Business View Magazine - January-February 2015

139 / 156

Business View Australia - January-February 2016 147 TURING
Preferred Vendors
Auswood
Gympie Sawmill
Lindsay Meyers
Mitek Australia
Tilling Timber
bers’ staff members recently won the
Trainee of the Year Award. Six years
ago the company was adjudged Best
Training Culture at the Queensland
Timber Industry Awards.
Employees are regularly sponsored
for courses on various topics including
management, warehousing and mer-
chandising. Several staff members
have done technical courses on the
design of trusses and frames.
Family is important
Versace Timbers know the impor-
tance of family and aim to treat their
staff like family. In the early days, the
staff Christmas get-together was held
at the home of Peter and Kerry Leddy,
with staff, partners and kids all invited
and the children each given a present.
As the company expanded it became
difficult to continue this tradition, so
the party was moved to a catered ven-
ue, such as the local bowls club or Vic-
toria Park putt-putt.
In 2009, it was decided to have a staff
and partner-only function and then
every second year have the kids as
the main focus of the event. In 2012,
when the construction market wasn’t
quite as buoyant and getting a sale was
very challenging, the morale amongst
the staff wasn’t the best, so in an ef-
fort to boost the spirits of everybody, all
staff, partners and kids were treated to
a night at Sea World Resort on the Gold
Coast, a dinner get-together and entry
into their theme park for the weekend.
This was well accepted by all and a
huge success. Funnily enough, this
was the turning point to what has now
been three fantastic years. In 2012,
70 people attended the event, includ-
ing partners and children. In 2014,
the event was again held at Sea World
with a total of 95 in attendance. A few
more kids had been born over the past
couple of years, as well as the addition
of a few more staff, so numbers could
be tipping 100 this year.
Growing business volumes
In 2013, Versace Timbers had an
annual turnover nearing $10 million.
Sales turnover in the past 12 months
has now surpassed $20 million. It is
currently in negotiations to purchase
a second site and set up its manufac-
turing arm to cater to the growing de-
mand for its products.