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Tag Archives: Saleh

Saleh’s sale…

22 Saturday Nov 2014

Posted by Nailed Truth in Associations

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

AHA, Brian Houston, elder, Frank Houston, Gloria Jeans, Hillsong, houston, Jireh International, Nabi Saleh, Royal Commission, Saleh, victim, Western Export Services

SmartCompany reports,

Nabi Saleh’s $163 million pay day for Gloria Jeans: What it means for franchisees

Retail Food Group, the franchising conglomerate behind Donut King, Brumby’s and Michel’s Patisserie, has paid $163.5 million for Aussie-based international coffee chain Gloria Jean’s.

The move will consolidate RFG’s presence in the growing Australian coffee market, having splurged on acquiring mobile coffee chain Cafe2U in August and scooping up The Coffee Guy Group in 2012.

RFG will acquire the global Gloria Jean’s business – a whopping 800 franchised outlets across 40 countries – all intellectual property assets, operational management of the Australian and USA regions, wholesale coffee roasting operations in Australia and the USA, and all associated plant and equipment.

The $163.5 million deal will be payable to Gloria Jean’s executive chairman Nabi Saleh’s private company, with $153.5 million paid out in cash and another $10 million in RFG shares.

Saleh, who is also an elder of the Hillsong Church, has committed to remain with the business for a minimum period of two years after completion of the sale.

Australia’s largest multi-brand retail food franchisor also has a share of the coffee market with Michel’s Patisserie, Esquires Coffee houses and BB’s cafes.

A recent IBISWorld report reveals the move will give RFG a growing hold on the fragmented Australian cafe market, largely made up of smaller, independent players.

The report shows Gloria Jean’s currently holds a 3% share of the coffee shop market in Australia, while Michel’s Patisserie also had 3%. The only chain to hold any larger slice of the sector was the Coffee Club, at 4%.

The $4.3 billion-dollar coffee industry is expected to grow by an annualised 3.2% over the next five years.

“Gloria Jean’s Coffees genuinely transforms RFG into a global franchising powerhouse,” said RFG chief executive Tony Alford.

Meanwhile, the acquisition follows confirmation last week director of franchise Gary Alford was forced to write to its Michel’s Patisserie franchisees to address anonymous complaints about rising costs over the rebranding of the chain.

SmartCompany understands at least two Michel’s Patisserie stores are operating at a loss and such added costs are creating financial hardship for a number of franchisees.

Despite the recent complaints, Franchise Advisory Centre principal Jason Gehrke toldSmartCompany Gloria Jean’s franchisees are likely to benefit from the takeover.

“In the short term, it will likely mean business as usual for the franchise,” says Gehrke.

“But in the long term, it could mean [franchises] can tap into the improved supply chain by being part of a larger network and it may have an impact on their cost of goods.”

Gehrke says the takeover could even have positive flow-on effect for the rest of the group.

He says some franchisees may be understandably nervous about the change of management.

“Franchising is about change but the most fundamental change is that of ownership and leadership,” he says.

“Franchisees can feel very unsettled. Any new owners would obviously move quickly to reassure franchisees across the network they have acquired that it’s business as usual and that any changes will be done so in consultation.”

However, franchise consultant Howard Bellin told SmartCompany he questions the benefits for both RFG and Gloria Jean’s franchisees, saying the chain appears to be struggling, given the presentation and upkeep of many stores.

“You’ll often see a light fitting blown [in a Gloria Jeans]… You would never see that in a McDonalds,” says Bellin.

“It’s not as if they took over a thriving chain, they took over a failing chain in my opinion.”

Source: Kirsten Robb, Nabi Saleh’s $163 million pay day for Gloria Jeans: What it means for franchisees, Smart Company, http://www.smartcompany.com.au/growth/44343-nabi-saleh-s-163-million-pay-day-for-gloria-jeans-what-it-means-for-franchisees.html, Published 27/10/2014 0:28. (Accessed 22/11/2014.)

The Australian reports,

Retail Food Group buys Gloria Jean’s for $163.5m

RETAIL Food Group, the company behind Michel’s Patisserie and Donut King, has bought Gloria Jean’s Group for $163.5 million and is seeking to raise $40m to help fund the purchase.

The global coffee chain had long been a target for Retail Food Group, and adds to its current coffee businesses, Cafe2U and The Coffee Guy.

Gloria Jean’s has 358 stores in Australia, 87 in the United States and franchises in 40 other countries.

Retail Food Group (RFG) will pay $153.5 million in cash plus $10 million in its own shares, plus up to a further $16.4 million depending on the company’s performance.

The acquisition is expected to deliver $13m of synergies over three years.

Retail Food Group is raising $40m towards the purchase via a placement through the issue of 8.3m shares at $4.80 each.

In addition, a share purchase plan for up to $15m will be considered and $10m of vendor equity would be used to fund the acquisition.

The raising is at a 0.8 per cent discount to its last closing price.

