Hayden’s Plastering Interiors

Master Craftsmen for a Modern Look

Hayden Newland has built a successful plastering business in the Melbourne area over the last six years. His company, Hayden’s Plastering Interiors, is acknowledged as a leader in the field and has acquired a reputation for work of the highest order delivered on-time and within budget. The company is known for its outstanding craftsmanship and attention to detail. Above all, Hayden’s Plastering Interiors conducts itself with the highest degree of professionalism and is recognized for its dependability and competence.

According to Hayden Newland trustworthiness is all-important, “Your word is everything. So, if I say we are going to do something and deliver, it will be delivered. My name and reputation is really important to me and I don’t want it to be compromised in any way.”

Plastering anything from homes to high-rises is a job which requires a high degree of skill and knowledge. Practitioners of the trade have to know how to apply the plaster in such a manner so as to leave an even surface which does not show a single blemish or protuberance. They also require a detailed knowledge of materials and their usage. A plasterer installs insulating, fireproofing acoustic materials and steel stud/suspended ceilings and is involved in many aspects of the construction process.

The company is an expert in dry wall plastering and prides itself on its ability to execute a wide range of projects including multi-residential high end units, apartment developments, office fit-outs, light to medium commercial projects, commercial fit outs and industrial projects. Both the volume of work and the diversity of assignments have been expanding rapidly over the years and Hayden’s Plastering Interiors is now poised to further expand its portfolio.

The increased volume of business that the company is handling owes a great deal to its ability to monitor the smallest detail while executing large projects. Its capabilities in program achievements and execution while maintaining quality control has made it the first choice amongst its customers and the builder fraternity.

Hayden Newland explains how he is leading the company in its growth, “We are getting to a size now where we have a number of sub-contractor teams and metal carpentry teams. They are proven teams and handle volume and quality work.”

Employees and sub-contractors

Hayden’s Plastering Interiors has achieved its current size and success through the hard work and dedication of its employees and sub-contractors. The company treats its staff as its most prized resource and ensures that they have the highest degree of skill and motivation to execute their tasks to exceed expectations of the customer.

Hayden Newland sums up his man-management philosophy, “Having a crew that is happy and leading from the front and leading by example and ingraining a culture of hard work and respect for all, no matter if the person is a labourer or owner of the company, everyone gets respected and gets looked after.”

The company has eight apprentices, five office staff and forty five full time workers. It also calls upon up to fifty sub-contractors when it requires them for the execution of bigger projects. The company’s unique approach to its employees and the development of their skills has resulted in two of its apprentices being honoured with “Apprentice of the Year” nominations from Master Builders Association of Victoria and Skills Training, Australia.

“Staff morale is a big one, so is training young guys who haven’t had great opportunities” explains Hayden Newland, “I like to give young people the opportunity to grow and make something of themselves, something that everyone can be proud of. Training and giving back is very important as I was given the same opportunity.”

Awards and recognition

Hayden Newland represented Queensland in the 2004 World Skills Trade Fair competition and finished third in a field of eight. Additionally, three of his projects have been recognised with awards ranging from bathroom of the year to house of the year in the $2 million plus category.

The reason for the success of Hayden’s Plastering Interiors is very apparent when its owner speaks about his approach to work, “First impressions last. It doesn’t matter what stage the job is at, we like to leave it in a presentable way so that even someone not related to the trade sees it look tidy and it looks like it’s being done by professionals. We like to have it looking good at every stage.”

Increasing business volumes

The growth in the business of Hayden’s Plastering Interiors, from executing plastering jobs in high-end residences in the suburbs to commercial jobs, has been achieved by implementing a deliberate policy of exceeding customer’s requirements. The company keeps itself up to date regarding the latest materials in use in the trade and has a policy of analysing and understanding the acoustic and insulation capabilities of materials so that it can use the best of them to deliver value to its customers.

In a plastering project the end result is dependent to a great extent on the quality of materials used. The company uses its extensive knowledge of the trade and the contacts and relationships that it has developed over the years to ensure that it uses only the best materials and sources them from the most reliable suppliers.
Describing his approach to procurement of supplies to execute contracts, Hayden Newland says, “.it might so happen that there is a new product out there that ends up being cheaper or which outperforms existing products or is capable of being installed in a simpler fashion. To access such materials quickly, a good relationship with the sales representatives is important and so is having a heavy turnover of tenders and plans. We see a lot of new products that are being introduced by our architects and are able to learn about them and pass them on to people that may not have seen them yet.”

The company has a very elaborate tendering process. It rightly views a tender document as the first interaction of Hayden’s Plastering Interiors with the future customer and puts in immense effort to make a lasting impression.

The ability to successfully bid for contracts has been a critical factor in the company’s growth. Hayden Newland explains his approach to getting new business, “We have found our niche by offering a service and when someone asks for a tender we communicate on time and follow up. We spend a lot of time in creating tender templates and company profiles which are suitably designed and take time to take quality photos. We also do a lot of preparation, as we take it as the first interaction with the potential client and try and set ourselves apart from the rest.”

The company is active on LinkedIn and Twitter and attributes a good deal of its success to the exposure it has got through social media. Hayden’s Plastering Interiors capabilities and achievements are well documented on its website and its internet marketing strategy has paid rich dividends in the form of new business and the validation of its skill and competence in its field of work.
“I took to social media heavily on Twitter and LinkedIn and actively sent prospective customers emails and kept them updated about my business profile,” says Hayden Newland, “I have gathered a lot of clients. I have also connected with like-minded people in the market and offer them a service and that is really what has helped me.”

Environment and sustainability

The company displays great awareness about its obligations to society and ensures that it adopts green practices. Many of the company’s working partners are green builders and a common set of working principles is followed to ensure compliance with green norms.

Hayden Newland spells out his company’s stand on sustainability, “We do a lot with energy saving and some of our builders are green builders so we are constantly looking at products that exceed requirements of insulating and reaching a level 5 star rating that a lot of people are trying to achieve. We take care to recycle our plasterboard. We keep wastage to the minimum possible. But the biggest contribution would be in the insulation area and offering a better rated product to save money long term for our clients and also help the environment.

Future plan

The company has established itself in the top tier of plastering service providers in Melbourne. It has done this by following simple and down-to-earth principles and by making customers the prime focus of all its efforts. Hayden Newland explains a basic tenet that guides his company, “Being truthful and honest about being able to handle a job or not handle a job. Being upfront and not being deceitful in any way. That’s another big one for me.”

The company plans on achieving an annual turnover of $30 million within the next 5 years. Its aim is to work with the biggest construction companies and sub-contractors in Australia and take on projects in different statesand New Zealand. And above all, Hayden Newland wants to do the best for his employees, “And to give my guys more money per week and bring in a situation where we can charge the rates that we need to charge. I want to make their lives better for working for us as well.”