WWW.BUSINESSREVIEWAUSTRALIA.COM | May 2015
G.J. GARDNER HOMES
NEW ZEALAND
HOW THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY’S FAMILY-BASED VALUES AND CUSTOMER-FOCUSED APPROACH HELPED TO SECURE SUCCESS IN A COMPETITIVE INDUSTRY
MBAS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
MAKING MORE MONEY IS NO LONGER THE PRIMARY BENEFIT OF A HIGHER EDUCATION
SMARTPHONES IN 2015: WHAT’S NEXT?
EDITOR’S COMMENT
Hello all! I’m proud to announce that I’ve taken over as head editor of Business Review Australia. My first issue will focus on technology, leadership, and how the two together can create some of the top working environments the world has to offer. We’ll discuss what type of impact a Masters of Business Administration can have on an individual’s character, even more so than just the monetary value of the degree. Non-profit organizations are often a great place to create social change with an MBA, because those in notfor-profits realize change can be necessary at times. As a result, MBA students often work with non-profits prior to graduating in an effort to develop into potential leaders of a company. We’ll also dive into the way mobile technology affects communication, e-commerce, mobile marketing and how people view the world around them. It’s all about user experience, with smartphones and other mobile devices continuing to be used in new ways and in new environments. Also, keep an eye out for wearables, which will change the way the game is played before you know it. Lastly, we’ll look at Australia’s top companies to work for, largely based upon salary, commute, working environment and perks. You may be surprised at which company tops our list: or maybe not.
Enjoy the issue!
Eric Harding Editor eric.harding@businessreviewaustralia.com Twitter: @eharding10
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CONTENTS FEATURES This month we focus on top-to-bottom leadership in companies throughout Australia.
6 Leadership
MBAs for Social Impact, Not More Money
14 Technology
What’s Next: Smartphones in 2015
22 TOP 10 Best
10 Companies to Work for in Australia
COMPANY PROFILES CONSTRUCTION 34 G.J. Gardner Homes
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New Zealand
G.J. Gardner Homes New Zealand
52 Colliers International 62 Green Building Council of Australia
MINING 70 New Gold
HEALTHCARE 86 Healthe Care
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May 2015
52
Colliers International
62 Green Building Council
70 New Gold 86 Healthe Care
74 Critical Success Solutions 5
LEADERSHIP
s A B M
for
e g n a h C
u u o y l l i How w A C LO S E R U A L : Y B WRITTE N
e d e t a u d a r g r u o y se
egree?
LEADERSHIP AH, THE MASTER of Business Administration degree. With a couple extra years of hard work, tests and late nights studying, you can earn yourself a career path that leads straight to the top: doing hard work, never-ending projects and late nights working. Joking aside, MBAs are incredibly valuable to the people who receive them. MBA earners make more money, are often promoted higher and can, in general, find more opportunities for job growth. But all of these factors are personal factors, affecting the people who receive this degree. What if pursuers of an MBA could look beyond the monetary gains of the degree and instead see the benefits it could add to the community at large? More and more people are getting their MBA not just to make more money, but to make a difference. As the world becomes smaller due to our hyperconnectivity, its major issues become more real and relevant to those of us thousands of miles away— and that’s where an MBA comes in. The Not-For-Profit Industry Is Calling Your Name Not-for-profits are a great place to 8
May 2015
make a social impact with an MBA degree. Why? Many industries are resistant to change, with companies stuck in processes and procedures its employees have been doing for years, maybe even decades. However, people in the not-for-profit space realise that in order for things to improve or get accomplished, dynamic and sometimes even cultural changes are necessary. If you’ve got big ideas and a big heart, it’s the perfect fit.
It’s also a lot of hard work. If we’re being honest with ourselves, any executive job is a lot of hard work and often, just hard. It can be difficult to make the decisions to fire or layoff employees, cut spending, plan the budget or deliver bad news to shareholders. It can be even harder in the not-for-profit sector though, as bad news or not meeting company goals can mean decreased funding for terribly important things, like cancer research.
But that’s just why someone who has studied business administration on a high level is needed. Keeping a not-for-profit running smoothly means the people it helps get what they need. “It’s a significant undertaking to manage a charity,” David Rose, CEO of HeartKids NSW said in an interview with Business Because. “There are never enough resources to do a job but I’m surrounded by inspirational families and people. My role moves from operations, to promoting our 9
LEADERSHIP
MBA students at the University of Queensland have been working with notorganizations in an attempt to grow as potential leaders. cause, to fundraising and strategic planning to improve processes. I also focus on increasing awareness and monitoring community engagement.” Rose provides more than enough reasons to MBA candidates to look for jobs in the not-for-profit sector. The charitable sector is incredibly competitive; with business-minded people at the helm however, organisations have a better chance of standing out among the crowd. The lack of business and strategic thinking in the sector also means that potential job opportunities are there for those with MBA degrees. “I love working in a not-for-profit because of the satisfaction you feel 10
May 2015
from the intrinsic value of your work,” said Rose. “I am always inspired when I think of the steps forward we can achieve and the dynamic and multifaceted nature of the work.” Charities Can Help MBA Candidates, Too It’s very possible many recent MBA graduates are inspired to join the not-for-profit sector because of their experiences and projects in university. In 2013, for example, a group of MBA students at the University of Queensland Business School had the chance to help a Brisbane charity through their education. The school’s Social Economic
M B A S F O R S O C I A L I M P A C T, N O T M O R E M O N E Y
-for-profit Engagement Program (also known as SEEP) allows MBA candidates to work with not-for-profit organisations in order to grow as potential leaders. Students attending the university at the time were able to provide GIVIT—a charity that runs an online service to help people with unwanted goods donate to those in need—a corporate funding strategy that helped the organisation pursue plans for growth. “The group explored two key options—a corporate sponsorship campaign and a grassroots fundraising campaign,” Associate Professor Neil Paulsen said. “The board was extremely impressed with the work and some of the
recommendations have been implemented immediately, in particular employing a fundraising manager to focus on corporate fundraising to allow Juliette [Wright, who runs GIVIT] to focus on her role as CEO.” While there will always be an argument for whether leaders are born or made, gaining experience like this while still in university is invaluable for any MBA candidate. A Masters in Business Administration does not guarantee its recipient that top job either, but is a great tool to use to get there. But these students aren’t just learning about leadership: they are learning how to change lives. And the faculty that founded SEEP and people like David Rose hope that this experience garnered in university will convince some MBA candidates about the importance of turning to the not-for-profit sectors for employment. Is the Not-For-Profit Sector Right For You? Maybe not, and that’s okay. While a healthy competition for not-for-profit leadership roles is a good thing, the rest of the companies of the world 11
LEADERSHIP
need effective leaders too. A person looking for a role with a not-forprofit will gain entrepreneurship experience from the role, but will more likely be taking the position to fulfil his or her want to contribute to society in a tangible way. If money is your main motivator, this may not be the sector for you. If you are considering getting your MBA or are currently in the process 12
May 2015
of getting one, also consider other post graduate options. University of West Australia Business School, University of New South Wales Business School and many others, for example, offer Post Graduate Certificates in Social Impact, which could help you become further prepared for a role at a not-for-profit. These certificates are great for leaders at any company interested in
promoting a strong corporate social responsibility program. For those who are inclined to affect the world as entrepreneurs, an MBA (and the added social impact certificate) is a great foundation for those looking to eventually start their own charitable organisations. MBAs earn developed business skills, a network full of qualified and like-minded alumni, and the credibility
necessary to be taken seriously in such an important role as CEO of a not-for-profit and the potential role of not-for-profit founder. Money can’t buy happiness. Knowing you helped a person, the community or even the world with your degree however, instils joy in yourself and the people you help. To me, it sounds like a win-win situation.
