1 January 2022
CMJ Wholesale is a small, Indigenous, family owned Food Distributor, who have been in operation on the South Coast of NSW for the past 15 years. They specialise in the supply of quality wholesale meat, dry, frozen and chilled goods to hospitality establishments such as Restaurants, Cafes, Pubs and Clubs.
CMJ Wholesale provides employment opportunities to people from vulnerable groups in society (including those with a disability, First Nation people, those who have been unemployed on a long term basis and older people), who may otherwise find it difficult to retain meaningful employment.
Since 2017, CMJ Wholesale have been supplying wholesale food to Defence bases prodominetly in NSW and ACT. Following the onset of COVID-19, CMJ have also more recently begun servicing bases in QLD and VIC.
As a result of COVID-19, CMJ saw a significant reduction in turnover, noting that they had experienced a 50% decrease in orders due to the closure of the food service establishments such as pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes. The business was also significantly impacted earlier in the year by NSW floods and bushfires.
Noting this, Compass Group on behalf of Department of Defence, reviewed their product range and developed a proposal to provide a range of beverages in addition to the usual orders, resulting in extra revenue for CMJ. This has enabled CMJ to remain open and keep staff employed throughout the COVID-19 crisis.
Engaging with Indigenous businesses such as CMJ wholesale, creates employment opportunities and pathways for First Nation people in working towards closing the gap. Support from Defence enables businesses like CMJ to showcase their successes as a small Indigenous business holder, to their peers and communities.