How we can help launch a brand

Jackie and Darren Brown dreamed of starting their own vineyard, with their own wine label and cellar door. After years in the wine industry, they had the know-how. Now all they needed was a bank willing to finance their dream.

“In 1996 when we purchased our property, we went looking for the right bank to meet our needs,” says Jackie. “We weren’t happy with the service we were getting from our provider at the time.”

Jackie says her dad spoke positively about his relationship with the Commonwealth Bank, so they decided to make the switch. Their local branch manager took the time to understand their business and discuss their options, then made an appointment for Barry, their Local Business Banker, to visit Darren and Jackie at their property in Southern Tasmania’s Coal River Valley.

“Seeing the vineyard allowed Barry to understand Puddleduck the way we see it,” says Darren. “We’re very involved in our business yet we’re mindful that it must be manageable. Barry and the Bank believed in us and lent us the money which helped us to create our dream.”

Over the past ten years, Puddleduck has grown from a dream into a viable business with significant opportunities for continued growth in the near future. Already, the business has won a number of medals for its wines. And the Commonwealth Bank has been by Darren and Jackie’s side every step of the way.

“We’ve built a personal relationship with our branch,” says Jackie. “It is because of the Bank that our needs are met and our business can grow. Barry is always available — we tell him our ideas and he makes them happen.”