Kennett Pty Ltd is a 4th-generation family-owned, multi-award-winning construction company which began in South Australia in 1914, 110 years ago. With offices in Adelaide, Melbourne and Mt Gambier, Kennett specialises in the quality construction of commercial facilities. The team is passionate about their work, obsessive about detail and they understand that process creates value and are committed to the creation of lasting relationships. We spoke with the team at Kennett Pty Ltd to learn more about the family business, their rich history, and how the business has grown and evolved across four generations of ownership.
Tell us about your business?
Kennett Pty Ltd started in Adelaide by brothers Charles and Clifford Kennett. As stonemasons and home builders, the brother’s reputation for quality steadily grew and within 6 years they were managing a team of 80 tradesmen working to meet the growing demand for a Kennett built home.
In the post war years after 1945, demand for housing rapidly increased and the brothers also undertook their first commercial construction project. An entrepreneurial pair, they also started a hardware supplies business, as well as a joinery workshop to capitalise on their rapidly growing business.
Charles’s sons, Neil and Dean Kennett expanded into regional SA in the 1960’s, winning a contract with the SA Housing Trust to build 50 homes in Mt Gambier. Kennett continues to maintain an office in this regional hub today.
John Kennett, the third generation, was Neil’s son and began his career as an apprentice carpenter in 1974. Eighteen years later, in 1992, he became the sole owner of the Kennett business. In the decades that followed, John was instrumental in steering the company toward commercial projects and Kennett cemented the reputation for quality commercial construction that they are renowned for to this day.
John’s sons, James and Scott, took on ownership of the family business in 2018 after 20 years of experience in the building industry. Since then, Kennett has continued to build strong partnerships, consistently delivering high quality major construction projects and in 2019 the business opened offices in Melbourne to accommodate interstate demand.
Today, Kennett employs over 100 people and works across multiple sectors including commercial and industrial, recreation and sport, aged care and health, education, retail, automotive and multi-residential.
What has been your greatest success?
I feel that metrics for success can be arbitrary or at least personal. I like the feedback we get from clients, the architectural and engineering firms and the industry when acknowledged with awards. We were the smallest turnover business to ever win the Master Builder of the Year for the first time in 2008, and we have won this 3 times now.
However, I think the greatest success Scott and I have achieved is building a team of truly capable people who flourish and enjoy working in the environment we have created. The built form product we produce is second to none in the industry and the way we go about delivering those buildings for our clients is really appreciated.
Why did your family choose to join FBA?
I’m not sure of the year that Dad joined but I remember that he was encouraged to join by some friends who also had family businesses. I distinctly remember the comfort it brought him to have people to discuss issues that are unique to the family business dynamic. It also worked for the next generation of the business to talk to other ‘next gens’ and get a feel for how others approach the dynamic.
What advice would you give to other family businesses?
If I could say one thing that I know to be good advice, it would be to use the family business ownership model to your advantage. By that I mean that if family members can put aside egos and sometimes personal aspirations and allow staff in the business to flourish then success will follow.
Surround yourself with good, talented people who challenge you respectfully. Businesses that don’t have that family leadership can often have management that are afraid to hire people smarter than themselves and this is often the biggest handbrake to success and culture.
The other piece of advice is to get a mentor from your industry. People are happy to do it and the surety this provides cannot be understated.
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