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TECHNOLOGY
WHAT’S NEXT:
SMARTPHONES
IN 2015 W R I T T E N B Y: L A U R A C LO S E
TECHNOLOGY AS OF A 2013 report from Google and Ipsos, two thirds of Australians owned a smartphone—two thirds. This pervasive mobile technology has proven itself a game changer again and again in personal communication, e-commerce, mobile marketing, and how we see the world in general. It has created a culture hell bent on instant gratification and high performance expectations, so the industry— which was worth between $200 and $250 billion in 2014—is constantly churning out new and innovative technology to keep up with demand. For something so small to have carved out such a big part of our lives is quite a feat. So as technology continues to evolve and the smartphone game gets more competitive, we have our finger on the pulse of this year’s hottest smartphone trends. Expected Trends This Year Smartphones and other mobile devices allow us to “compute everywhere,” which is Forbes’ number one strategic technology trend for this year. “As smart—phone technology 16
May 2015
advances, smart-phones will be used in new contexts and environments,” said Forbes’ contributor Peter High. “Along with wearables, smartphones will offer connected screens in the workplace and in public. User experience will be key.” CES in January largely focused on the Internet of Things, another pervasive trend in 2015. Smartphones are a major player in this move towards convenience, and will allow third-party designers and coders to produce apps allowing you to control the devices in your home (from your lighting to your dishwasher and air condition) with a touch of a button on your smartphone. We also wouldn’t be surprised if cell phone creators begin to incorporate this technology into the design of their phones in the next few years if the Internet of Things catches on as many hope it will. Wearables—a completely separate yet completely dependent technology—will also shape the smartphone market this year. Smartwatches will be the most talked about, especially with the launch of Apple’s Watch this month. And as wearables join the mobile technology queue, health applications will be
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TECHNOLOGY upping their game. All of this is only made possible however, through smartphones. Many wearables—and especially the watches—require a smartphone as the operational hub, with the watch displaying information from the applications that are compatible with both. Smartphones too have connected you to something else: your wallet. Apple Pay started off strong with its launch at the end of last year, and is hoping to continue to attract big banks and big companies to allow customers to use the service. E-wallets will also connect to wearables, allowing people
to pay for products and services with the touch of the wrist. Last on the long list of trends this year is a stronger phone. As screen size, internal computing and cameras on phones have gotten astronomically better, it seems like the screen hasn’t quite kept up. That’s about to change. Rumours have Apple’s 2015 iteration of the iPhone having “sapphire glass,” a widely awaited smartphone feature. Phones to Look Forward To These aren’t necessarily the Apple’s or the Samsung’s of the year, but they are pretty damn cool. Saygus V2 C-level executives are always travelling—around the office, building, city and the world. So what if you could have a smartphone that had enough storage room to actually be useful for big file downloads and other things that laptops are traditionally used for? Enter the Saygus V2. The device offers a maximum of 320GB of storage (compared to the usual 8, 16, 32 or, if you’re lucky, 64GB of most phones) through two microSD card slots that support up to 128GB each.
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May 2015
W H AT ’ S N E X T: S M A R T P H O N E S I N 2 0 1 5
It’s also waterproof, lined with Kevlar and has a front fingerprint scanner, along with an impressive 21-megapixel back camera and a 13-megapixel front camera. Lenovo Vibe X2 Pro Bigger screens have been the trend, as has the slimming down of devices. The Lenovo Vibe X2 Prop is a svelte 7mm thick, but not too light to seem fragile. The phone has sandwiched layers of aluminium that come in several colours, adding a unique option not seen on other
smartphones available. Dual SIM cards complement dual 13-megapixel cameras (one on the front and one on the back). The industrial design is on par with many of the other phones on the market. Now that Lenovo has bought Motorola, it will be interesting to see how their future devices will be different.
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TECHNOLOGY
Kodak IM5 For anyone who hates smartphones but knows they need to carry one, this is your device. Bullitt, the maker of Caterpillar’s rugged smartphones, designed the Kodak IM5 for baby boomers, seniors and anyone else who wants a simplified smartphone that also has a focus on photography—a fact you probably could have guessed by the device’s name. 20
May 2015
There is a slideshow of images on the lock screen, a shortcut to print photos from the home screen, and a simple to use camera that lets you approve photos as you take them before they are stored on your phone. The home screen is incredibly simple, making this the perfect device for that no-frills CEO.
W H AT ’ S N E X T: S M A R T P H O N E S I N 2 0 1 5
LG G Flex 2 As you can tell from the design, aesthetics are a big part of the LG G Flex 2. This iteration of the Flex phone has been brought down in screen size to be more manageable. There are no buttons on the sides or front to give it a sleeker look (the “home” button is on the back under the camera), and, oh yeah, the screen is curved. For creative CEOs, the screen allows for media to be viewed in almost a comfortable size. There’s a dual-window function as well, letting you split your attention between two applications. Tonino Lamborghini 88 Tauri If you have $6,000 and are looking for a way to get rid of it, this is definitely one of your options. The 88 Tauri has a five inch screen, with a decent back camera and an adequate front camera. There are no cutting-edge specs, so it looks like you’ll mostly be paying for the name. But it would probably look good with the Lambo you have parked in your driveway. Maybe.
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TOP 10
BEST 10 COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN AUSTRALIA From retail to banking to telecomm, the sweetest places to work W R I T T E N B Y: T O M A S H . LU C E R O
TOP 10
Vodafone is the #1 companie to work for in Austalia.
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Month 2014
Radu Bercan / Shutterstock.com
B E S T 1 0 C O M PA N I E S T O W O R K F O R I N A U S T R A L I A
WHEN IT COMES to work, the only thing more important than having a job is having it somewhere you like. This includes being employed somewhere where you are appreciated, where perks and benefits make life that much brighter and where remuneration is competitive. While the perfect workplace does not exist, there are always a handful of companies that take special care of their employees in a variety of ways. Yet, sometimes it can be hard to identify the companies where it’s easy to arrive and leave with a smile. As a result, Business Review Australia has conducted its own investigation of the 10 best places to work. Methodology: I used four criteria to determine this list. The company’s rank on Job Advisor Australia, its grade on the social responsibility index, calculated by Reputex in 2005, the percentage of employees who would recommend the company to a friend and the CEO’s employee approval percentage—the latter two criteria according to Glassdoor. To determine the company’s rank on Job Advisor, I divided its score out
of five by the number of reviews it had. The fewest number of reviews a company had on this list was 37 (Suncorp) and the most was 200 (Woolworths). Reputex graded a corporation’s social responsibility index based on the A-F model, but it also had AA and AAA ratings. I assigned a value to each grade—an AAA was worth seven points, a B two points—and ranked them accordingly. I only considered companies who were on Reputex’s list, by the way. I used Glassdoor’s data by calculating the average of the company’s two variables described previously. Finally, for each of these three criteria—the Job Advisor score, the Reputex grade, and the Glassdoor average—I scored the companies from 1 through 10. So, for example, Suncorp scored highest on the Job Advisor index, so they received 10 points. Woolworths scored the lowest, so they garnered 1 point. Finally, I added a company’s comprehensive points received and divided it by three—for the number of criteria—thus arriving at an average. This average is the score you’ll see next to each company. 25
TOP 10 allowing more time for my family responsibilities.”
9. TELSTRA-3.3
10. WOOLWORTHS-2 As previously mentioned, Woolworths had the highest number of employee reviews on the Job Advisor website, with 200. Based on their employee commentary on Job Advisor, the company succeeds in creating a sense of community among its work force. “I like the shared vision felt amongst the team, the unity, and the fun environment,” writes one employee. Also, their workers appreciate the ability to move up through the ranks and the flexibility to create a balance between work and home. One worker wrote, “With six divisions, there are lots of opportunities to move through the organisation and develop a skill set. The business does a lot of hiring within and fast tracking good employees.” Another said, “The Company allows me to be flexible in my working hours, 26
May 2015
Telstra is a telecommunications company with more than 5,000 employees. Despite being a very large company, Telstra seems to be making strides towards helping its employees achieve more balance in their lives. One worker writes, “Main reason [to work here] is the work and life balance. Telstra has recently implemented a flexible working policy and have stood behind it. I get to work regularly from home, and even got to move to another state without any negative impact to my career.” Being a company involved in high technology—where innovation is constant—some of its employees thrive in this kind of challenging environment. “The variety of work and opportunities are continuous. The industry is interesting and
B E S T 1 0 C O M PA N I E S T O W O R K F O R I N A U S T R A L I A
ever-changing, and so therefore is the company.” The same worker stated her reason for approving of the CEO: “Also with the current CEO, David Thodey, the company is really on a roll. He understands the value of people and customers while being very tech savvy.”
