with James Hardie Exterior Flooring pg 4

TOP 1010 of the Best to Get the Job Done

LOAD SAFETY Unsecured Loads Endanger Lives

JACK BOWENThe Fallibility of Leadership

August 2013 Volume 24 No. 7

BUiLDErSBulletin B

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AUGUST 2013 3BUILDERS BULLETIN2

Thank God also for Churchill although we must remember that when one consults ‘History’s Worst Decisions (and the people who made them)’ by Stephen Weir, Churchill’s name comes up twice. As a young (41 years) First Lord of the Admiralty, and against the advice of the War Council, he ordered the bombardment of the Dardanelles and after six ships assigned to the bombardments had been destroyed he determined that the assault would be made by the army, on the beaches of Gallipoli. It was never going to work, and it didn’t with the result being 400,000 dead on both sides, over a third of the ANZAC forces in their first ever battle. In summary: “a vainglorious and pointless attack on an impregnable peninsula”.

In 1921, only six years after the Dardanelles’ debacle Winston, the new Colonial Secretary, created an ‘artificial country from totally disparate communities’! The country was/is Iraq and the disastrous consequences of the decisions are still being felt today.

So…. no leaders are perfect, not even Kevin Rudd! Our saviour is our democratic system of government that, unlike the newly created democracies, is one that is firmly entrenched in this country and one that will never allow a Julius, Mao, Vladimir or Adolf to assume leadership! It doesn’t take away the need though for a Prime Minister who is really smart, who has a real ‘feel’ for the needs of this country, who has loads of common sense with a determination to get things done for the country as a whole, not just along party lines.

The art of leadership in the business world is just as fallible as in the political world. Again it is very much about making the right decisions, about accepting the risks involved and incorporating some due-diligence and common sense along the way.

Jim Collins, the USA management guru was featured in a recent edition of BRW. I had read his book, ‘Built to Last’, and the editor of BRW, James Thomson, summarised very well what Collins’ views as ‘the qualities required to create a truly great, enduring business’.

According to Thomson:

The bad news, of course is that most entrepreneurs and business leaders will fall short of that high bar. Their businesses might be average, even good and probably profitable. But very few will truly be great. That’s the bad news. The good news, as Collins is quick to point out, is that the qualities required are not rocket science:

• Have the right people and don’t carry the wrong ones.

• Be disciplined in the way you approach expansion plans. Only do things that you know you can be the best at and don’t ignore brutal realities.

• Set long-term goals and develop a vision that can underpin the business through changes in management, economic conditions and technology.

• Take risks, but take them prudently. Prove your concepts with small experiments before betting the farm, and build buffers into your business (like extra cash) to withstand external shocks.

• Don’t lose sight of your business philosophy, but keep changing and adapting to stay ahead of the competition.

Maybe Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott should read ‘Built to Last’, ‘Good to Great’ and ‘Great by Choice’ which were all written by Jim Collins. The qualities to build a good enduring business are no different to building a good and enduring country.

Quite often I think about Bowen & Pomeroy Pty. Ltd.’s ability to survive for over 119 years – how have (we) done it and what could go wrong to prevent us reaching 150 years and beyond? On a more positive note, how can we continue to achieve growth and prosperity over the years ahead?

Decisions made by the founder Richard Bowen (my Grandfather) were good enough to get the business up and running and as the company grew, reliance on good and faithful employees and their good judgement, ensured the entity’s success.

From 1894 to 2013 Bowens has had four managing directors – Richard Bowen, my father John Richard, myself and now my eldest son John. As the ‘baton’ has been handed from one generation to the next it has been ‘dropped’ on occasions but each time any haemorrhaging was not enough to bring about the demise of the business.

Leaders are elected to make the right decisions and in most cases are merely custodians with a particular responsibility to maintain and nurture the assets at their disposal. While not being ‘elected’, my father, myself and John Bowen were given the responsibilities of ‘growing’ and ‘protecting’.

I became interested (yet again!) in the subject of leadership because of the crazy political scenarios that exist around the world at the moment. I certainly don’t intend to comment on the leadership issues that seem to be undermining and exasperating those countries being torn apart through religious, ethnical and completely intolerable situations.

Our situation in Australia is not intolerable, but certainly exasperating for 23 million Australians who know they live in the best county in the world. But because of poor leadership we are now stumbling along economically and getting caught up in the same issues of race and religion that has brought rioting and civil war to at least half a dozen other countries.

