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5 Star Timbers | 3
Setting your standards high is one thing – putting
those standards into your company’s name is an-
other. At 5 Star Timbers these standards are not
only reflected in their name, but in their dedica-
tion to the quality of their product and excellence
in customer service.
5 Star was founded in 2008 by two families,
the Lanyons and the Culphs. Both of them come
from a long tradition of working within the tim-
ber industry. Justin Lanyon, Managing Direc-
tor of 5 Star, says that this heritage is part of the
strength that has carried the company forward.
“Between the two families we have over 95
years of experience in the timber industry,” he
says. “We know the industry up and down. We
have managerial knowledge, sales knowledge, and
are experienced at sawmilling. We are experts in
the fields of timber and hardware. It is what we
have all done since we have been able to be em-
ployed.”
In the five years that 5 Star has been in opera-
tion, the company has expanded their branch in
4 | 5 Star Timbers
Stayplton, Queensland, and have opened a sec-
ond site in Woodridge. They have also grown
from a six person outfit to an employee base of
14 full-time staff, three part-time employees, one
trainee and an additional three freight operators.
A CHANGING MARKETWhen 5 Star Timbers began, their client base was
comprised of about 80 per cent trade custom-
ers, and 20 per cent retail ones. Their site in Wo-
odridge is in a more suburban area, however, so
they have recently seen an uptick in retail clients.
No matter who they are selling to, 5 Star re-
mains what Justin calls a “traditional timber com-
pany.” At the same time, they have expanded their
operations into production, where they create
their own decking and flooring. Justin reiterates
that it’s the experience of the two founding fami-
lies that sets their whole product range apart.
“We know timber,” he says. “We know every
detail – it’s what we do. We know how it is made,
produced, and we know its capabilities.”
5 Star Timbers is also set apart by their service
culture – which is missing from the bigger corpo-
rate suppliers, who offer more of a “supermarket
style of shopping,” which requires the customer
to be the expert, and not the other way around. It
also leaves little room for personal service.
At 5 Star Timbers, they strive to be the oppo-
site of that. Their goal is not only to help individ-
uals find what they need, but design specifically
for their needs.
“It’s really this experience and our service level
that sets us apart from our competitors,” Justin
says. “At the end of the day the companies that
operate in this space offer very similar products.
5 Star Timbers | 5
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6 | 5 Star Timbers
But being able to give that advice about how that
timber should be used, how it should be looked
after, maintained, cared for and installed – that’s
really what makes us different from our competi-
tors.”
BUILDING THEFOUNDATION
By offering their own expertise to clients, 5 Star
Timbers solidifies relationships and builds trust.
They show clients that they are truly there to work
with them, and for them. And this philosophy is
explicitly expressed through one of the programs
that they have developed – the Customer Rela-
tionship Agreement.
“When our customers come to us, and they
want to utilise our services, we can offer loyalty
discounts and long term incentives,” Justin ex-
plains. “So if they get to a certain level of spend
we will return money to them.”
“We also offer social events,” he continues.
“We will run carpenters days, we will have field
trips – we will do everything we can to form and
maintain these relationships.”
5 Star’s sales team is also essential to keeping
those relationships strong, Justin says, and he
points out the initial sale is not the end of the re-
lationship. The company’s sales staff remains in
touch with their customer, visiting them at least
once a month to see if there is any additional sup-
port that they can provide.
“It’s about service,” Justin says simply. “We
not only provide service to the client but listen
to them and modify our offerings to meet their
5 Star Timbers | 7
needs. Because we’re a small family-run business,
we can be agile and adaptable.”
“Whilst others may claim to offer a similar
service, most fall short,” he adds. “5 Star Timbers
has invested it’s time and resources into listening
to the construction industries wants and needs
making it unique by servicing all of your require-
ments in one location.”
5-Star’s focus on relationship-building ex-
tends beyond their customers, to their suppliers
as well. Justin says they always make sure they pay
on time, and they always receive a good quality
product in return.
“We are then able to pass that quality and ser-
vice on to our customer base,” he explains. “It’s a
big full circle – customers, suppliers and employ-
ees. That’s what makes the business successful.”
BIGGER IS NOTALWAYS BETTER
Dedication to service and quality is not just some-
thing that they pay lip service to at 5 Star Timbers
– the company has been repeatedly recognised
by different industry bodies for their initiatives.
Most recently, they received the May 2013 Fam-
ily Business Award with the Gold Coast Business
Excellence Awards as well as Member of the Year
2013 and Best Specialist Service Operation hon-
ors from TABMA (Timber and Building Materi-
als Association Australia) These accolades – and
the numerous others they have acquired over the
years – indicates that they are doing things the
right way, says Lanyon.
“It is a huge boost to company morale,” he says
of the recognition. “It is great for advertising, and
5 Star Timbers | 9
it goes toward our credentials. We toot our horn
at any given opportunity and we are more than
happy to let other people toot it for us.”
According to Justin, that industry recognition
is significantly important for a small family run
business that, like theirs, “plays in a big market.”
When customers are shopping around for the
best product, those accolades represent a notable
point of difference. They prove that bigger is not
necessarily better, and just because a company is
smaller does not make it less professional.
“We look to make sure that we dot all of our i’s
and cross our t’s,” Justin explains. “We make sure
our health and safety is beyond industry stan-
dards, along with making sure our entire staff is
well trained. These are activities you usually see
major corporates doing. We have proven to the
industry that we are a very professional outfit for
a small business.”
Industry recognition is also motivational for
the company’s team, Justin adds. It shows them
that their hard work is not going unnoticed or
unappreciated, and encourages them to keep it
up.
“And these awards are often coming from
people outside of our industry,” Justin says. “They
are looking at the business as a whole. In the case
of the Gold Coast Business Awards, they aren’t
just comparing us to the timber or retail sector,
they’re comparing us to all types of business. So
we are very happy to tell the world that the Gold
Coast Business Awards think we are good at what
we do.”
Over the years, the dedication of 5 Star’s staff
has not only been rewarded by industry bod-
ies like the Gold Coast Business Award – it has
also helped propel the company to success, even
amidst the Global Financial Crisis. As they move
on from that stormy economic climate, Justin
looks forward to the opportunities of the future.
“5 Star Timbers is looking forward to the next
5 years and the challenges it will bring,” he con-
cludes. “After experiencing some relative lean
years within the building industry, we look for-
ward to continuing the growth of our compa-
ny and increasing our market share and brand
awareness. We want 5 Star Timbers to be known
Australia-wide as a market leader that provides
great service, and quality products at competitive
rates.”