For Capricorn Member Amer Sibai, Managing Director of Glynde Garage in South Australia, using his Capricorn Rewards Points* to pay off his Trade Account is a no-brainer. It really helps with cash flow, at a very important time of year.

“We always use them to pay the bill from Capricorn at the end of the month come Christmas time, because we try to shut for a few weeks then,” he said. “The business has grown quite a bit and having 24 people and closing the business (over Christmas), it’s stressful coming back in.”

“We’ve always used the points to reinvest back into the business. We’ve always spent it wisely—whether it’s for equipment, pay our bills.”

Amer Sibai, Glynde Garage

Over the past month, eligible Capricorn Members across Australia and New Zealand will have received their Wealth Certificates and information about their share of this year’s Trade Rebate and dividends.

In 2024, Capricorn has returned $92.3 million in value to Members (up from $82.8 million in 2023). This equates to a Member Value Return of 26.9%—meaning that for every dollar invested in Capricorn, Members received a 26.9c return.

Almost $56.6 million in Capricorn Rewards Points were earned last financial year, and a Trade Rebate of $18.5 million was paid to Members for Trade Account purchases made throughout the year. This rebate was issued as Bonus Rewards Points on Members’ September statement.

In September 2024, $15.3 million was distributed to Member shareholders by way of an ordinary dividend of 7 cents per share in relation to the year ended 30 June 2024.

Amer said he had come to realise that having shares in Capricorn represented a big investment for his business.

“When you hear the great stories of businesses that have done it for the last 20, 30 years, and what they’ve ended up with at the end, it’s good to throw back in,” he said.

A panel beater by trade, Amer bought what was then Glynde Crash Repairs in 2014. Two years later, he and business partner Andrew Lepore, a mechanic, expanded the businesses offering to make it a “one-stop shop” and rebranded to Glynde Garage. They’ve been Capricorn Members for 10 years.

Twenty minutes south of Glynde, in the Adelaide foothills community of Panorama, is Capricorn Member Stephen Rowe’s Jarrow Auto Service. The business has been in the family since 1960, when it was started by Stephen’s father, Milton. The family have been Members since Capricorn first expanded from WA into SA. Stephen is also very appreciative of the opportunities Rewards Points and dividends give his business.

Stephen Rowe, Jarrow Auto Service

“Everybody’s got their own take on it,” he said. “Some people like to use it for their holidays; some people pay accounts with it. We use it a bit like that sometimes, but I tend to try to save it and purchase shares through my account and use Rewards Points to pay my account. I like to think that might be a nice little kick along for the retirement fund.”

“I often just get some of the gift cards for my wife, as then she gets something out of the business as well—because sometimes the silent partner doesn’t get rewarded as much.”

Stephen said what he found great about Rewards Points was that you were, “being rewarded for what you would be doing anyway”.

“You do your normal job, every day, buying your parts from wherever you’re getting them from—the Capricorn Preferred Suppliers—you don’t have to think about what you’re doing,” he said. “And, in the background, Capricorn just grows. You’re getting rewarded for just being at work and doing what you have to do anyway. So, it’s really unlike a lot of other things, where you’ve got to change the way you do things.”

“Just being part of it and watching it grow and reaping a lot of those rewards is pretty awesome. You don’t have to watch prices or anything. You just sit there and it just quietly ticks away and keeps growing.”

Stephen said he also valued the access Capricorn membership gave him to a wider range of Preferred Suppliers.

“Being with Capricorn, you can break into a few other companies at a more wholesale level, and increase your profitability,” he said. “It just gives you greater buying power and you build some really good relationships in business through that as well.”

Capricorn Shareholders will receive their Capricorn Wealth Certificate with detailed information, which can also be accessed by logging into myCAP using the Shareholder number.

Please note that all figures quoted are in AUD. The past performance of Capricorn is no indication of future performance or returns. Shares are issued by Capricorn Society Limited (ACN 008 347 313). No offer of shares is made in this article or publication. An offer of shares will only made in, or accompanied by, Capricorn’s Prospectus and any Supplementary Prospectus which is available on request or may be viewed at capricorn.coop under “Corporate Documents.” Before making any decision to apply for shares you should consider the prospectus and any supplementary prospectus. Any application for shares must be made on the application form in or accompanying the Prospectus.

*Participation in Capricorn Rewards is subject to the Capricorn Rewards Terms and Conditions which can be found at cap.coop/tc.