The 97-year-old, family-owned national farm services business, E.E. Muir and Sons, is to drop its founding father's initials and become simply, Muirs.
The Victorian-based farm supplies and agronomy service is also introducing a new brand position, "Grow forward", to emphasise what the agribusiness considers reflects its particularly modern approach to the sector and its own business expansion ambitions.
Managing director, Andrew Muir, said the family brand was evolving to better support the company's deliberate focus on innovative, sustainable products and practices.
The name change was not exactly a big surprise.
"We're officially changing our name to the way many people across the industry refer to us, so it's probably not a revolution in that respect," Mr Muir said.
"But it is an important shift as we modernise our business, to maintain consistency.
"While we are very respectful of the legacy of our business, we've got to be forward thinking.
"Our goal is to positively impact grower profitability and future-proof industry opportunity as the support for and partner to on-farm innovation.
"That will ensure sustainable outcomes for all Australians."
Muirs remained an Australian business, now led by the fourth generation of the family.
It has more than 40 branches with specialist agronomists and technical experts close to growers in all key agricultural regions of Australia.
Founded by Edward Eric Muir at Melbourne's Victoria Market in 1927, his farm inputs supply shop was further developed and expanded by his son, Max, and later grandsons, Ric and Ian who joined in 1969 and 1975.
Originally best known in the horticulture sector, Muirs has more recently expanded services to traditional broadacre farming areas.
"We're now exposed to a lot more cropping zones nationally and must remain agile to be relevant to our client base," Mr Muir said.
"We want to make sure we're taking an integrated approach to providing the many services and products growers need.
"As the industry and our business have evolved, so too has the way we engage with and talk to growers."
Muirs partnered with local and international input providers to deliver what he considered best-in-class products, services and expertise.
"For longer than I can remember, we've been involved in new technologies, searching for the best agricultural ideas from around the globe to drive change that helps Australian agribusinesses to grow and flourish," he said.
A new Muirs logo integrating a leaf and water motif would be rolled out by the mainland retail arm in the coming months, including as part of its major partnership role at the big Hort Connections event in Melbourne in June.
Andrew Marshall
Andrew Marshall is the group agribusiness writer for ACM's state agricultural weeklies and websites. He is a former editor at The Land and has worked in various Rural Press group roles in Canberra, North Richmond (NSW) and Toowoomba (Qld).
Andrew Marshall is the group agribusiness writer for ACM's state agricultural weeklies and websites. He is a former editor at The Land and has worked in various Rural Press group roles in Canberra, North Richmond (NSW) and Toowoomba (Qld).
