Wesfarmers - a diversified corporation

From its origin in 1914 as a Western Australian farmers' cooperative, Wesfarmers has grown into one of Australia's largest retailers and listed companies. It operates through a portfolio of diversified business interests including retail operations covering supermarkets, general merchandise and specialty department stores, fuel and liquor outlets and home improvement and office supplies; coal mining; gas processing and distribution; electricity generation; insurance; chemicals and fertilisers; and industrial and safety product distribution. Wesfarmers employs more than 200,000 people across Australia and New Zealand and has a shareholder base of more than 465,000. It joined the Australian Securities Exchange in 1984.

The Coles division operates 2,231 food, liquor and convenience outlets across Australia, through the Coles, BiLo, Vintage Cellars, Liquorland, 1st Choice and Coles Express brands, as well as its hotel portfolio. The business employs more than 100,000 team members and manages over 11 million customer transactions a week.

The Home Improvement and Office Supplies division comprises the Bunnings and Officeworks businesses. Bunnings is Australia and New Zealand's leading retailer of home improvement and outdoor living products and a major supplier of building materials. Officeworks is Australia's largest retailer of office products.

The Target division is a leading customer destination for fashionable, on-trend apparel and homewares, with a team of over 23,000 employees. Target's core product ranges include womenswear, intimate apparel, menswear, childrenswear, accessories, soft homewares, electrical, toys and other general merchandise. Apparel is a key focus of the product range, with Target aiming to position itself as a value based alternative to specialty fashion stores and a more upmarket, higher quality store with a higher price point than discount department stores.

Kmart division operates 182 stores throughout Australia and New Zealand. Kmart is a leading discount department store retailer in Australia and New Zealand offering a wide range of low-cost merchandise ranging from apparel to hardware and leisure goods.

Wesfarmers' Resources Division is a significant Australian open-cut miner, with interests spanning three coal mines. The division's interests comprise the Curragh mine in Queensland's Bowen Basin (metallurgical and steaming coal for export and domestic markets), the Premier mine at Collie in Western Australia's south west (steaming coal for domestic markets) and a 40 per cent interest in the Bengalla mine in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales (steaming coal for both export and domestic markets).

Wesfarmers Energy comprises four gas businesses, a power generation business and support services. Wesfarmers Energy's gas and power activities include: Coregas and a 40 per cent interest in Air Liquide WA (production and distribution of industrial, medical and specialty gases), Wesfarmes LPG (liquefield petroleum gas) (LPG and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production, export and import), Kleenheat Gas (LPG and LNG distribution and marketing) and enGen (power generation for remote towns and resource projects). 

Wesfarmers Insurance provides insurance broking, insurance underwriting and related financial services in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The insurance underwriting operations include Wesfarmers Federation Insurance, Lumley Australia and Lumley New Zealand. The insurance broking operations are OAMPS Australia, OAMPS UK and Crombie Lockwood in New Zealand.

Wesfarmers Industrial and Safety is the leading supplier of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products in Australia and New Zealand. It provides industrial and safety products and services to over 100,000 customers across a broad range of industries including mining, infrastructure and construction, manufacturing, government and agriculture. The division comprises nine businesses. Blackwoods, the largest, has a 130 year history and holds a unique position in the Australian market with an extensive national network and breadth of product range. Product categories include tools, hardware, safety, apparel, welding and abrasives, mechanical services, packaging and power transmission. Complementing Blackwoods in Australia are four specialist businesses which provide depth of expertise in selected segments: Protector Alsafe (safety) and the Industrial Specialists comprising Bullivants (material handling, lifting and rigging), Total Fasteners (previously Mullings Fasteners) and Motion Industries (power transmission and bearings). In New Zealand, the generalist MRO, hose and conveyor business (Blackwoods Paykels) is complemented by three specialists: NZ Safety, Protector Safety and Packaging House. Most of the Australian and New Zealand specialty businesses hold a leading market position in their respective category. The division operates from an unrivalled network of 241 branches supported by large distribution centres, hundreds of external and internal sales resources as well as e-business, websites and telemarketing channels.

CSBP Limited is one of Australia's leading suppliers of chemicals, fertilisers and related services to the mining, minerals processing, industrial and agricultural sectors.
CSBP's main chemical products include ammonia, ammonium nitrate, sodium cyanide, polyvinyl chloride resin and wood-plastic composite products. CSBP also manufactures, imports and markets fertilisers, primarily servicing the Western Australian broadacre cropping, livestock, horticulture and dairy sectors.