CEO’s message

2024 is 50 years since a group of Golden Fleece service station owners, a group of people with a common purpose, set up their own cooperative. They were very humble beginnings—on several occasions Capricorn almost didn’t make it—and as visionary as our founding people were, I’m not sure they would ever have expected Capricorn to become what it has. But I do think they would be immensely proud of the success Capricorn has enjoyed over the past half a century, and particularly during the last 20 to 30 years where we have built some scale and grown in leaps and bounds.

We think 50 Years Strong is a milestone worth marking, so throughout the first half of this new financial year, we’ll be celebrating with Members, Preferred Suppliers and the wider Capricorn community. Our Gala Dinners & Tradeshows this year will nod to this anniversary and I’m looking forward to seeing what stories and memorabilia Members share through our Memories Competition.

You might have heard by now that I’m retiring at the end of this year, after five and a half years as Group CEO and 18½ years with Capricorn. This celebration is a wonderful way to end my time with this incredible organisation and I hope to catch up with as many of you as possible at our events. It’s also personally very reassuring to know I’m leaving Capricorn in a strong position—one I believe the pioneers who founded our cooperative would be proud to see.

Capricorn’s strength, I believe, is that it has never lost sight of its vision and purpose. Our core mission is still providing value for Members— helping you build a better, stronger and more efficient business. Which means Capricorn must not stand still. If we want to be here for another 50 years (and we plan to be) we need to have one eye on tackling the challenges of the future, like the transition to EVs. The journey ahead may not be easy, but the strength and perseverance Capricorn has shown over the last 50 years shows we’ve got the grit and vision needed to continue to be an important partner to you and your business for many years to come.

So, we hope you will celebrate 50 Years Strong along with us.

David Fraser

Group CEO