8. COMMBANK-4.6 This company, also known as Commonwealth Bank, is also a large employer—5,000-plus workers—and is involved in finance in addition to banking. At CommBank, allowing its employees to feel good about who they are—whether straight or gay, disabled or not, and so forth— is important. In a video on their website, CEO Ian Narev states that CommBank fosters diversity by fostering conversation at the Board
level and the Executive Committee. The bank won two significant awards in 2014, “Employer of Choice for Women” from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency and “Top 5 Ideal Employers” from Universum. One employee says this about CommBank: “For a massive organization, CommBank has a dynamic and agile culture.”
7. QANTAS-5 This airline is in the business of transportation and logistics, as it was founded in Queensland outback in 1920 and employs over 5,000 people. As a large company, one of its advantages is it has the resources to offer a great variety of work and benefits. One of these benefits is discounted travel fees. As in telecomm, the airline industry is in constant flux. One employee writes, “[Work there] is not stale. It always needs to change because of the nature of the industry.” Qantas has an 27
TOP 10 apprenticeship program available at the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane airports. Apprentices learn aircraft maintenance and other trades, and are offered a variety of benefits once employed—including paid training and a 19-day work month.
Reconciliation Action Plan, a policy to bring more Aboriginal citizens and Torres Strait Islanders into the company’s workforce.
6. AUSTRALIAN POST-5.8 Australian Post—which delivers the mail from Western Australia to New South Wales, and from Queensland to Victoria—is the only government-owned company on this list because none of the others eligible were on Reputex’s corporate social responsibility index. The mail carrier has a Graduate Program for students who have completed their undergraduate or postgraduate studies in the last 3 years. For individuals motivated to forge a career in information and digital technology, the company offers a Tertiary Education Hire Program, which is an opportunity to gain first-hand IT experience. Finally, its diversity initiatives include the 2011
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5. WESTPAC BANKING-6.3 In 2010, Westpac was on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations List, created by the Corporate Knights. Like Australian Post, Westpac also has a graduate program. “We offer structured one and two-year graduate programs within various business areas spanning the full spectrum of financial services, from day-to-day retail banking to some of the biggest commercial deals in the world,” reads their website. One of their employees wrote on Glassdoor, “Depending on the area you work in, there’s lots of opportunity to get exposure to a range of products and functions across the bank. [There’s a] reasonable work life balance. The maternity and working arrangements are very generous if you’re a younger woman starting a family.”
B E S T 1 0 C O M PA N I E S T O W O R K F O R I N A U S T R A L I A
4. COLES-6.5 Coles is a supermarket chain that has been in service for over 100 years. The company has a dedicated employee website where they can access discounts to a variety of services as well as rosters and payslips to plan leisure time. In an attempt to diversify its work force, the supermarket has an “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Plan” as well as specific initiatives to employ persons with disabilities. In their reviews, employees of Coles bring up opportunities for growth within the company: “Coles has a wide number of opportunities for team members to develop themselves if they choose. The company is moving to hiring more and more grads which will encourage more skilled people to stick with the job that supports them through school. There are many areas of the business to try out, and if you show potential, you will be encouraged to take on new challenges.”
3.SUNCORP BANK-6.6 Suncorp provides an unparalleled range of job opportunities across insurance, banking, wealth management and corporate services. In addition to Suncorp, they own the AAMI, Asteron, GIO, Vero, Apia and Shannons brands. With 27 reviews, its CEO approval rate is 98 per cent. To facilitate a work and life balance, the company enables employees access to flexible work arrangements such as part-time, job-share, career breaks and return to work schemes. One employee writes, “Although a large organisation, the hierarchy does not restrict your ability to have a say and influence the outcomes of your role. I also like the flexible work arrangements such as working from home or working the hours that suit me provided I get the job done.”
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TOP 10
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B E S T 1 0 C O M PA N I E S T O W O R K F O R I N A U S T R A L I A
2. ANZ BANK-6.8 ANZ was named one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations by the Corporate Knights in 2008. They’ve also been recognized as a mature age champion by the Federal Government and an Employer of Choice for Women by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency. Through internal policies, they are working toward reaching significant targets in the employment of Indigenous
Australians and people with disabilities. “Disciplined, Organised and good to work in the company along with a decent pay. Early morning shifts are great to work in. Acceptable work pressure and challenging job along with useful training,” writes an employee. Like most companies on this list, ANZ provides family-friendly policies including 12 weeks paid parental leave, irrespective of length of service.
Nils Versemann / Shutterstock.com
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TOP 10
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Month 2014
Joe Dejvice / Shutterstock.com
1. VODAFONE-7.8 Based on employee testimonials on its website, there is plenty of opportunity and support at this telecommunications giant. Demelza Anderson, Head of the Vodafone Foundations writes, “I’m living proof of what you can achieve here. In just seven years, I’ve had four very different roles. Part of the reason I’ve stayed for so long is that Vodafone really supports your interests and you get to work with people all over the world. It’s fast paced and can be intense, but we have fun along the way.” Head of Postpaid Finance Jenni Taylor says, “In less than a year, I was promoted to Commercial Manager looking after $300 million of back-office cost. Today, I manage our largest revenue portfolio worth over $2 billion, in a head position. All that in just four years!” The company’s accolades include being number eight on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations List, created by the Corporate Knights in 2010.
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G.J. Gardner Homes NZ:
The Team is a Family at G.J. Gardner Homes New Zealan
How one company used continuous improvement to b nation’s top residential construction business. Written by: Ian Hanner Produced by: Bryan Giles
. nd
become a
G.J. GARDNER HOMES NZ
Harnessing long summer nights can be achieved through indoor and outdoor flow
T
here are certain things that one can simply luck through in life, be they winning the lottery or not catching a cold. However, nowhere is that principle less true than in the solid business that G.J. Gardner Homes NZ (G.J. Gardner) has been shaped into over time. G.J. Gardner was founded in 1983 by Greg Gardner. According to the G.J. Gardner website, 36
May 2015
a young Greg saw a market in desperate need of a better option in the residential construction company sector; an area that he saw as suffering from a lack of quality options at the time. “Greg commenced his own building company, basing his business around uncompromised quality and value, with homes designed to meet individual customer needs and built to a
CONSTRUCTION
w.
committed time frame,” the G.J. Gardner website reads. “The formula was such a success that G.J. Gardner Homes grew to be Queensland’s largest home builder and in 1995 Greg decided to franchise the business with locally owned offices using the same proven formula to build quality homes right across Australia.” In 1997, a key franchisee inquired about opening a G.J.
