New life the right formula
BB had the pleasure of catching up with Brian and Esti Siebert recently to find out what life was like following the sale of their business BJP Laboratories.
BJP is a complementary medicine manufacturer based in Yatala that the Sieberts took from just two staff in 2009 to hundreds after arriving from South Africa. It makes medicine for some of the country’s biggest pharmacy companies, including Blackmores and Swisse. The pair also had the brand Rochway, which made probiotic and bio-fermented products.
They sold 18 months ago to DZG Investments, a company they describe as “massive” in the biofermentation industry.
Brian told BB the biofermentation side of the business had grown to the point where it needed a massive injection of funds for it to keep growing.
“We would have needed $10 million to build the biotech facility (now occupied by Probiotics Australia: see business profile) and we thought we would sell to another company and they could take it to the next level,” he said.
“We were very happy at BJP. We loved the work and the staff and the challenge every day.
“But we are happy where we are now.”
That is managing their commercial property portfolio, which includes a property in Southport, and looking after their grandchildren, who luckily live a short distance away in the Redlands area.
Brian said what he was most proud of, apart from building up the business, was that half of their staff were refugees from countries such as Myanmar.
Esti added that sometimes their new “semi-retired life” keeps them a bit too busy.
But it is hard to stop the pair from becoming involved in the business world.
“We were both joking about what we will do once we sold,” she said.
“Brian said he might go to the men’s shed and I said you will join and within a year it will be a franchise and profitable business.”