Business View Oceania | June 2022

25 26 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 6 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 6 HEARTWOOD T IMBER FLOORS & SHUTTERS experiencing longer waiting times for the material we import from overseas. What used to take four weeks is now taking 12. But we are getting by with some really solid forward planning, time management, and consistent communication.” Heartwood have worked hard to remain abreast of market changes and new trends following the pandemic construction boom, expanding their location to include a designated warehouse, allowing for more dedicated showroom space. Sustainability is huge at Heartwood. A key priority for management is to advocate and educate on the importance of environmental responsibility in construction. “Most floor coverings take a fair toll on nature,” Mr. Spiteri says. “Timber comes from a naturally sustainable source, and our wood comes from very carefully selected suppliers that are doing the best for our Australian ecosystems and don’t want to be too commercially focused. It’s about all about quality, skill, and integrity for us.” Costs associated with supply chain disruptions have been difficult to manage, Mr. Spiteri explains. “Supply at the moment is getting harder and harder. Prices have gone through the roof for everybody, the cost of living has risen, and logistics has definitely been a tricky area to manage. Our Australian hardwoods are grown and manufactured mostly in Northern New South Wales before getting trucked down to Sydney. Freight prices have risen by about 15% in the last eight months. We are also my own apprentices, bringing on more work, and building my professional relationships with suppliers. I even spent some time in sales to broaden my knowledge and gain some business skills. When Heartwood was set up, we began supplying to insurance builders and new home builders. Nowadays, we have a great retail presence along with the 22 insurance builders and 15 new home builders on our books. We run around 25 contractors out of our singular storefront location, which is in Seven Hills in Sydney. We keep everything in the one spot to help maintain a balance between work and life for all our staff. We don’t want to get too big,