The return of Andrew McDonald to the family processing business at Inverell appears to be the catalyst behind a dramatic departure of family members and senior Bindaree Beef management announced to customers and suppliers late last week.

Flagging their exit from the business were Leigh Belbeck, the operational head of Bindaree and daughter of founder, JR McDonald; her husband John Belbeck, who held a senior management role and was a founding director of the business 31 years ago, and their son, Dane, who also worked in the business for the past ten years.

Beef Central understands the reason for their departure is issues surrounding the return of Mrs Belbeck’s brother, Andrew, who it is understood has taken a senior role in Bindaree’s processing-side operations.

Bindaree head, JR McDonald was contacted for this article, but he chose not to comment on the record, beyond stressing that his son Andrew would not be taking over the business.

Andrew McDonald and his wife’s warehouse-style meat retail business, Super Butcher collapsed earlier this year, owing more than $8 million to a long list of creditors (see Beef Central’s earlier reports, including “Super Butcher saga ends in liquidation”).

Bindaree Beef has recently opened a warehouse-style meat retail business in Alexandria in Sydney, called Establishment 218, named after the company’s AQIS export establishment number.

The business’s website (click here to view) suggests a range of Bindaree’s own beef brands are stocked, but not beef from outside suppliers. Personnel profiles on both John Belbeck and Dane Belbeck appear to have been de-activated from the website.

In a notice issued on Friday to customers, suppliers, cattle producers and trade partners, John Belbeck said his family had moved to Inverell 17 years ago, and during that time, all the family members had at some stage worked at Bindaree.

His wife Leigh had been actively involved for the past 17 years and their son, Dane, for the past 10 years, “with the belief that one day he would take over the running of the company,” the statement said.

“Bindaree Beef has been our life for all of these years, so it is with great sadness that Dane, Leigh and I finish up with the company,” Mr Belbeck said.

“We wish to express our gratitude to the suppliers, customers, cattle producers, trade partners and supporters of Bindaree Beef, who have contributed to making Bindaree Beef a respected name in the beef industry.”

Yesterday morning’s Inverell cattle sale yarded around 800 head of cattle, well down from a normal offering closer to 1400 head for this time of year. Local agents said concerns over recent developments in the Bindaree business was a part of the reason for the reduced yarding.

Some local stock agents have declined to trade with Bindaree this week, saying the company has been outside payment terms for some time.