Hero's welcome at Harvey

The billionaire has taken the bull by the horns and the WA farmers and hundreds of workers at Harvey Beef could not be happier.

Andrew Forrest, flanked by his wife Nicola and 86-year-old father Don, received a hero's welcome when he visited the abattoir for the first time last week.

Joe Baggetta, who has worked at Harvey Beef for 45 years, said Mr Forrest had put passion back into the business.

"You can see his passion and the passion of his family - and that is very exciting," he said.

The Forrest family, pioneers of the WA cattle industry, were heartbroken when hard timesforced them off Minderoo Station in the Pilbara.

Mr Forrest famously paid $12 million to reclaim his childhood home in 2009 and now wants to beef up agriculture throughout WA. He said it meant the world to his father Don to see the family supporting the cattle industry as they shared a sausage sizzle in the staff canteen.

The 300-strong staff at Harvey Beef who watched the business stall under the ownership of an Asian private equity fund see a bright new era under Mr Forrest.

Jonathan Green, whose great-grandfather Ernest Green established Harvey Beef in 1919, said it was great the business was back in WA hands. His family ran the business for 86 years until the EG Green Group hit financial trouble.

"The vision Andrew provides will allow us to grow business and be good for employees and cattle producers," Mr Green, who is the livestock supplier at Harvey Beef, said. "I think he can make the business more efficient, more profitable and very secure for everybody. "

Livestock general manager Kim McDougall, who first met Mr Forrest when they were teenagers working in the Midland saleyards, said there was no doubting his commitment and the impact of his investment on the industry.

"We source cattle from the Kimberley to Esperance and there has been a ripple effect in confidence," he said.

"People see a real upside."

Mr Forrest has pledged to invest in upgrading the Harvey Beef facilities to boost capacity to meet growing domestic and overseas demand.