Willis & Williams Pty Ltd 

Building a Family Legacy.

How MGI helped secure financial freedom and confidence for the Nichols family.

The client

A teacher by profession Marlene Nicholas was brought up learning the family’s brickyard business. Willis and Williams Pty Ltd was founded in 1876 and predominantly run by men, her father leading the way until he passed away in 1991. Having handled wages and orders on her father’s behalf as a teenager, Marleen was able to step into his role with confidence and ample experience.

Marlen has since retired, but is proud to have been the first female Managing Director of Willis and Williams Pty Ltd and still keeps a close eye on the family business.

The challenge

The operation of a family business often runs in a tight parallel to family affairs, and it can be easy for the two to become intertwined, leaving future generations stuck with the task of untangling separate assets. When Marlene’s mother passed away in 2015, she and her two sisters, were faced with the challenge of extracting their finances from the family account.

Luckily, Marlene had the solution to her needs in MGI Adelaide, who she’d had a working relationship with since 2007, when a business adviser referred her to superannuation expert, Jo Scrima.

How we helped

Since their initial meeting, Jo Scrima and her team at MGI Adelaide have managed Marlene’s superannuation funds, the accounting requirements of Willis & Williams Pty Ltd, and all personal tax returns.

In the time following the passing of Marlene’s mother, MGI was able to assist with both the estate and the remains of Willis and Williams company. Together with Marlene and her sisters, Jo worked to create an outcome that was fair for the whole family.

“My life managing the super funds has now become a breeze! This she did with her usual professionalism, giving us regular feedback during the process and always answering our many questions.” – Marlene Nichols, Former Willis and Williams Pty Ltd Managing Director

The outcome

Working with MGI Adelaide has provided Marlene and her family with a new level of freedom, and Marlene now feels she can manage the family super funds with confidence.

She also continues to watch her father’s company grow and celebrate new achievements. Willis and Williams Pty Ltd.’s original brickyards in West Adelaide are now leased to the Old Red Brick Company, and Marlene is happy to see the land being used for its intended purpose.

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Australia

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Fullarton, SA 5063
Australia