Gardner franchise in New Zealand, officially opening the door for what would become the country’s number one residential building group. G.J. Gardner Homes in New Zealand “We started [in New Zealand] as a business that hadn’t operated in this market— we had no brand recognition, no base, nothing,” said w w w. g j g a r d n e r. c o . n z /
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G.J. GARDNER HOMES NZ Grant Porteous, co-owner of the G.J. Gardner NZ master franchise company. “The company had a reasonable start, but then the wheels started to get a little wobbly, and I was brought into the business in 2002 to run the New Zealand master franchise company.” For over a decade GJ Gardner has dominated the New Zealand building industry and Grant is nothing if not humble. Taking a more hands-on approach to management, his attention to detail and quality above all has shaped G.J. Gardner into a major force in New Zealand in a relatively
SUPPLIER PROFILE
CONSTRUCTION
short amount of time. Throughout this he has worked closely with his partner and wife, Ellie. “[2002] was when we really looked to change the business and the way we operated,” Grant said. “We refined our values and who we were; the things we wanted to be revered or famous for, both with our clients and within our industry. We wanted to set a new direction going forward and that’s the path we’ve remained committed to.” The journey has not been without challenge but we always remain true to our vision and our ideals. Initially we bought into the
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w w w. g j g a r d n e r. c o . n z /
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G.J. GARDNER HOMES NZ company as equal shareholders with three other partners. The other partners were totally passive in relation to the business. As of the end of March 2015, Grant and Ellie Porteous secured the remaining 25 percent of Deacon Holdings Ltd; the holding company for G.J. Gardner in New Zealand. This has provided extra stimulus and excitement for the couple to continue to develop the GJ Gardner team in New Zealand. Their desire is to move the group from what they see as a very good business to a great business. “In comparison to some other
CONSTRUCTION
building franchises in New Zealand, we have a long-term focus,” said Ellie. “We are the top building brand in this country, yet to buy one of our franchises is often cheaper than to buy one of our competitors. We do that on purpose because we understand some of the issues around setting up a new business. It is paramount that we choose the best people, not those with the biggest chequebook. Additionally we’d rather not have them cashstrapped in the beginning and prefer they have a long-term focus where they will still be with us in
Creating spaces planned around family needs ensures longevity of design. w w w. g j g a r d n e r. c o . n z /
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Bathrooms and ensuites can be designed perfectly to customer taste.
G.J. GARDNER HOMES NZ five to ten years, rather than us making more income up front but having a franchise that’s not economically viable.” “Our people, our teams, create our success and bring the vision to reality, so we choose on heart, those with big tickers,” Grant added. “I call them ‘good buggers,’ an old New Zealand colloquialism for real, genuine, hard-working people.” Part of this success is the focus on an old-fashioned, family orientated approach to doing business, backed by a foundation of professional standards, systems and processes. With all franchises being 100% family owned, this culture works extremely well. To ensure smooth business operation, both Ellie and Grant
CONSTRUCTION
often travel across New Zealand, a country roughly the size of California. They check in with the different franchises and conduct quarterly business performance reviews. When they travel, singularly or together they most often don’t stay at a motel but rather stay with the franchisees, in their homes to get to know their families. “We’re really a business that has managed to develop a fantastic professional team culture and still have, to a degree, a family culture,” he said. “To give you an idea, I was just visiting franchisees up north recently. I had to stay at their homes, that was just a given, I didn’t want to insult them by staying at a hotel. But the eldest sons and daughters came from living away to have dinner and a catch-up. So when you’ve got a
“We refined our values and who we were; the things we wanted to be revered or famous for, both with our clients and within our industry.” – Grant Porteous
w w w. g j g a r d n e r. c o . n z /
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G.J. GARDNER HOMES NZ
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twenty five year old that you used Nothing beats that feeling.” to know as a ten year old dropping This is a common theme by to have dinner with you, it’s kind throughout, with many of their of special.” supply relationships over a decade old, secured with only Company Culture a handshake. Grant prides the Whilst many business owners talk business on forming effective about building a company culture supply partnerships which that feels like a family, most fall reduce cost to serve and increase short in actually implementing efficiencies. This attitude of that. For Grant and Ellie that professionalism and ethics is wasn’t an option. Why, because encouraged throughout the family look after family, you help entire network, with joint success each other through the good and paramount. “We try not to have tough times and you don’t let too many rules but integrity in our family down. relationships and in everything we “We want to be revered for do is of utmost importance. Cross being an organization of integrity, that line in the sand and the right and one you can be proud to be to represent the brand ends” part of,” said Grant. “When we “Most things in our business walk around in uniform with our are driven back to ‘Does it add brand on our chest we want all value for our franchisee?’ and our team to be proud to do so. As most importantly ‘Does it add we travel around New Zealand we value for our customer?’ Will it frequently have people say to us, help drive our vision of having ‘Oh, you work for G.J. Gardner. every customer recommend us What a fantastic business to work to their closest friend? If not, for’ or ‘that’s a great company’ why would we do it?” Grant said. and they tell us a good story “When I get to do some work with about one of our teams building other franchise groups in New a home for them or their friends.’ Zealand, in the food industry or That is what we get all the time. other sectors, they always tend w w w. g j g a r d n e r. c o . n z /
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G.J. GARDNER HOMES NZ to have a focus on themselves as a franchisor and their income. They seem like they look down on their team. We’ve always looked at it the other way. Our franchisees’ success is ultimately our success and every one of them actually forms the brand. In any market we are only as good as our local franchisee.” That same consideration is paid to customers through a comprehensive plan that ensures open communication between G.J. Gardner and its clients. The process starts with a speedy response to the customer’s initial inquiry. From there, employees try to estimate the cost for the client as quickly and as accurately as possible, whilst explaining anything the customer is confused about. “We try to answer all questions customers don’t even know to ask, we want to help customers make quick decisions by being well-informed so that when they move into the completed home they have absolutely no regrets, nothing is missed out, and there is nothing they want to change. “We actually have what we call
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our Customer Service Standards Protocols in our business, which was agreed by the team to be the minimum actions that we do for every customer,” Grant said. “’We will contact you at these agreed upon times throughout the build; we will invite you to the site this number of times.’” 10,000 Built The dedication to being known not only as an extremely skilled and efficient company, but also as one that cares about the customer’s experience from commencement to completion, is a trait that has already carried the company extremely far. Earlier this year G.J. Gardner New Zealand completed its ten thousandth build, a major milestone along the path the company has walked down for close to seventeen years. . This has been achieved through four to five years of the worst building recession ever seen in New Zealand where permit numbers for the whole country has been as low as eleven thousand per annum. Grant is hesitant to assign honour to any one factor but does w w w. g j g a r d n e r. c o . n z /
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CONGRATULATIONS TO GJ GARDNER HOMES ON THEIR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS TO DATE. MIKE HENRY INSURANCE BROKERS LIMITED
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G.J. GARDNER HOMES NZ believe that living the vision and customer service ethos right across the organisation has been critical to that success. He notes you can only deliver on a vision by having great people and that he believes is their leading edge. “I also think it’s been from doing a myriad of things really well,” he said. “We really did drive ourselves on being a great franchise network throughout the team. We are clearly great marketers of our brand in New Zealand. What would be considered a paltry budget by any corporate [in advertising] managed to make us a household name. We invested heavily in our wonderful testimonial and TV campaigns that have been absolute top quality, showing our full range of skills in the homes that we build.” He added, “It’s about being a good support office and helping our franchisees be as successful as they can be in their individual markets, which then creates a greater team and a greater good. We generally put ourselves second in the income stream, but
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by doing that, we are rewarded in the long-term.” The Future Grant and Ellie both make it very clear that whilst they don’t have a lot of room left to expand in New Zealand, they’re not finished trying to improve. As part of their standard practices in dealing with customers, surveys are sent out after the completion of every job. These surveys are intended to allow the customer to provide feedback that could help the company improve its practices. Clients are encouraged to rate the company on everything from overall job satisfaction to the attitude the crew had in dealing with them. Whilst the questionnaires are about 60 questions long and all the information collected is important, according to Grant if you don’t get the key questions answered positively it’s game over “would you build with this franchise again?” and “would you recommend this franchise to a close friend for their build?” w w w. g j g a r d n e r. c o . n z /
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Grant & Ellie
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“What we do after those key questions, we ask them how they would rank the franchise’s performance overall [on a scale of one to ten],” Grant said. “Research shows that if people do not score you above an eight, they are not truly an advocate, even if they said that they would definitely recommend us. We therefore only count the ‘yes’ scores above this level.” That sort of feedback is vital to the organisation, allowing it to respond to criticisms along every step of the company’s journey. It helps shape the vision and direction for G.J. Gardner, forcing Grant and Ellie to ask themselves are we still the organisation we set out to be, are we revered for our customer service standards and are we still leading the group effectively. “We’ve always just had two or three longterm focuses for our brand. For everything we do, we ask ourselves, ‘Who will we be in the next five years?’, ‘How will our business look in the next decade?’ and ‘Will we be able to sit back in our rocking chairs in our 70s or 80s and still see this as New Zealand’s number one building group?’ For now, the company seems to be on track.
