When Frank Dorrstein started Driveline Services Australia in 1982, he was running the business on borrowed money and a tight cycle of imported stock. Today, his son Craig leads a national network of 12 branches across the Eastern Seaboard, employing more than 100 staff and supporting mining, freight and industrial clients with drive shaft and powertrain repairs.

But growth brought its own challenges — from managing succession across a family business to building the governance and leadership structure needed to scale.

In this MYMAX Bites Meet the Owner session, Craig Dorrstein joins MYMAX Advisor Andy MacDonell to share the story behind Driveline and the lessons learned along the way.

The conversation explores:

• How a family import business grew into a national branch network
• Navigating succession across both the business of family and the family business
• Diagnosing where a business sits in its lifecycle — and what succession really does to a mature operation
• How to balance inventory management as both a strategic investment and an area needing capital discipline in a time-critical industry
• Sharpening customer focus through segmentation and analysis to know where the business should play
• Building leadership capacity and confidently engaging outside expertise
• Investing in process and technology rather than just equipment
• The value of an independent Chair in an Advisory Board; and why driving accountability is still critical in a profitable, well-financed business
• Balancing national scale with the culture of a family business

As Craig shares in the session when working through change management:

“The easiest thing to do is nothing, but that’s just not in the best interest of the company.”

And on what keeps Driveline grounded as it grows:

“We know our staff’s names, we know what they’re up to. They’re a real person, and that’s what’s important to us.”

This is a candid look at what it takes to build a great business from a good one — and how to keep a family business feeling like one, even at national scale.

Watch the full MYMAX Bites Meet the Owner webinar recording below.