While I believe the Labor Party deserves to be thrown out at the forthcoming election, I am not all that excited by the leadership that would replace them. Political leadership throughout history, both here and abroad, has always been found wanting and there has never been the ‘perfect’ leader. But when a political party fails to control its own membership and creates uncertainty within it leadership, what chance is there of ever being governed effectively?

I’m not strong on political history but I started to look historically at leaders throughout the world who were considered GREAT – I’m now even more depressed (and confused) about what chance the world has (let alone Australia) of ever achieving peace, harmony and prosperity for all!

Of course I did a ‘Google’ and under the heading of the 10 Greatest Political Leaders came:

1. George Washington 2. Julius Caesar3. Mao Zedong 4. Vladimir Lenin5. Adolf Hitler 6. Abraham Lincoln7. Peter the Great 8. Franklin D Roosevelt 9. Fidel Castro 10. Winston Churchill

Well, I never!! What a cast of ruthless murderers, rapists and pillagers our so-called 10 Greatest Political Leaders!

Even under the heading ‘Most Important Leaders’ we have included Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, Nero, Mussolini, Stalin, plus Thatcher and (thank God) Mandela!

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AUGUST 2013 3

Jack Bowen Chairman of the Board of Directors

The Fallibility of Leadership

A Word From Jack Bowen

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BUILDERS BULLETIN4

innovation

Don’t CompromiseChoose Scyon™ Secura™ Exterior FlooringWhen iT Comes To exTerior flooring, invesTing in sCyon™ seCura™ exTerior flooring Could save you Thousands of dollars.

If there’s one thing that every builder would like to disappear from their lives forever, it’s maintenance issues and the cost of rectification. When a building product fails, it can cause ongoing headaches – and cost you thousands of dollars.

Which is why it pays to use quality products right from the start – particularly in those structural areas that don’t offer an easy fix.

Scyon™ Secura™ exterior flooring is a light, workable, durable, non-combustible flooring solution for ceramic tile finishes over timber or lightweight steel joists. As well as being non-combustible*, it is resistant to damage from moisture** It is also resistant to damage from termites**.

Secura™ exterior flooring can be gun-nailed without predrilling, weighs just 40kg per sheet (around 15 per cent lighter per square metre than 15mm compressed sheet), and is tongue and grooved – creating engineered joints and

But Don’t Just Take Our Word For it...Henley Properties Group is a leading home builder specialising in new homes, house and land packages, completed homes and knockdown rebuilds across Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. In 2012, Henley consulted James Hardie business development manager Damien Boyer as part of the group’s ongoing product development.

“Henley switched to Scyon™ Secura™ exterior flooring as part of their ongoing commitment to continuous improvement for its customers” says Boyer. “They switched from structural plywood as an alternative to their exterior residential flooring substrate as they found it is quick to install and delivers extra strength and impact resistance”.

“We’ve been installing Scyon™ Secura™ exterior flooring as a substrate to our waterproofing and tiling system on the exterior deck areas of our homes for the last 18 months,” says Adrian Clark, Victorian Quality, Warranty and Handover Manager for Henley Properties Group. “Since we switched to Secura™, we have experienced no issues with the product failing to perform to our requirements. It provides a strong, durable substrate that is compatible with our waterproofing system. The long term savings justify the investment.”

“The message is simple,” says Boyer. “Don’t compromise. Use a quality product like Scyon™ Secura™ exterior flooring in the first place, and it will reduce the risk of rectification and could save you money in the long run.”

‘It offers strength, durability and speed of installation - and reduces the risk of

rectification costs’eliminating the need for timber trimmers under those joints. It is sealed on all sides with an advanced polymer coating that helps to protect the board from moisture-related problems. In fact, if you’re installing Scyon™ Secura™ exterior flooring on a balcony that isn’t over a habitable room, no additional waterproofing membrane is required.

In short, Secura™ exterior flooring offers strength, durability and speed of installation - and reduces the risk of rectification costs.

To find out more visit www.jameshardie.com.au

*While the substrate and product as a whole is deemed non-combustible for the purposes of the BCA, the product coating is susceptible to fire damage. **When installed and maintained correctly and to the extent set out in James Hardie’s published literature at the time of installation.

AUGUST 2013BUILDERS BULLETIN 76

Thousands of iTems end up on our roads every year puTTing The lives of viCTorian moTorisTs in serious danger.

