weeks,” called Reece, and Reece stepped in. That three-week assist turned into nearly 14 years of building a company together. “It started as just the two of us on the tools,” Hemming recalls, describing the early stage of the business when they focused on carpentry work for high-end builders across Melbourne. The first few years were a grind—pushing for opportunities, trying to win work consistently, and proving their reliability in a demanding market where reputation is everything. Within about a year of stabilizing financially, they brought on an apprentice, then added more carpenters as the workflow grew. For several years, the business operated in that space—high-end carpentry services supporting premium builders. But the long-term ambition was already forming. About a decade ago, both partners pursued and achieved their builder’s licenses, a major strategic milestone that enabled them to shift from being the team executing carpentry packages to becoming the team responsible for managing and delivering entire builds. That change required a reset. They downsized, refined their operating model, and deliberately repositioned themselves—not as volume contractors, but as builders with a very specific target market. A CLEAR FOCUS: QUALITY HOMES, DONE PROPERLY From the beginning of their transition into licensed building, Hemming and Nicoll aligned around a simple, uncompromising goal: to build the nicest homes in Victoria. “We want to be building the nicest houses in Victoria—that was our objective at ground zero,” Hemming says. “You don’t come to us if you want to build a cheap home. You come to us if you want to build a nice home, and you’re prepared to do it properly.” That commitment to quality is not framed as a marketing statement—it’s their market filter. Their work is designed for clients who are not entering the housing journey for the first time, but rather those who have spent years building careers and financial capacity and are now ready to invest in a true “dream home.”These clients don’t want shortcuts.They want rigor, transparency, and craftsmanship—and they want a builder who can manage complexity with control. For Hemming and Nicoll, the challenge is exactly the point. Basements, high-spec architectural detailing, complex services integration, premium finishes, and demanding timelines are not deterrents; they are what make the work meaningful. 35 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 08, ISSUE 02 HEMMING & NICOLL CONSTRUCTIONS
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