Company Information INDUSTRY
Construction HEADQUARTERS
North Harbour, New Zealand FOUNDED
1983 Australia, 1997 New Zealand EMPLOYEES
300 nationally, 12 in support office REVENUE
Over $350 Million PRODUCTS/ SERVICES G.J. Gardner Homes was founded in 1983 by a young builder, Greg Gardner. With an emphasis on quality, G.J. Gardner grew to be Queensland’s largest residential construction company. By 1995 Greg decided to franchise the business throughout Australia. In 1997 the company responded to significant interest from potential franchisees in New Zealand and made the jump to an international company. In 2002 Grant and Ellie Porteous bought into Deacon Holdings Ltd, the holding company for the G.J. Gardner Homes NZ master franchise. Since then the pair has run the company with the utmost deference to customer satisfaction.
w w w. g j g a r d n e r. c o . n z /
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Colliers International:
Colliers International Poised Major Industry Overhaul
Colliers International provides a sneak peak at the bevy o improved service offerings on the horizon. Written by: Ian Hanner Produced by: Bryan Giles
for
of new and
C O L L I E R S I N T E R N AT I O N A L
We enable our clients to make better, faster, more informed decisions
F
rom their seat in Australia, Colliers International is looking to change the property management business landscape in a fundamental way. Colliers got its start in 1976 in Australia when three of the country’s real estate services firms joined forces. According to the company website, it was only two 54
May 2015
short years before the company was expanding internationally. Today, the organization consists of more than 16,300 employees spread out across 67 countries. Managing thousands of different locations, the company is today known globally as a top 2 services provider in the field. But while Colliers has built a reputation for
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excellence of service, they’re not content to call it a day just yet. “We’ve really challenged the way we deliver our services— and the market is pretty vanilla, right?” said Andrew Bull, national director of engineering and operations at Colliers International. “Everyone’s got more or less the same offering. So we’ve really
challenged ourselves to come up with something special which really differentiates us from the rest of the competitors [while providing] our clients with a service that exceeds their expectations and helps their bottom line. As a result, we’ve made some changes in our business and are about to make some more which will really set us w w w. c o l l i e r s . c o m . a u
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Forbes | 2014
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C O L L I E R S I N T E R N AT I O N A L apart from most of the field.” The Revolution to Come At face value, it’s difficult to imagine how a company could stand out in an industry where all companies have relatively small variations on the same service. But Colliers hasn’t grown to the size it is today by lack of imagination. And Bull meant it when he said the company has big plans for differentiation. “A really good example of that is our call center,” he said. “Traditionally call centres in the industry have have provided a reactive service.”
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The way most building management companies handle call centers goes something like this: one of the company’s many tenants will discover that an essential feature of a building is out of commission, such as an elevator being out of order. That tenant would then call the property management company, who would send someone out to remedy the issue. The process seems simple enough, but Colliers saw a means to improve the process. “What we’ve done is shifted the call center into an environment
The average tenure of a Colliers International call centre operator far exceeds the industry norm w w w. c o l l i e r s . c o m . a u
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C O L L I E R S I N T E R N AT I O N A L where they can monitor alarm outputs,” he said. “So now what we are doing is pushing alarm outputs from some of the building management systems into our call center environment.” In essence, this shifts a very large portion of the building’s maintenance requirements from a situation where someone is sent out after a tenant gets irritated over an issue to one where the company can be proactive. By allowing call center representatives to
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monitor alarm outputs in real-time, maintenance professionals can be dispatched long before the tenant even realizes there’s a problem. “This changes the entire paradigm for the industry— we’re moving from a very reactive approach to actually monitoring the building condition and trying to stop faults before they become tenant-related issues,” Bull said. This is all made possible by the information that “big data” provides. As the monitoring of
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systems is increasingly automated, the necessity of an individual to come out to the site for a routine inspection is greatly reduced, allowing for the most seamless tenant experience possible. It also means that tenants aren’t annoyed by essential building services regularly failing, and in the long term, this increases tenant retention for the landlord. “The key for me is how we present that information to our clients in a way that not only adds value to the process, but enables our clients to make better, faster decisions,” Bull said. “I read a statistic the other day which said that in 1976 the average supermarket or grocery store stocked 9,000 items and now the average store stocks about 40,000 items. But your average shopper only needs about 150, so you think about all of those snap decisions that they have to make, walking around the supermarket. I used that analogy in our market as well. If I know my client needs 150 things then I’m going to try and create an environment where they’re not faced with 40,000 items, they’re
faced with 150 that they do want.” Their call center optimization is only one of many changes Colliers is making to pass greater value on to their clients. Another is the total redesign of the company’s facilities management software, which governs day-to-day operations throughout the business. It manages a host of factors including workflow, procurement, risk management, contractor management and more. According to Bull, the change in platform for Colliers will allow them some exciting new capabilities. “[It] changes how we operate on a day-to-day basis because it’s optimized for use on mobile devices and now frees people up from their desks, enabling them to get out in the buildings in front of tenants and in front of clients,” Bull said. “It adopts things like producing QR codes for assets. So we can apply a QR code to an asset and someone can walk up to it, scan it, text it to a relevant person and straight into our facilities management platform where they can pull up information about that asset.” w w w. c o l l i e r s . c o m . a u
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C O L L I E R S I N T E R N AT I O N A L
Andrew Bull
“So it really does change the way that we interact with the building environment and the users of that environment,” he added. The Continuing Company Standard of Excellence When looking at the attention Colliers pays to passing value on to their clients, it’s no wonder the company has a veritable treasure trove of awards to point to. According to a 2013 Business Review Australia article on the company, Colliers was honored at 60
May 2015
the CoreNet Sydney 2008 Summit as a prime example of a company “developing a competitive advantage through a sustainable talent management program.” The company is also routinely ranked in the Global Outsourcing 100 top businesses and the World’s Best Outsourcing Advisors by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals. It’s an area Colliers has some experience in. “We’re going through a
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procurement initiative at the moment which is really seeing us leverage our scale in the marketplace to the benefit of our clients, not only in dollar terms, but in terms of exposure to best practices and innovation,” Bull said. “And some of the things I’ve talked about wouldn’t be possible without finding the right partner, like in the call center, for example. “That’s not in-house. We outsourced that to E-Group and they have been absolutely fantastic. We’ve always outsourced our call center. I was fortunate enough to bring, I think, 75 percent of the call center team from one provider to E-Group. To put that into perspective, the average tenure for that call center team is over 10 years and that’s unheard of in a call center environment.” So with a host of loyal partners and a range of sophisticated updates coming soon to Colliers’ service offerings, the property management powerhouse looks well positioned for another 40 years of business.
“We’re moving from a very reactive approach to actually monitoring the building condition and trying to stop faults before they become tenant-related issues.”
Company Information INDUSTRY
Construction HEADQUARTERS
Sydney NSW, Australia FOUNDED
1976 EMPLOYEES
15,800 PRODUCTS/ SERVICES
Colliers International is one of the largest commercial real estate services in the world. Since its start in 1976, the company has grown to include 16,300 employees in 67 countries. With an emphasis on passing value on to their tenants while delivering dependable functionality at all of their facilities, Colliers is one of the most trusted names in the sector today.
