LISTEN: How One Family Kept Their Agribusiness Alive for Five Generations with Tom Morrissey
31 August 2025
An article by Ben Law - The Financial Bloke
What keeps a fifth-generation family business alive for more than a century? In this episode, Ben Law sits down with Tom Morrissey of Morrissey & Co, the Darling Downs family behind Australia’s most trusted calf cradles and cattle equipment.
From humble blacksmith beginnings in 1910 to pioneering world-first solar-powered hydraulic crushes, the Morrisseys have always balanced tradition with innovation. Tom shares how his family works side by side — parents, siblings, and now the next generation — and the systems they’ve put in place to avoid the traps that sink most family businesses.
You’ll hear the secrets behind their longevity: putting customers first, making products that outlast decades of use, and doing the hard work of family alignment. Tom talks candidly about the breakthrough moments when the Morrisseys stopped bottling things up and learned to sit down, face the tough conversations, and back each other in.
This is more than a story about cattle gear. It’s about legacy, leadership, and the mindset required to carry a business — and a family name — across generations.
If you’re part of a family business, thinking about succession, or just curious about what it really takes to last 115 years in ag, this conversation is packed with lessons you won’t forget.
Ben spent over 20 years working with successful business owners and farming families which allowed him to unearth the timeless principles on how to successfully grow, protect and maintain wealth.
If you want to learn the principles of how to grow your family’s wealth throughout the generations, then you might consider joining The Financial Bloke each fortnight for more Wealth & Wisdom.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this podcast is general in nature and for education purposes only. It is not financial advice. It is not legal advice. No one should act on the information without appropriate specific advice for your particular circumstances. Ben Law is a former financial advisor but is no longer licensed and cannot and will not give you specific or personal advice in this podcast. The Financial Bloke Group Pty Ltd accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage occasioned by any person acting or refraining from action as a result of reliance on the information in this podcast.
