Meet our Member – Hutchinson Builders
What are your core business activities?
Hutchinson Builders is a construction company like no other. We’re Australia’s largest privately owned construction company and we’re committed to staying that way. We remain 100% Australian owned and have had five generations of Hutchinson’s preside over the business.
Our business capability and complexity has grown well beyond our humble beginnings. Hutchies is now an accomplished principal contractor for small, large and intricate construction projects across a range of sectors. We act as the central hub, supporting all stakeholders throughout the construction process ” from design through to commissioning ” to deliver the best possible results. We have strategically diversified our business across factors like job size, sector, client base, geography, and team capability to ensure breadth and depth of expertise as well as agility and responsiveness in a shifting market. We’re just as happy building a family home for one of our many clients as a $400M tower in the city.
What attracted you to the Property Council?
The Property Council is the leading property industry association offering advocacy and best representation for our sector within Australia. Through its corporate membership it will provide Hutchies with key networking opportunities with prospective and current clients and other likeminded property professionals through its comprehensive event calendar (industry events, seminars and training).
What are the issues of importance to your company that the Property Council can work with you on?
The Property Council can provide the industry with a national platform for forums and protocols regarding current industry issues relating to training, planning reform, leadership and skills shortage, as well as acting as a conduit to facilitate advocacy and public policy debate for financiers, owners and developers by collaboratively partnering their needs and those of head contractors needs in areas such as:
- Cost of development and construction
- Materials used in construction including: overseas procurement and quality
- Training and workforce development
- Indigenous participation in the our workforce
- Safety
What do you see as the biggest opportunity for the NSW property industry in the next 12 months?
To continue to provide leadership in the Australian economy and the property industry.
What do you see as the biggest challenge for the NSW property industry in the next 12 months?
There are some interesting dynamics in play in NSW at present and for the foreseeable future – a softening market from a weakening influence from China, tightening by Australian financial institutions, flat resource and government sector, affordability, greater scrutiny on builders and subcontractors all offset by record low interest rates and a very competitive tendering market.
Interesting times ahead.