The executive chairman of Gloria Jean’s, Nabi Saleh, has promised to stay with the business for at least another two years, along with his senior management team.

He said Retail Food Group’s reputation as a food and beverage operator and expertise in building franchise businesses made them ideal to lead the continued expansion of Gloria Jean’s.

Gloria Jean’s was established in Chicago in 1979 by Gloria Jean Kvetko, and under the ownership of Mr Saleh expanded to Australia in 1996.

Retail Food Group is buying the intellectual property rights to the Gloria Jean’s and It’s a Grind brands, and will be the operational manager of the business in Australia and the US.

It will also take ownership of its wholesale coffee roasting operations in Australia and the US, and will be the franchisor of the business in 40 countries.

The purchase of Gloria Jeans is expected to be settled by December.

On the back of the Gloria Jean’s acquisition, Retail Food Group has upgraded its guidance to a 36 per cent lift in net profit for the 2015 financial year compared to a 15 to 20 per cent increase previously.

The business, based in Southport, Queensland, is also the franchisor and owner of Brumby’s Bakeries, bb’s Cafe, Pizza Capers, Crust and Big Dads Pies brands.

RFG shares were trading up 2c to $4.86 in early afternoon trade.

Source: By Bridget Carter, Retail Food Group buys Gloria Jean’s for $163.5m, The Australian, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/dataroom/retail-food-group-buys-gloria-jeans-for-1635m/story-fnjw8txa-1227101015441, Published 24/10/2014 3:15PM. (Accessed 22/11/2014.)

Rumblings and ramblings in the Royal Commission

22 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by Nailed Truth in Royal Commission Hearing

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

ACC, Aghajanian, AHA, Ainge, AOG, Brian Houston, Frank Houston, George Aghajanian, Gloria Jeans, hearing, Hillsong, John McMartin, Keith Ainge, McMartin, Nabi Saleh, New Zealand Assemblies of God, pedophile, pedophilia, Royal Commission, Royal Commission hearing, Saleh, sex scandal, sex scandals, shock

We found this article to be an insightful recap of what took place in the Royal Commission hearing a few weeks ago. We would love to hear your thoughts on this article.

The Saturday Paper reports:

Continue reading →

Does Brian Houston Want Credibility As A Pastor Or As A Public Motivational Speaker?

19 Tuesday Mar 2013

Posted by Nailed Truth in Books, Brian Houston's Beliefs

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Alan Cadman, Bassett, Bill Bassett, Brian Houston, Cadman, De Jong, get a life, Hillsong, Hillsong Church, houston, Irvine, Jonathan De Jong, Nabi Saleh, pastor brian houston, pastor houston, Peter Irvine, ps brian houston, ps houston, Saleh, why you need more money

Before reading profile blurbs and endorsements from Brian Houston’s books, we would encourage readers to ask some questions.

      1. What is the biblical role of a pastor?
      2. Does Brian Houston actually fulfil the role of a biblical pastor?

To help answer the first question, we think this article will help answer your question.

Do Hillsong & C3 Churches Know What The Role Of A Pastor Is? Do You?

This article will be looking at how Brian Houston likes to be represented. We would like to warn readers that we do not endorse Brian Houston’s books below. They are not Christian in their application nor are they Christian in the way Houston attacks God’s Word for his own worldly agenda. If you go through our archives, you can read some of the content in ‘You Need More Money’. We will examine ‘Get A Life’ and his other books in later articles.

BRIAN HOUSTON’S PROFILES

It is interesting to observe how Houston likes to present himself to the world and the church. You will note Houston likes to be considered a “sought-after” speaker for “leadership conferences” and wants “to see people fulfil their God-given potential”. Is this what the role of a pastor is meant to be? Is this what the bible calls the pastor to preach? Is this the gospel?

Here are some profiles Brian Houston has about himself.

“Brian Houston and his wife Bobbie, are the founders of Hills Christian Life Centre in Sydney, Australia, the home of Hillsong Music.

As one of Australia’s leading and most sought-after speakers, Brian travels extensively, addressing leadership conferences and churches throughout the world.

His passion to see people fulfil [sic] their God-given potential in every sphere of life has made him popular with all age groups and backgrounds, with his television program, Life is for Living, broadcast in over 30 nations.” – Back Cover, You Need More Money: Discovering God’s Amazing Financial Plan For Your Life, Alken Press: Smithsfield, NSW, 1999.

In contrast to the last profile blurb, Houston omits some above details in his “Revised Business Edition” of ‘Get A Life’ (republished in the same year as ‘You Need More Money’):

“Brian Houston loves life. As one of Australia’s sought after speakers, he has a passion to see people fulfil [sic] their potential in every sphere of life.

A respected church leader, popular motivational speaker and skilled communicator, Brian travels extensively, addressing leadership conferences throughout the world.

His television program Life is for Living is broadcast in over 30 nations, and his ability to mix humour with a strong, clear message draws him to people of all age groups and backgrounds.

