SMART BUILD SPOTLIGHT: Queensland Steel House Frames
⏱️ 5 min read
Welcome to another episode of SMART BUILD SPOTLIGHT, where we profile construction businesses that are using innovative processes to construct better buildings more efficiently. These companies are pushing the boundaries of industrialised construction and achieving some impressive results along the way.
In this episode we find out how, in just 12 years, Brett Smith went from a traditionalist timber carpenter, to founding and running Queensland Steel House Frames, the leading supplier of steel house frames in Queensland, Australia.
Brett Smith is a carpenter, and a good one too. He had built hundreds of homes the traditional way, with timber, throughout his career and probably never considered alternatives:
“I am a carpenter, have always been a carpenter, and always will be a carpenter.”
That is, until the builder he was working with at the time asked him to build a steel frame home and he reluctantly agreed. What followed is a remarkable story of open mindedness and innovation, where a man who had built one way all his life, grew an innovative business doing something completely different.
When he was asked to build his first steel frame house, Brett was not at all sure, but he agreed to try a couple and see how he went. He was loyal to the builder he was working for so he wanted to help him out. At first it was slow, and arduous, and he considered quitting:
“My wife said to me, 'stick it out and do a few more and see how you go'. I agreed with her.”
Something clicked, and Brett took to steel
It is a good thing Brett’s wife put a word in, because after doing five or so homes, something clicked - he started working faster and faster. He and his team of 10 carpenters and apprentices learned how to effectively install steel frames. The more he worked with steel, the more he realised it was a good option. It could be incredibly quick, and carpenters would get on board, with time:
“Once my mindset changed from that of ‘I'm a carpenter, and I work with timber’ and accepted that ‘ok, carpenters can install steel’ … I knew that it was a thing of the future.”
Over a few years of installing steel framing, Brett’s mind kept ticking over. He realised that steel was the perfect framing material for Queensland because it is strong in tropical storms and unaffected by termites. And he thought that, because the steel framing industry was quite new, it was ripe for improvement.
“I knew I had it in me to do more”
Brett saw potential and the opportunity to be a supplier in the steel framing industry:
“Your days are limited in what you can continue to do in carpentry with your body getting older. And I always wanted to be a builder. And I always wanted to do more than what I was doing. And I knew I had it in me to do more.”
An idea had started to formulate, but the problem was Brett knew next to nothing about supplying steel frames and trusses. So he did what most of us do when faced with a problem and Googled it, did a lot of research and asked a friend who knew a thing or two:
“My vision was to have a steel frame and steel truss system that was going to be better than the rest - something that was super easy to install and super easy for all trades following our install.”
So Brett and his friend started looking at machines that could help him achieve his vision and landed on the Howick. Howick had a truss profile that he thought would be perfect for his projects, so he arranged a trip to New Zealand to visit Howick and a few other potential suppliers.
The beginning of a long partnership
Brett’s initial visit to Howick was a success - but little did he know that his visit would be the start of a relationship that would help him rapidly grow his business over 12 years:
“ … They had a machine that I could see was going to be perfect for myself if I was to start up this company … The guys I spoke to in that company were likeminded,” Brett said.
Brett has always been a purchaser not a renter, so Howick’s policy of no ongoing fees worked for him too. With all that in mind he started costing the machines and running numbers and realised the profit margin might be low:
“I think it was my mum who encouraged me to go through with it … she said, 'Back yourself. If anyone’s going to make it happen, you will.' So I made the decision. I put a deposit on the machine.”
After that Brett lined up the builder he used to work with as his first framing client. They said he would be given one job, and if he did not do it well he would not get a second. The pressure was on:
“I had the machines coming … I got the warehouse ready to go. I had the lease ready at the same time as the machines turned up, the same time as the coils turned up.
I was ready to hit the ground. I had my first purchase order from that builder. And I had the software for the detailing all ready to go and we started up the factory and started on our first job.”
“It was terrifying.”
Learning fast - and expanding
Brett jumped right in the deep end and started producing framing on day one, and he says the learning curve was steep:
“For me to have gone in and to have done what I had done without any roll-forming experience at all was huge … I had to learn fast. At that point in time, being a carpenter, I could barely use a computer … And for me to overcome that was a huge challenge to start with.”
Luckily Brett had a young carpentry apprentice who had done some CAD work at school. He had a crack at detailing the jobs, and very soon after, Brett realised he needed more help and hired a second detailer, Tiana, who is still with the company today (and is now the manager of the 35 detailers on staff).
