its formation, today Wesfarmers is one of Australia’s leading retailers and diversified industrial companies. From the small farmers co-operative three quarters of a century ago, to the nation’s largest employer with almost 200,000 employees and more than 400,000 shareholders, Wesfarmers remains committed to providing a satisfactory return to shareholders.

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　　2007年7月2日，澳大利亚零售集团Coles(高斯集团)接受了该国企业西农集团对其207亿澳元(约合177亿美元)的收购报价，此举为澳大利亚最大零售企业的诞生铺平了道路。