For a Company of only 58 employees, North Construction can confidently say it is the largest construction company based on the central coast of New South Wales, Australia. Capturing revenues of over $50 million, this construction Company uses its reputation for delivering quality projects on time to pave the way for its continued success. “I think our reputation on not only the way we do business, but the quality of building we provide, stands us alone in the construction industry. We have a lot A lot of repeat clients or people that have been refereed on from other clients. Our reputation carries a lot of weight when it comes down to that final decision,” explains Business Development Manager, Josh Sheather.
Reputation mixed with an uncompromising dedication to quality is what sets North Construction apart from its competition. Building on solid relationships with sub-contractors, and a genuine desire to exceed the clients expectations, is how North Construction provides the highest level of customer service from being able to offer competitive pricing, right through to delivering a high quality product every time.
“I think the relationships that we have formed over the years and the way we conduct business with our sub-contractors really sets us apart from our competitors,” says Sheather.
Cadet and Apprenticeship Programs
North Construction is extremely focused on the future of the construction industry. The Company offers a Scholarship program for future construction leaders. Partnering with Newcastle University, North Construction takes on four, first year construction students to work with the Company over their Christmas break completing a rotation through the various aspects of the business. Taking a rotation in estimating, project management, administration, and site related disciplines is what helps these students develop a better understanding of the commercial construction industry.
“It’s a competitive program that allows the cadets to see the different aspects of the business. A lot of them haven’t set foot on a commercial construction site, or know a great deal about the commercial construction business. This gives them the opportunity to work a couple of weeks in each of those categories as they rotate through the business,” explains Sheather. “It really opens their eyes up to the endless possibilities of this industry.”
When the scholarship program is completed, one person is offered a cadetship; however they all walk away with much better insight into the industry.
North Construction also have an annual intake of apprentices, with over 30 apprentices completing their trade over our 26 year history. Sheather says, “We are not only training carpenters, we are training potential site foreman of the future. For us, we are looking for a young person that wants a real career path in the industry rather than someone just interested in learning a trade.”
Safety
Safety is an aspect of the business that North Construction holds to the highest regard. “It’s not just lip service, safety is actually about making sure our safety programs are put in place and implemented ensuring our sites are as safe as they can possibly be,” explains Sheather.
North Construction employs a safety manager that visits all the sites regularly. The Company’s safety systems are Federal Safety Commissioner accredited and the Company is also third party accredited for all of its quality and environmental systems.
“We take the safety side of the business very seriously and we make sure that all of our sites are run in accordance with our policies and procedures. We have recently enrolled 8 of our site foreman in the WHS Certificate IV with the remainder hopefully following as the first group completes the course,” explains Sheather.
A Heart For Philanthropy
When asked what he is most proud of, Sheather replied that he is proud of all of their projects, but the projects that are tangible and when you can see that you are providing a building where there is a real need, speaks highly of North Construction.
“A lot of the projects we work on involve aged-care facilities or schools. They are great projects to be involved in because there is a real sense of accomplishment that you get from completing a building that will be used by the community. It’s rewarding for everyone involved in the construction team when they are able to stand back and see the building come to life ,” says Sheather.
Additionally, North Construction has partnered with New Hope International to work on the Yegeli Early Childhood Development Centre as a part of their Aid and Leadership program to bring aid to the Yegeli region in the Southern Highlands of PNG. “We would typically send a cross section of our Company including a Project Manager, Site Foreman, Estimator and apprentices to build structures in very remote communities. “Our teams live and work in some pretty trying conditions to help those less fortunate. We have now constructed an Early Childhood Development Centre that caters for prenatal to elementary school level. Whilst this provides some valued assistance in remote communities it also helps to develop leadership and problem solving skills in our employees, it takes them well out of the comfort zone and accelerates their personal development and self belief — it’s a real win-win situation.”
North Construction is holding steady in this uncertain economy and continues to move forward through an unwavering commitment to quality and community.
