Local business Tuss Concrete has been awarded the most prestigious and sought after award in the concrete flooring industry, a Golden Trowel.
Owners, Phil & brother Russell Jack, flew to Las Vegas to collect their winning Golden Trowel for their outstanding Wet Screed/Hand Screed project at their new Gingin Yard. They now have their sights on more Golden Trowels this coming year competing with the best internationally.
We caught up with Phil to hear the story of Tuss Concrete and to encourage him to come along and be the guest speaker for the Chamber of Commerce AGM on 28th August.
The brothers started the business in Bindoon, about 10 years ago at their parents property but due to some local concerns the business was relocated to Gingin’s industrial area in 2011.
Phil and Russ had assisted their father concreting from a young age, the idea that one day they would buy a small local concrete mould business and turn it into one of WA’s biggest concrete business and winning a Golden Trowel was not unreasonable. But it certainly wasn’t a guarantee.
In his late teens, Phil went off to pursue a career in personal training, a path that developed many other life skills. As Phil recalled the experiences it was clear even from a young age he had a business mind for efficiency and maximizing output.
He could probably take up any business and make a success of it. Phil quickly discovered there was a ceiling as to what he could make and so went looking for a business to own. He tinkered with network marketing and in the process he discovered the importance of how to run a business.
Phil recalls a mentor from herbal life, who introduced me to Robert Kyowsaki books, “Rich Dad Poor Dad”. ”The books made so much sense – business success
was not just your skill base and school smarts but your desire, drive and focus on job at hand. “When we started Tuss Concrete, from day one I was looking at the business to see if it would make money, using the knowledge I had read in so many books. I used to make new charts every month, teaching myself how to use excel. Knowing what was and wasn’t profitable. Now we have staff to do it, but my brother and I still regularly analyse the numbers”.
Phil and Russell are still very ‘hands on’ in the business. Phil shares that as there is no trade qualification or apprenticeship program for concreting he personally takes on the task of training. Our crew and ability to do a good job is only as good as weakest link so we are still very involved in production at a physical level.
Tuss Concrete employs about 90 people with offices in Wangara, Gingin and Tom Price with projects across the state from Tom Price to Port Hedland to projects at the international airport, ECU Joondalup, and many more projects across Perth. You can understand why they call him “flat out Phil”. Phil believes their pursuit of perfectionism is why so many builders are selecting Tuss to do complete their projects. “We are always pushing for perfection, and fine craftsmanship”.
A worthy goal when one considers the humble slab, as Phil shares, “Is at the corner-stone of a high rise building.” When creating their own warehouse at Gingin, perfection was critical. They needed the flattest possible Tuss Concrete wins a Golden Trowel floor to create precast concrete. A few micro-millimeters could make all the difference.
This pursuit of excellence and drive is noticeable throughout the Tuss Concrete business philosophy. It is inspiring stuff. At the Chittering Chamber AGM, Phil has offered to speak about what he believes is key to a successful business, and share his views on positive thinking and taking calculated risks. He also offers some sound business economics to any business around removing fear barriers and reinvesting in the business.
I would recommend all business owners in the region to make time to attend this rare opportunity to hear Phil speak. On a final note, I should add, I can’t promise he’ll be there – being the perfectionist he is, if there is an important flat floor job on that night, he has warned me he might be chasing another golden trowel.
