Burt’s Bees founder dies; Heavy Haulage Australia cuts 25 jobs: Midday Roundup

Burt Shavitz, the beekeeper who co-founded natural cosmetics company Burt’s Bees, died on Sunday at the age of 80.

Shavitz’s co-founder, Roxanne Quimby, bought him out for $US130,000 ($173,000) in 1999 and Burt’s Bees was sold to Clorox for $US970 million in 2009. 

Burt’s Bees described Shavitz as “our co-founder and hero” in a tribute posted on its website.

“Not enough can be said about a champion of nature who was himself a force of it,” the tribute said.

“His humour and his candour, his devotion to his dogs and his passion for beekeeping, his love of the simple and the green and the good, must be his legacy.”

Heavy Haulage Australia cuts 25 jobs

Collapsed haulage company Heavy Haulage Australia has cut 25 jobs as part of a restructure, which administrator Ferrier Hodgson says is necessary to preserve parts of the business that could be of interest to buyers.

The restructure will affect 14 full-time and three part-time staff in Brisbane, two full-time workers in Toowoomba and six full-time employees in Perth and Port Hedland.

Heavy Haulage Australia has been operating since 1999 and is the subject of a television series on Foxtel called Megatruckers.

The company entered voluntary administration at the end of June, with Brendan Richards, John Lindholm and Tim Michael of Ferrier Hodgson managing the administration.

Richards said in a statement on Monday a sales campaign for the business and its assets had been “generating a promising response” but the restructure of the business was “unavoidable”.

“We have informed all of the staff about the downsizing and explained that, while unfortunate, it is the only way that we have any chance of achieving a good outcome for both employees and suppliers,” Richards said.

“We are currently in negotiations with interested parties and I am hopeful of being able to announce a resolution in the very near future.”

Shares up on open

Aussie shares have made strong gains this morning, after international events in Greece and China took a toll on the local market yesterday.

The S&P/ASX 200 benchmark was up 96.6 points to 5571.6 points at 11.52am AEST. On Monday, the Dow Jones closed 46.53 points lower, down 0.26% to 17683.6 points.