The (new) people behind Safe4 Australia
If you’ve been working with Safe4 for a while, you probably know Alf and Julie pretty well, or at least feel like you do through emails, phone calls, and the steady way they’ve run the business over the past 10 years.
So, we wanted to take a moment to introduce ourselves properly and share how we came to be part of Safe4.
We’re Simone and Matt Varley, and from 1 March 2026, we’re the new owners of Safe4 All Australia.
We were incredibly fortunate to have met Alf and Julie last year through a mutual friend. The four of us seem to really get along well and got talking over a glass of wine one afternoon about business, and the rest has just rolled through pretty organically. It’s funny how the universe works.
They’ve built Safe4 around relationships, consistency, and doing what they say they’ll do, and that’s exactly how we like to work as well. That alignment made the whole decision to purchase Safe4 Australia feel pretty natural for all of us.
Alf and Julie have been incredibly generous with their time and support, and they’re still very much involved as we find our feet. While we would love for them to come to all the conferences with us forever, they will move on to their well-earned retirement later in the year.
Now, for a bit about us
We’ve worked together since 2019, when I joined Matt in the building and development industry, and before that, our backgrounds were pretty varied. While Matt spent decades as a builder, including running two GJ Gardner franchises, I was a vet nurse before joining him in running our business.
Working together as a couple is something people often ask about, and the honest answer is that it works because we keep things pretty simple. When things get stressful, we try to pause before reacting, talk things through properly, and not take ourselves too seriously.
We do laugh a lot, which helps more than you’d think.
Outside of work, life is pretty busy! We’ve got six kids between us, and a house that’s usually full, plus a Labrador, a Boxer, a Doberman, a very old cat, and a new kitten, so there’s not a lot of quiet time.
We’re both into fitness in different ways, love to play golf, and we also fly. We’re private pilots and own a small plane, which started as a practical solution for travelling for our business around the northern NSW region, and has turned into something we genuinely enjoy. Last year, we took part in the Outback Air Race and, as a group, raised over $1,000,000 for the Royal Flying Doctors Service, which was a pretty special experience.
So, why Safe4?
For us, it wasn’t just about the business. It was about the product itself and the people behind it.
Coming back into this space, one thing that genuinely surprised me was how different this disinfectant is from what I used years ago as a vet nurse. Back then, I was constantly dealing with irritated skin and coughing while using disinfectant around the clinic. It was just accepted as part of the job. We were drawn to how Safe4 does what you need it to do, but without the harsh side effects.
The other big part of “why Safe4” is the people
Claudine is a huge part of that. If you’ve dealt with her, you’ll know exactly what we mean. She keeps everything moving, stays on top of the details, and makes sure nothing gets missed. From our side, she’s been invaluable, and from your side, it means you’re still dealing with someone who knows the business inside out.
Since stepping in as the new owners, we’ve had the chance to meet many of you at recent conferences, and one thing that’s been clear straight away is how great our customers are.
We’re really looking forward to building strong relationships with you over time and continuing to grow the business in a way that makes sense.
Alf and Julie have done an incredible job with Safe4, and that’s something we want to acknowledge. They’ve set a high standard when it comes to service, and our focus is on continuing that, so your experience stays consistent as we move forward.
So, while there’s a new chapter starting, the reasons you chose Safe4 in the first place, the product, the support, and the people, are all still here.
We really look forward to meeting more of you soon at upcoming conferences and speaking over the phone.
Simone & Matt Varley
Safe4 All Australia