Together with his wife Bobbie, Brian oversees a thriving Christian ministry in Sydney that is is impacting the lives of thousands of people every day. Diverse and broadbased, it ranges from training and equipping students at the Hills Leadership College to dynamic community centres that employ professional doctors, a psychologist and financial consultant. The music and teaching resources of Hillsong Australia are distributed to every continent and the annual Hillsong Conference is one of Australia’s largest, drawing thousands of delegates from around the globe.” – Back Cover, Get A Life: Principles For Success and Enjoyment In Every Area Of Life (Revised Business Edition), Brian Houston Ministries, NSW, 199.

You would note this time he omitted ‘churches’ in the second paragraph. Since he is appealing to ‘business’ people, Brian Houston has instead chosen to show what he thinks the world might want to know about him. He specifically has in mind the business world and the area of self-help. Is this the type of person that a bible-believing pastor is called to feed? Does Brian Houston know what is in his job description laid for him in the bible?

On the opening page of ‘Get A Life (Revised Business Edition)’, Brian Houston classifies his book under the following categories:

“1. Conduct of life. 2. Life skills. 3. Christian life. 4. Self-help techniques.”

His endorsements in this particular are also revealing.

HOUSTON’S ENDORSEMENTS

As a Christian pastor, you would generally seek endorsements that give you credibility as a faithful and reliable bible teacher. Not so with Brian Houston.

In fact, what he actually publishes in his endorsements reveals he has no clue what the guidelines are for a biblical pastor. There is no endorsement in his book ‘Get A Life’ that gives his teaching biblical credibility. Instead, we get the following:

Jonathan De Jong

Founder, Fantastic Furniture Australia

“This book will change your life. Brian will challenge you to believe in yourself. You will achieve more and go beyond all you dreamed your destiny could be. Read Get A Life and it will teach you how to obtain life in all its fullness.”

Peter Irvine

Vice Chairman

DDB Needham Worldwide Advertising

“Get A Life is a must if you find it challenging to balance every area of your life, progress and actually enjoy the journey. Brian Houston challenges you to not just get by in life – but have a life that is truly successful. Brian shares single-minded and simple challenges that will help you overcome, progress and grab all of life’s opportunities. He highlights the ‘robbers’ of life, such as negativity. Brian applies what he writes and enjoys his life to the full. Get a copy and get a life.”

Alan Cadman

Federal Member

Parliamentary Secretary for Work Place and Small Business

“I have no hesitation in endorsing Get a Life. From my experience, one of the greatest dilemmas facing humanity today is their lack of personal significance.

Brian Houston’s presentations and management style are a model for anyone wanting to absorb the theory, practise and ethics of excellence, effectiveness, quality management and team potential. He is an inspiring speaker and uses real life examples which captivate his audience whether they are self employed, looking for work or CEO’s of large organisations.

Get a Life is an inspired book which encourages people to go for their highest with confidence. It also warns of the traps which can sabotage potential. I highly recommend this entertaining and persuasive answer to life’s problem.”

Nabi Saleh

Chairman: Jireh International Pty Ltd

Master Franchise – Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee Australia

“Brian Houston has written a remarkable book, Get a Life, in which he outlines how to fulfil your life’s potential. Brian shares vital keys straight from his heart and experience. There are some things we need to grow into and other things we need to overcome. The result will be fulfilment of your dream and vision. He puts into practise, in his own life, all that he has written in this book.

I have no hesitation in recommending this book to all those who want to rise up and excel in all facets of life.”

Bill Bassett

Owner and Managing Director of Interclean Australia Pty Ltd

“Full of great insight and practical wisdom. This is a wonderful book that captures Brian’s spirit. It will convince you that there is more life out there to obtain Brian [sic] will challenge you to take responsibility in the basic areas of your life. He’ll inspire you to look further and run the race of life well.”

Don Cooper Williams

Director of Marketing

SAP Australia and New Zealand Pty Ltd

“This book epitmosises Brian Houston’s philosophy and beliefs. A fresh, radical view that needs to be embraced by all who desire to be leaders or aspire to a life of ‘better things’. I recommend it to today’s business person who is looking for substance in a sea of motivational mediocrity. Great stuff!”

If you think Brian Houston is a pastor, think again. He clearly has chosen to portray himself as a relevant public motivational speaker and a life coach and walk down this dangerous road away from his role as a biblically trained pastor. This is incredibly dangerous and helps provide an explanation why Brian Houston has no clue how he is to read or preach from the bible correctly.

If Brian Houston wants to merge the two – then he disqualifies himself before God as a shepherd of God’s people. If on the other hand he wishes to be seen as a pastor, he needs to put down the motivational talk, turn his back on the world and remain in the biblical guidelines of how a pastor must function. If he wants to be a motivational speaker like Anthony Robbins, we are happy for him to pursue this career if he does not continue behind the pulpit.

Please pray that Brian Houston can distinguish the difference between these roles and make his decision carefully. The more he blurs these lines, the more people will perish in their sins due to receiving a watered-down gospel.

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