There are a number of avoidable, driver-related behaviours (more than one quarter of the incidents recorded by VicRoads, CityLink and EastLink) that are placing considerable pressure on the urban Melbourne arterial network. Melbourne’s major arterial, freeway and tollway network is approximately 3000km in length and carries some 50 per cent of Melbourne’s daily traffic, yet represents only 3 per cent of Melbourne’s road network. It is a vital supply line. When this network is interrupted, Melbourne stops.

Avoidable on-road incidents, such as running out of petrol, mechanical failure, flat tyres and dropped debris, have the potential to severely disrupt traffic and cause delays to other motorists, as well as posing significant safety risks.

CityLink and EastLink incident response vehicles typically collect more than 2,000 items of debris from both motorways combined over the course of a year. Unsecured loads represent a major issue on Melbourne roads with large items on freeways in particular having the potential to cause death, serious injury and expensive vehicle damage to all vehicles that may become involved.

Featured

How To Carry A Load Safely

• Chooseasuitablevehicleforyourload

• Positionandplacetheloadsothatitissecure

• Selectsuitablerestraintequipment–itshouldbe‘rated’andmeetAustralianStandards

• Youmayneedtoadjustyourheadlightswhenyourvehicleisloaded

• Drivecarefullyandregularlycheckyourrestraints

Fines & Penalties

Thepenaltiesfornotsecuringyourloaddifferbetweenregulardriversandcompanies:

Minor risk breach:

• Anunsecuredloadthatdoesnotinvolvedangertoaperson,ortheriskofdamagetopropertyortheenvironment

•Penalty:Individualsarefined$170andthecompany$851

Substantial risk breach:

• Anunsecuredloadthatposesadangertopeople,propertyortheenvironment

•Penalty:Individualsarefined$454andthecompany$2268

Severe risk breach:

• Anunsecuredloadthatcausesharmtopeople,ordamagetopropertyortheenvironment

•Penalty: Individualsandcompaniesaretakentocourt

Ifanyoftheoffencesresultincourt,individualsandcompanieswillalsobeliableforupto500penaltyunitsforacompany(upto$58,000)and100penaltyunitsforanindividual(upto$11,000)

The penalties for not securing your load properly are severe. If any of these types of offences result in court, individuals and companies can be liable for up to $11,000 or $58,000 fines respectively.

Victorian Transport Association (VTA) Chief Executive Neil Chambers said it’s every motorist’s responsibility to ensure their vehicle and/or trailer is safe and that any loads being carried are secure.

“These preventable incidents can cause serious crashes and hours of delays,” he said.

“The debris ranges from ladders, general rubbish, tyres, wheels, fridges, couches, mattresses, wood, TVs and car parts. Over 100 tonnes of debris are removed from Victorian roads each year.”

The VTA has commended Bowens Hardware for hosting a “Secure Your Load” demonstration at their Rowville store in February this year.

“Industry experts were on-hand to educate staff and show motorists how best to secure their load before leaving the premises,” said Mr Chambers.

“It may take a little extra effort to make sure your load is properly placed and tied down but at least drivers can be certain that they will not cause a crash which could endanger the lives of fellow motorists.”

About the VTA reliability TaskforceThe VTA Reliability Taskforce is made up of Victoria’s key road industry stakeholders – road user representatives (RACV, VTA, VACC, Roads Australia), road operators and agencies (ConnectEast, Transurban and VicRoads) and enforcement agencies (Victoria Police and VicRoads). These organisations have come together to raise awareness of the number of avoidable incidents which occur daily on Melbourne’s urban freeways.

The members of the Taskforce believe that it is the joint responsibility of Government, road operators and road users to assist in helping to keep Melbourne’s motorways moving.

Every two years Freight Week is held in Melbourne, hosted by the VTA and the VACC. It’s an opportunity to discuss a variety of issues for Transport and Logistics businesses and their suppliers.

Members of the Taskforce will be participating in the Managing Congestion session to be held on Monday 2nd September in Melbourne. Melbourne’s leading road experts will come together with industry and journalists to debate and discuss solutions. The speakers and panels will put forward solutions to cut congestion and make our roads work much better.

