Tell us about your business?
Winkle Group began with humble beginnings in our father Des’s home garage in Morphett Vale. Des, an exceptional joiner, partnered with his friend John to start a business specialising in commercial joinery and small retail fit-outs. As demand increased, they quickly outgrew the garage and moved into a warehouse to expand. Early on, John returned to his homeland of England, while Des chose to continue building the business with the support of our mum, Jenny.
Over the years, Des and Jenny established Winkle Group’s strong reputation and loyal client base through quality work, superior customer service and unwavering reliability. My brothers, Josh and Hamish, and I, Harmony, joined the business in various roles, and in 2015, we purchased the business and became working Directors. It was a successfully executed transition into the second generation of family ownership. No mean feat!
Today, we are delivering commercial interior projects throughout Australia still including but not limited to retail projects. Our expertise lies in managing multiple site rollouts for new and existing brands in Australia, executing fast-turnaround projects, and leveraging 47 years of industry experience to provide exceptional service.
What has been your greatest success?
This is difficult as there have been many moments of success entwined with moments of significant hardship. We are most proud of our continued respect for each other both in business and in life. Despite the inevitable stress of running a business together and the difficult task of succession planning, we have retained our strong family bond above all else.
Over the past 48 years, we have successfully navigated economic downturns, the Global Financial Crisis, a global pandemic, and the ever-evolving building industry and skills shortages. Through every challenge, we have upheld our core values—delivering superior service to our clients and providing our employees with a stable, supportive work environment.
I would also say our ability to maintain in-house manufacturing of the joinery components in our projects has been a significant achievement. Whilst our scope of work has evolved from joinery manufacture; to predominantly management and delivery of commercial fitout projects, we have been able to retain a team of joiners and the manufacturing arm of the business. This is something that also sets us apart from our competitors
What do you value about FBA?
We joined FBA to meet like-minded families who face the same business challenges as we do. We have always believed that a problem shared is a problem halved. Family business comes with unique challenges that extend beyond the normal risks of running a business. There is a lot more at stake when you blend personal relationships with business. Meeting other business owners who share this unique insight appealed to us.
What advice would you give to other family businesses?
Compartmentalise business and family. At our family gatherings, we focus only on enjoying time together, not discussing work. Business stays in the office so we can appreciate each other as family, not just as business partners. It’s also important to tackle awkward discussions with effective, clear communication. It prevents a build up of animosity and angst. Above all else, be trustworthy and have trust in each other.
Support family business.