Despite the fact that the Howick machines barely fit in his tiny warehouse, Brett started taking on jobs and producing frames. After a year he visited his accountant:
“He said 'Brett, you’ve just made a profit.' ”
It was only a small profit, but regardless, that success was a validation - a confirmation that he had made the right decision. Brett signed up for a bigger, second warehouse, moved out of the first warehouse into one that was two or three times the size, and bought another Howick machine.
Soon after Brett locked in another two builder clients, bought land for a larger warehouse, and built a custom manufacturing facility:
“So that was a huge thing for us to have said that we built our own factory and we had moved into our own place. And everybody that was a part of this team and part of this company was super proud of this place that we're sitting in right now.”
Four years after moving into the first factory the company built another close by, as well as buying more machines. Then shortly after that they bought the block next door to their original factory and built another warehouse. Their growth was (quite literally) through the roof.
Growth built on a solid foundation
Queensland Steel House Frames’ growth has progressed so steadily because they have worked with likeminded builders, and produced a quality product that is perfect for Southeast Queensland and Australia’s east coast:
“To have that high volume you need to have builders that are good to work with … that have good systems in place and houses that match the type of product that we supply.”
“Our products are set up perfectly for the wind ratings that we're in, the climate that we've got and the type of builders that we have.”
Every detail of the frames is perfectly suited to their environment, from the base metal thickness and screw type, to the trusses, super-strong webbed floor joists, and hip end system - the whole thing is built around the local area and the builders they work with.
“... the builders just absolutely love it.”
12 years of growth with Howick
The Queensland Steel House Frames motto is ‘Ever Aiming Higher’. Brett reckons to do that you have to work with people who have the same growth mindset, otherwise they will hold you back:
“From the very first machine I bought from Howick I could see you were likeminded.
… You guys had the product that would help me to be able to achieve what I wanted to achieve and the product that would help me to grow … you also have the customer support to be able to help if something goes wrong.”
Without that customer support, Brett reckons things would have fallen apart in the early days when he bought his first Howick (and he might be right!). After purchasing his first machine from another supplier, Brett has since only bought Howicks, and now has around 15 Howick machines in his factories:
“That proves the loyalty of Howick to myself, and to Queensland Steel House Frames. Not only that, but the quality of the machines, the reliability … the usability … I think that those things have helped us to grow to where we are.”
Brett explains that because of this, every time he needs a new roll-forming machine, he reaches out to Howick:
“That company that’s always been there for us, and always helped us to grow and Ever Aim Higher.”
In fact, when Queensland Steel House Frames celebrated their 10th anniversary of business, Howick shared a record of that celebration, noting their decade-long partnership at the same time.
Only recently, Howick collaborated with Queensland Steel House Frames to build a non-standard beam machine, something neither company had worked on before. Another step forward for both businesses.
“I love coming to work every day”
All this growth is fantastic for the region, for the industry, and for the business itself. More homes, built faster and better, with less waste, is a win-win for everyone involved.
Despite that, Brett says he does not come in every day to make money; he comes because he loves the team he has built and the culture that has grown as a result. It is something physical you can feel as you walk into the warehouse – everyone wants to be there, they are working together seamlessly, and they are getting the job done:
“I love coming to work every day. I love the camaraderie. I love the whole team environment that we have here. I come here because I love the team.”
In his youth, Brett would have loved to play sports - he has always loved team environments and team atmospheres. That did not work out, but this business scratches that same itch:
“I think I’ve created my own team. This is my team, and I love being their coach.”
He says the entire staff, and everyone they work with, understands that culture, and they all love it and appreciate it. Right from the “30 gangs” of carpenters who do installations, to the sales and detailing departments, and the truck drivers who deliver frames every day.
All that positivity feeds through to the customer experience and the end result on the building site.
Ever Aiming Higher - the continuous improvement mindset
Brett and the team are sticking to their ‘Ever Aiming Higher’ motto and committing to growing their volume every year. He reckons if you are not going forward, you are going backward.
But the thing that separates Brett and his business from the pack is his commitment to quality:
“We don't only want to get higher volume, it's about better quality and better relationships - and fine-tuning everything. We've only been doing this for 12 years, which is a small amount of time.”
“[We’re] trying to learn from all of our mistakes that we've made in the past … to try and be better every day as a person and as a company and as a team.”