ENDANGErLiVESUNSECUrED LOADS

To register to attend Freight Week 2013, visit www.freightweek.com.au

The penalties for not securing your load properly are severe. Bowens sell a wide range of SmartStraps ratchet Tie Downs which meet Australian Standards

•Openstyleratchetpaddedtiedown2pk•3mratchetx25mmwide•Breakstrength:1365kg•LashingCapacity:680kg•ProductCode:RTD2140:

•Openstyleratchetpaddedtiedown4pk•4mratchetx25mmwide•Breakstrength:680kg•LashingCapacity:340kg•ProductCode:RTD4145:

AUGUST 2013 9BUILDERS BULLETIN8

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Makita PlanerKP0800K•Powerful 620W motor•Angle and shape of handle are

easy to grip, push & carry•Precise planning depth setting by

adjustment knob with click stops

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Plumbers Trade SiliconeTranslucent & Grey RGF9034, RFG8791•For use in contact with potable

(drinking) water (AS4020-1999)•Permanentlyflexible:+/-25%joint

movement capability•Non-acidic; will not corrode metals•Weather & UV resistant

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STiHL ChainsawsMS170 & MS181C•Light weight, easy to manoeuvre•Full wrap handle, greater control•Toolfreefiltercover,easierfilter

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one spot

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Bosch Destroyer 2 KitF005XR0144•Heavy Duty Durashield housing•13mm Auto Lock Chuck•Electronic Motor Protection•2 x 3.0 Ah 18V Li-ion batteries•Limited Stock available

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Case & Cap

Makita Saw BladesB151985 & B15148•BlueMak coating•Fully hardened and

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Bosch Multi-toolGOP250CE•250watt variable speed motor•Cut, saw, scrape and sand•Wide range of accessories

99Lt Wheelbarrows Poly Tray BHW Steel Tray RDW• 4” pneumatic wheel•Poly shockboard•Front Suppports

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185mm

$16.99 each (incl gsT)

750mm

$109 pair (incl gsT)

900mm

$119 pair (incl gsT)

BUILDERS BULLETIN10

Decking Steps We Suggest

There are certain steps that I believe should be undertaken to reduce not only dimensional change, but also improve board stability as well, which are as follows;

• The first is good sub-deck ventilation. What this means is that the boards will experience similar atmospheric conditions on all surfaces, most importantly under the deck. This can be often difficult to achieve if the deck is bordered by a concrete slab or a swimming pool. Mechanical ventilation can be a solution in these situations. I can help advise you with these devices.

• The second is to give the decking a coating of an oil based sealer on all surfaces prior to installation. The product I have always suggested is Cutek CD50 or Cutek Extreme. This product diffuses into the cells of the wood, particularly around the surfaces, enhancing the boards waterproofing qualities.

• Special attention should be given to coating the trimmed ends as this is where most of the moisture gain/loss occurs. Keep in mind, when this product has properly diffused into the wood, it is difficult to know it has been applied and it will, in clear form, not stop the product greying off.

• This process also helps to suppress sap bleed.

• Use a waterproofing membrane between the joist and the decking. E.g. a strip of malthoid.

• If the joists are softwood the fixing pins should be at least 65 millimetres long and if a hardwood joist, at least 50 millimetres long. Also, and most importantly the nail or screw should be designed for decking applications. My preference is a screw for the wider deckings on the market.

• After the decking has been installed a further coating of the oil based sealer should be applied to the exposed surfaces. As stated above, my preference is to use Cutek but it will not prevent greying off unless a UV stabiliser (tint) is added.

• Ongoing maintenance of the sealer should be applied regularly, particularly if a coloured appearance is desirable.

This is the time of year where decking can produce problems. To my mind you don’t have to be a Rhodes scholar to know why this is so, the boards will be at their highest moisture content at this time of year and correspondingly be at their maximum dimensional size.

Accordingly, proper preliminary planning should be an essential ingredient before any construction begins. Having said that, most decking problems usually happen in winter, does not mean proper planning is only confined to when you undertake construction in the damper months. Keep in mind, even if the decking is installed in the middle of summer, the boards will have to experience the winter moist conditions and if proper gapping allowance has not been made, the boards can come together with often dire consequences. It is not uncommon for uncontrolled expansion to cause appearance issues, particularly cupping and or structural damage necessitating expensive remedial repairs.

Whenever I am called to inspect a problem deck, this planning I speak of has generally not happened. An example of this is when a decking board of about 135 millimetres wide is installed with a 3 to 4 millimetre (or less) gap. Keep in mind, the boards when installed are most likely to have a moisture content of about 11% to 12%. The Australian Standard for Light Timber Decking mandates a moisture content range of a minimum 10% and a maximum of 15%. During winter the moisture content could have increased to about 15% to 16%, or an increase of about 4%. For boards of around a produced size of 135 millimetres this could mean a dimensional increase up to 137mm to 138mm. Keep in mind the next adjacent board has probably experienced the same expansion, so the 3mm to 4mm (or less) gap is inadequate. Once the boards have come together associated problems such as board peaking and cupping are further compounded. Some species, particularly Spotted Gum, feature a reasonable amount of the sapwood or lighter coloured boards which I have seen expand to 140mm plus. I certainly suggest a gap greater than 4mm for boards around 135mm and for narrower boards 70mm to 90mm, a gap of 4mm is probably reasonable.