– Andrew Bull, National Director, Engineering and Operations. w w w. c o l l i e r s . c o m . a u
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Green Building Council of Australia
GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA
T
he theme for this year’s Green Cities conference, held 1719 March in Melbourne, was ‘connect’ – and it proved a chance to connect both physically, through incredible networking opportunities, and intellectually – to new ideas that will help us move beyond business as usual. 64
May 2015
We now operate in a borderless world of technological wizardry – a place where people, ideas and capital are unrestricted. This has far-reaching implications for our cities – and for our industry. As our keynote speaker, acclaimed urbanist Larry Beasley said: “it’s a dog eat dog competition among
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modern cities” in which “what your city feels like is a determining factor in its success or failure.” Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle told the audience that “making our city more sustainable is directly connected with our future prosperity.” But creating places that
people love – that they connect to – demands more than a focus on energy efficiency and water sensitive design. We need to, in the words of Larry Beasley, “put the soul back into the city. It’s about “bringing back the human touch”. Rob Adams fired us up with a reminder that the critical factor in w w w. g b c a . o r g . a u /
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Romilly Madew
GBC OF AUSTRALIA making a dynamic, exciting, liveable city is people. Rob’s spent the last thirty years redesigning the streets of Melbourne so that they are places that people want to be. “None of this is a mystery, none of this is difficult” he said. We are nevertheless poised at a time of “great opportunity and great obligation”, as Lend Lease’s CEO of Property, Tarun Gupta, so eloquently put it. The challenges we face are enormous. Rob Whelan, CEO of the Insurance Council of Australia, had us sitting on the edge of our seats when he showed us the graph of what he called the “inexorable climb” in costs of natural catastrophes due to increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. The solution, he said, is more resilient buildings, because “if we are going to live in places that are exposed to extreme weather, we need to build for them.” The opportunities are just as great. Carnegie Mellon University Professor Vivian Loftness encouraged us to design for ‘environmental surfing’, and Harvey Bernstein shared with us how 77
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per cent of global building owners are now willing to pay more for healthier buildings. Architect and biomimicry expert Michael Pawlyn encouraged us to look to nature for inspiration, challenging us to see “nature as a design sourcebook that has benefited from 3.8 billion years of development process, with all its products withdrawn from the market.” We heard about how the investment structures are starting to fall into place, with green bonds on the rise. And Michael Salvatico, Vice President of MSCI, pointed out that the US$10 billion spent on green bonds in 2013 is expected to climb to $100 billion in 2015. One of the great themes of this conference was the need to drive cultural and structural change – within our teams, within our organisations, and with our relationships with governments – that encourages connections over competition. Entrepreneur and ‘conscious capitalist’ Craig Davis warned us that the future of our industry is deeply connected with our w w w. g b c a . o r g . a u /
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C O M PA N Y N A M E
“awareness and sensitivity” to humanity. “What is the point of having sustainable buildings if the people aren’t?” he asked. He spoke of the need to “shift from a hierarchy to a network.” Many speakers underscored the need for us to create ‘ecosystems’, with collaborative partnerships at the core. Jillian Broadbent, Chair of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, predicted a future in which “governments are less directive and more facilitative”. She also talked about the benefits of 68
May 2015
connecting disparate groups to foster new ways of thinking – talking about the sustainable solutions to be found from linking old engineers with young data analysts, for instance the ‘Medici effect’. Other speakers agreed. Anna Skarbek, during the Women’s Leadership Breakfast, shared the lessons she’d learnt from neuroscientists and novelists. Holly Ransom spoke about how industry leaders are learning to connect with disruptive innovators to create new business opportunities, and
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Green Cities - panel discussions
about how a burning sustainability problem of GE’s was solved through a competition that was won by a Singaporean dentist. The message is clear. While our industry is hyper-connected, we will never have all the answers, so we must connect with other industries and other ideas. One of the most striking thoughts for me over the two days came from Reuben Berg, the founder of Indigenous Architecture and Design Victoria. Reuben pulled out a tape measure to represent
the 68,000 years that indigenous people have lived in deep connection with the land, and then compared it with the tiny 200 years or so since European settlement. Reuben emphasised that we have much to learn from aboriginal people about connection to place, and connection to the environment. But he also reminds me that we have much to learn from people with other points of view, other ways of living, other ways of working. And it’s only through connecting that we’ll discover what they are. w w w. g b c a . o r g . a u /
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New Gold Inc.:
Maximising Assets at Peak Mines in Australia
New Gold’s Peak Mines General Manager Greg Bowkett d company’s unique approach to optimising Peak Gold Mine opportunities, refining management and company culture, looking to improve. Written by: Robert Spence Produced by: Nate Zeke
discusses the es by maximising , and continuously
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NEW GOLD INC.
Peak Gold Mine
H
eadquartered in Vancouver, Canada, New Gold Inc. is an intermediate gold mining company with a focus on environment and social responsibility. The company has a growing portfolio consisting of four producing assets — the New Afton Mine in Canada, the Mesquite Mine in the United States, the Peak Mines in Australia and the Cerro San Pedro Mine in 72
May 2015
Mexico — and three development projects in Canada and Chile. Peak Gold Mines has inspired the Canadian miner to do more with less, which includes integrating new systems to optimise overall production and performance. Under this formula, Peak Mines has turned strategy into action by harnessing the creativity and passion of its team while introducing business processes
MINING
that are lean and continuously improved. The Peak Mines in Australia has been a shining example of the success that incurs from these processes being put into place. Maximising opportunities Located in the Cobar Gold Field of New South Wales, Peak Mines is a medium-sized gold and copper mining operation,
comprised of five commercially active underground mines and a copper-gold processing plant. The mine produces gold dore for sale at the Perth mint and copper concentrate that is sold to markets in Asia. Although New Gold has historically been focused on copper and gold, there is potential to maximize new opportunities at Peak Mines, according to w w w. n e w g o l d . c o m
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WE MEET OUR CLIENTS’ EXPECTATIONS WITH LEADING TECHNOLOGY, INTEGRITY, SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY. Raisebore Australia is a South Australian-based company that provides a specialised service to Australian and international mining industries. It has the dynamic ability to ream raises from 0.6 metres up to 6.0 metres in diameter thanks to a large eet of raiseboring machines and extensive inventories of consumables. To date, the company has reamed in excess of 125 kilometres of shafts and provided drilling machines to all states of Australia and to international projects (West Africa, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Portugal).
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SUPPLIER PROFILE
THE HISTORY OF RAISEBORE AUSTRALIA AND NEW GOLD FROM 1996 TO THE PRESENT Raisebore Australia Pty Ltd (RBA) is a private company, wholly owned by its founder and Managing Director, Mr Rod Bertram. The company was registered in March 1995 and excavated its first raise for Peak Gold Mines in February 1996 which was an uphole raise. This was the very first box hole raise excavated in Australia by a raiseborer and followed the innovation of down reaming at Mt Isa a year earlier. RBA has excavated in excess of 125,000 metres of shafts within Australia, Ghana, Portugal, Vietnam, Hong Kong and New Zealand many of which have been for New Gold and the other mines in the Cobar area where RBA has been the pre-eminent raiseboring Contractor since 1995. In fact we understand that we have carried out in excess of 99% of all raiseboring requirements of Peak Gold since the initial box hole in 1996. Our fleet of six specialised small diameter raiseborers has the capability to box hole, down ream and excavate conventional slot raises as well as escape ways. Our fleet of seven mid-range and large diameter raiseborers has excavated numerous underground raises for New Gold as well as a number of surface shafts up to 781 metres in depth which was completed in 2011. Currently RBA is still servicing Peak’s raiseboring requirements with a low profile raiseborer drilling slot raises whilst a large diameter machine is completing a new ventilation circuit for the mine both from surface and underground locations. RBA is proud of its achievements and in particular its 19 year association with Peak Gold, which would not have been possible without its dedicated workforce and a loyal client. Raisebore Australia Pty Ltd will continue to offer unparalleled service to the industry whilst maintaining our responsibility for the safety of personnel, to the environment and act as a responsible corporate citizen. Website: www.raisebore.com.au/
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NEW GOLD INC. managing director of Peak Mines, Greg Bowkett. “We have a couple ore bodies with lead zinc that affect the current concentrate and we have to pay penalties because of this. So one of the things we are exploring is whether we could potentially reconfigure the circuit to produce a saleable lead or zinc product to turn this from a cost to a benefit.” Though it is early in the evaluation phase this could enable the mine to access new parts of different ore bodies, which aligns with its strategy of maximising opportunities. “Should this prove viable, this would add to our current operations and would give us the opportunity to maximise the whole asset instead of just the parts of it we are currently focused on,” Bowkett added. Refining management and culture For Peak Mines, structured communication has been instrumental in changing the company’s management style.