Expert Advice

Consider these Decking Principals

Deck FailsBefore your

If you’re already experiencing decking problems this winter and need expert advice, Jeff Harvey can help guide you through the process. Simply call him on 0412 550 740

I often refer to how Cutek diffuses into the wood. To illustrate this point, I refer to the photo of some Merbau decking I used at home with coat of Cutek after 1 week.

Tradie’s Corner

Fuller Trade Construction Adhesive- multipurpose adhesive- high bond strength

- fast drying- Bridges gaps up to 9mm

TUBE OF THE MONTH

$2.50 each (incl gsT)

From theGround Up...

If there is an equivalent of working your way up from the mailroom at a building company, then it must start with working as a laborer, and Matt Rice’s story at Glenvill is one to inspire.

Matt was studying construction management at University, when he took a job as a laborer on Len Warson’s house, the son of the founder of Glenvill Homes, Michael Warson

After becoming friendly with Len, Matt was soon offered a chance to work in the office at Glenvill and soon he worked his way up within the company.

Now as a Director of the Project Construction business, Matt Rice has bought in some significant new business to Glenvill and in turn, significant business to Bowens.

Previous to 2011, Glenvill Homes was a smaller account to Bowens with under ten-thousand dollars a year in product being ordered, but then Matt Rice picked up nearly fifty million dollars in work in his division and Bowens now finds itself with a million dollar account.

‘The Project Construction business needed a supplier to align ourselves with and Bowens were the ones who delivered what we needed,’ Matt says.

Bowen’s Major Accounts Representative John Allen, is passionate about the systems and processes required to manage an account as large as Glenvill, but he says the best thing he and his team can do is maintain communication between the Bowens staff and the Glenvill staff, something Matt Rice agrees with.

‘There are many similarities between the businesses,’ says Matt, ‘which is why the relationships work. Both started out as family business, and both have a culture of caring about their staff in a way that is like family.’

This service mentality infiltrates everything Glenvill and Bowens do and John Allen takes pride in being able to offer solutions and advice to Glenvill.

‘We will always offer the best products which can mean not only a saving but also a better outcome for the job,’ John says.

And Matt is appreciative of this,’ The Bowens guys are fantastic,’ he says, ‘They do whatever it takes to make sure we have what we need, when we need it. They are on-site at least once a week, if not more, and always available by phone or email.’

Matt has grown the Project Construction business at Glenvill, and now they have at least six major projects on their books totaling more than 250 dwellings.

From a small project of thirty-five townhouses to their largest one to date, to their new development, The Cotery, which is made up of one hundred and eighty townhouses and apartments in Northcote, seventy nine of which are currently under construction, Bowens helps in whatever way they can.

Bowens provides Glenvill with timber, cladding, framing, assorted hardware and anything else they need.

‘We like to drill down with them and find out what they need and then trouble shoot any issues,’ says John. ‘And then we get everything we can onto one truck, so they have everything they need to make their job easier.’

With the rise of inner city dwellers wanting medium density housing, Glenvill are in a growth area and Bowens are with them every step of the way.

‘The people at Bowens are very, very proactive,’ Director, Matt Rice says, ‘We can feel assured they have everything in control while we get on with the business of construction.’

John Allen from Bowens agrees. ‘Our major accounts area is designed to make the systems and processes seamless for companies like Glenvill.’

It’s an inspiring story and one Bowens is proud to be part of.

The Cotery, which is made up of one hundred and eight townhouses and apartments in Northcote, seventy nine of which are under construction

AUGUST 2013 11

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CONGrATULATiONS LEON SWEENEY!This monTh’s Winner of BoWens around The World

On a recent holiday at the world famous “Dukes Restaurant and Grill” on Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii

Leon has picked himself up a $100 Dan Murphy voucher and will feature in the 2014 Bowens calendar! Snap a photo of yourself in your Bowens t-shirt, sign or promo item and tweet it to @bowensau or email feedback@bowens.com.au with #BowensAroundTheWorld for your chance to WIN

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