MINING
The mine has enlisted the help of Quest Worldwide, a global change management consultancy that works with organisations to improve their business performance. The partnership focuses on three fundamental areas: operational excellence, strategy execution and people management. “Quest Worldwide is a global change management consultancy,” said CEO Mark Pinchen. “We operate from regional bases in Australia, Europe and the United States. We work with our clients to engage their people in deploying their strategies and realising significant, sustainable improvements to their organisations and cultures, delivering real bottom-line impact.” “Quest has been vital in getting the different departments of our mine to understand our processes so we can achieve our goal. It’s been monumental for the people management aspect of our business,” Bowkett said. “Quest has helped to engage our people, get them out of their comfort zones and to start thinking at
w w w. n e w g o l d . c o m
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NEW GOLD INC. the business level. It boils down to everyone understanding and speaking the same language.” According to Pinchen, this is exactly what Quest does. “We help their clients and their people to think innovatively about the business at the business level and to then apply the disciplines to realise the vision, goals and plans that are formed. It takes courage and commitment and forces people outside of their comfort zones, but also builds new awareness and powerful ownership of the solutions and requirements. It’s a challenge to
SUPPLIER PROFILE
MINING
involve people in this way but it pays dividends.” The partnership has aided Peak Mines in creating a highperformance culture that is focused on improving customer relations while continuously driving improvements. “We value integrity, commitment, innovation, employee development and teamwork,” said Bowkett. “We believe our business can be run through these values and we’re committed to implementing a positive change.” Quest works with project
TYRE DOCTOR
Tyre Doctor are proud to have been involved with Peak Gold Mines for over 10 years. As a total tyre and wheel solution provider, Tyre Doctor provides the following benefits to the mining industry. New Tyres: Large stock volumes and extensive industry knowledge make Tyre Doctor the ideal tyre supply partner for your mining operation. Rims: Tyre Doctor has state of the art rim testing equipment and a modern facility for repairing and custom manufacturing rims to ensure your fleet stays safe and mobile. Tyre Repairs: Hot Vulcanising tyre repairs form the heart of the Tyre Doctor Operations. All sizes of tyres up to 63” repaired in our workshop with guaranteed short leadtimes. Onsite Services: With a fleet of fitting trucks and conveyor belt repair units, all operated by qualified staff, Tyre Doctor has all onsite requirements covered. Call 1800 897 336 to discuss how we can reduce your operating costs, reduce your machinery downtime and increase safety at your mining or earthmoving operation. Website: www.tyredoctor.com.au
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Make your processes truly productive! Focusing strategy
Driving improvement
Engaging people
We enable our clients to better deploy their strategies. Our approach provides a balanced framework in which firms can put their values to effect and engage their people, mobilising teams at all levels to deliver on their plans and achieve the company’s goals.
We foster a performance improvement culture throughout the business by taking a whole of business perspective. At the same time we train and equip client teams to really challenge the productivity of their processes and ultimately build a culture of continuous improvement.
We work in partnership to engage people at all levels in client businesses, creating a service oriented, high performing culture that can make a strong linkage between its values and behaviours. We design and run high-energy events to engage creativity, knowledge and passion in teams of all sizes.
Quest is a global change management consultancy. Since 1988, operating from our regional bases in Australia, Europe & the USA we have delivered success for our clients around the world in all sectors.
Ready to work with you Australia | New Zealand | Asia +61 (2) 9904 8488 US | Canada | South America +1 (845) 279 5707 UK | Europe | Africa | Middle East +44 (0) 1483 427 031
Quest Worldwide
NEW GOLD INC. leaders to implement a coordinated approach to improve project effectiveness with a twoway communication style. “Instead of our company only being driven by the general manager or CEO, we actually want it to be integrated,” said Bowkett. “We want our company to be driven by the leadership side and the workforce side so we can produce the best product possible. Another component to refining the Peak Mines’ commitment to employees and company culture has been the assistance of the Workplace Health and Safety
SUPPLIER PROFILE
MINING
Committee (WHS), a safety group comprised of key employees, including a member from every department in the organisation. It has been crucial in strengthening the company’s safety culture and getting Peak Mines to look at the bigger issues. “WHS has helped change the culture of our people to be more proactive in recognising safety issues,” said Bowkett. “The committee really helps to align our focus on the values, teamwork, and development and training of employees to ensure they understand how we view safety
QUEST WORLDWIDE
Established: 1988 Industry: Energy & Resources, Financial Services, Manufacturing, Logistics, Petrochemicals, Health & Life Sciences, Retail & Leisure, Technology, Media & Telecommunications Services: Business Transformation, Change Management, Human Capital, Leadership, Programme/Project Management, Strategy Deployment, Operational Excellence, High Impact Events & Culture Change On-Going Projects: Business Improvement Exercises, Lean Manufacturing, Strategic Planning & Deployment; Major Projects Deployment & Communication Management: Steve Smith - Chairman Bret Shaw - Regional Director Asia Pacific Michael Hill - Regional Director EMEA John Guadagnino - Regional Director Americas Website: www.quest-worldwide.com
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SINCE 1986
Inland Petroleum focuses on excellence in identifying, qualifying and delivering precise fuel solutions and services that enhance our customers’ bottom line. Specialising and customising solutions in: Delivery options and capacity flexibility Fuel supply diversification Integrated logistics management Operational efficiency Simplified administration Remote site monitoring Automated technological systems
mailbox@inlandpetrol.com.au
www.inlandpetroleum.com.au
NEW GOLD INC. and what is needed to achieved it as a team.” Operational excellence With a new approach, Peak Mines has also been able to streamline processes and optimise results. The company’s newly adopted management approach to maintenance, which incorporates the lean manufacturing model, helped Peak Mines cut its maintenance costs by USD $1.3 million in 2014. “The improved management approach is making a tremendous difference in how we operate and
MINING
conduct business,” said Bowkett. “The results speak for themselves. The lean model has given us a goal for our bottom line, which helps us know exactly how many people we need to run this operation successfully, and profitably.” Peak Mines has reduced its maintenance cost on its loaders from USD $120 per hour to $50 per hour. The company was then able to increase its jumbo uptime from 60 percent to 85 percent. In addition, Peak Mines commissioned the help of KepnerTregoe to assist with a wide range of business improvements such
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Peak Gold Mine
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as increased operational efficiency and overall equipment effectiveness. “Kepner has helped us select the best locations for equipment to give us maximum capacity,” said Bowkett. “The company has essentially given us more opportunities with what we have.”
Company Information INDUSTRY
Mining HEADQUARTERS
Vancouver BC, Canada FOUNDED
1980 EMPLOYEES
1757
The next chapter Along with additional exploration projects lined up, New Gold will continue to evaluate opportunities associated with the lead and zinc or at Peak. “Right now we’re focused on mining at the rate that’s optimal for us, while continuing to keep our employees safe,” Bowkett said. “Our Penalty for Profit initiative is another aspect we’re going to focus on moving forward.”
REVENUE
N/A PRODUCTS/ SERVICES New Gold is an intermediate gold mining company. The company has a portfolio of four producing assets and three significant development projects. The New Afton Mine in Canada, the Mesquite Mine in the United States, the Peak Mines in Australia and the Cerro San Pedro Mine in Mexico, provide the company with its current production base. In addition, New Gold owns 100% of the Rainy River and Blackwater projects, both in Canada, as well as 30% of the El Morro project located in Chile. New Gold’s objective is to be the leading intermediate gold producer, focused on the environment and social responsibility.
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Healthe Care:
The Leading Private Hospit Provider for Southeast Victo
With The Valley Private Hospital and South Eastern Pr its portfolio of 16 medical facilities, Healthe Care has private hospital with state-of-the-art technology, spe and a driving vision. Written by: Stephanie C. Ocano Produced by: Rob Benson
tal oria
rivate Hospital in transformed this cialist services
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O
ur vision for The Valley and South Eastern private hospitals is to become the major private hospital provider for southeastern Melbourne and Victoria. Formed in 2005 with the intention to lead individuals to health, Healthe Care has become a reputable source across Australia for private healthcare. With a philosophy rooted in empowerment and well-being, Healthe Care takes pride in delivering premium care to all its valued clients and patients through specialist services, 88
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facilities and innovations. We recently spoke with CEO of The Valley and South Eastern private hospitals, Neil Henderson, who offered his insight into the success of the company as well as its plans for the future. A Success Story When Henderson joined Healthe Care there was a lot of room for improvement in The Valley and South Eastern private hospitals. But rather than fearing the challenge, he took it on headfirst. “I really wanted to contribute to the greater common good and
H E A LT H C A R E
develop something that I could sit back on and be proud of in years to come,” said Henderson of the early days. “What contributed [to the recent paramount success] was the recognition that the fundamentals were there for the two hospitals to transform into major players.” And transform they did. “The basic infrastructure of the buildings was there,” said Henderson, “but the spark that became the difference between mediocrity and rapid success was vision, leadership and belief.” “Basically, what I did in 2012
was to determine that these two hospitals could develop and grow rapidly and I needed to build myself a team that would believe and be inspired by the vision to lead and motivate others to follow,” added Henderson. The “others” Henderson referenced included doctors and staff, as well as stakeholders. By recruiting and training a team of managers who were committed to said vision and culture, this inspiration was spread to each department where the managers imparted good leadership. In order to continue this spread of positivity, w w w. h e a l t h e c a r e . c o m . a u /
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B U I L D I N G T H E H E A LT H C A R E PROPERTIES OF THE FUTURE Australian Unity Real Estate Investment (AUREI) is proud of its long standing partnership with Healthe Care. Since 2006, Healthe Care has been a tenant in the Australian Unity Healthcare Property Trust (HPT). The HPT is Australia’s largest and most successful healthcare real estate investment trust and currently owns a portfolio of 27 hospitals, medical centres and healthcare-related properties across Australia. A Healthe partnership with an experienced capital partner As the demand for healthcare services increases in line with Australia’s rapidly ageing population there is significant scope to expand, improve and upgrade existing hospitals and medical centres to meet this growing demand. The HPT has undertaken, and continues to work on, a number of developments that provide win-win outcomes for patients, the wider community and investors. Development Snapshot:
Brunswick Private Hospital,
Brisbane Waters Private Hospital,
Victoria
NSW Central Coast
$9.1 million re-development completed in May 2012 – delivering 67 new beds for rehabilitation and general medical services.
Property purchased for $16.2 million in July 2014. $5.6 million to be spent on re-furbishing the 78 bed general hospital complex.
The Valley Private Hospital,
Townsville Private Clinic,
Mulgrave, Victoria
Queensland
$23 million development, delivered 38 new beds, four new operating theatres and an endoscopy room (Stage One). $14.6 million development will deliver 60 new beds and a multi-deck car park (Stage Two). $15.6 million development to construct additional medical consulting suites (Stage Three).
Property purchased for $5.5 million in October 2014. $7.5 million to be spent converting the property into a 60 bed mental health hospital to cater for increased demand for mental health services in the area.
Further Information The Australian Unity Healthcare Property Trust is issued by Australian Unity Funds Management Limited ABN 60 071 497 115, AFSL 234454. The information here is general information only and does not take into account the financial objectives, situation or needs of any particular investor. Before deciding whether to acquire, hold or dispose of a product, investors should read the Trust’s current Product Disclosure Statement (PDS). A copy of the PDS can be obtained by calling 13 29 39 or visiting australianunityinvestments.com.au. PROP0008-201504
H E A LT H E C A R E
H E A LT H C A R E
the “Love Your Work” program was instituted to recognize individuals that were doing something above and beyond their line of duty. “At the end of the day, if people are being recognized for their hard work, they are likely to be more motivated to do their job,” reiterated Henderson.
strong bond to one another and the hospitals’ vision, a high level of delegation from corporate to local decisions and some high-tech equipment that is rarely seen in competitor hospitals. Investing $4 million, The Valley Private Hospital built the world’s first fully hybrid operating theatre integrated with a Siemens Zeego Exclusive, World-First 3D imaging system, a Maquet Technology theatre system and a Magnus table. There are four aspects of Healthe The move was so groundbreaking Care that make it distinct from other that teams from both Siemens and private hospital care providers: Maquet in Germany traveled to the a strong emphasis on strategic hospital to admire and marvel at the visioning, a strong team with a world first.
SUPPLIER PROFILE
AUSTRALIAN UNITY REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT
Australian Unity is a mutual company providing healthcare, financial services, retirement living and aged care accommodation and services to more than half a million Australians. From health insurance and preventative health programs through to investments, banking and retirement solutions, we provide services that maintain the security and dignity of our customers throughout their changing life stages. Over the past decade, the Australian Unity Real Estate Investment team has become one of Australia’s premier unlisted, direct property fund managers. It currently owns and manages more than 50 properties in the healthcare, retail and commercial sectors across Australia and has more than $1.9 billion in funds under management. The Australian Unity Healthcare Property Trust is one of the largest and most highly regarded unlisted property funds in Australia. It has a diversified tenant base and holds a quality direct portfolio of 27 healthcare properties across Australia, valued at over $660 million. Website: www.australianunityinvestments.com.au
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C O M PA N Y N A M E
Additionally, the hospital also recently built a brand new 10-bed, state-of-the-art intensive care unit with the latest technologies, built a new ward, four new operating theaters, and then added an EOS, Nobel Prize winning, spinal imaging system from France. Storz in Germany were the first to develop a 3D camera for 92
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laparascopic surgery and The Valley Private Hospital acquired this as well. When asked what it felt like to own such impactful technology that no one else has yet, Henderson replied with three words full of enthusiasm: “I love it!” “It (the technology) has enabled us to do a few things,” he added. “For
SECTOR
“We are a vibrant, growing and excited organization with a big future—which creates lots of opportunities to participate in.” – Neil Henderson, CEO
one, it has been critical to change the perception of the hospital from where it was to where it is. It has made people sit up and notice that we are serious and do what we say we will do. It also enables us to attract top specialists in the field because they want to use that technology—which adds to the reputation and prestige.”
Looking to the Year 2020 “We are a vibrant, growing and excited organization with a big future—which creates lots of opportunities to participate in,” said Henderson. Healthe Care’s vision for The Valley and South Eastern private hospitals is to grow overall, but its goal for the year 2020 is to own 50 w w w. h e a l t h e c a r e . c o m . a u /
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“[The technology we use] enables us to attract top specialists in the field.” – Neil Henderson, CEO
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percent of the market of the 1.2 million people living in southeastern Melbourne and Victoria. This exponential growth would require going from the current 260 hospital beds to 560 by said year across 3 campuses. Currently, 60 beds are being built at The Valley Private Hospital and the following 60 beds will be built at South Eastern Private Hospital—which will take the current total to 380 hospital beds by 2016, well on track to realize the 2020 vision.
Company Information INDUSTRY
Healthcare HEADQUARTERS
Sydney NSW, Australia FOUNDED
2005
“The spark that became the difference between mediocrity and rapid success was vision.”
EMPLOYEES
Healthe Care: 5,000; Valley / South Eastern: 1,000
– Neil Henderson, CEO
Healthe Care has committed significant funds to redevelopment projects. Undertaking extensive refurbishment of patient accommodation and adding additional services, Healthe Care’s aim is to build facilities with strong partnerships and service integration that deliver innovative programs, provide flexible care options and support patients well beyond their hospital stay. For those after the best private hospital care there is in Australia, the choice is Healthe Care.
PRODUCTS/ SERVICES Healthe Care’s philosophy is simple: to make and keep people healthy. By providing the right tools and information alongside a range of health services and solutions, Healthe Care empowers its patients to take control of their health. With a portfolio of 16 hospitals, 5,000 employees and 1,600 hospital beds (for now), Healthe Care is the third largest commercial group in Australia.
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