A Letter from Owen - 15 Years as StruXi
15 YEARS | 179 MONTHS | 782 WEEKS | 5,475 DAYS | 131,400 HOURS | 7,884,000 MINUTES
15 years as StruXi Design. This means a lot to me. It has been challenging, heartbreaking and rewarding all at the same time. Many people have come and gone from my business and my life in the time that I have been here. I have high expectations of what we can achieve and some have mistaken my determination for arrogance and that is okay because everyone has differing expectations. The business was created with the intention of being a place where our staff are respected and provided with opportunities to grow personally and professionally. I started my career in this industry because I was provided with a chance at a time when I probably didn’t deserve it. I look to repay that opportunity by providing it to someone else. Some appreciate that more than others.
In 15 years we have employed 27 people, many of those have been school leavers. Some are still with us while others have gone on to further their careers elsewhere. For those that have left, I hope that we provided them with tools, resources and experience that will benefit them in their future. We facilitate work experience for no less than 12 high school students each year and offer a cadet program (that receives zero government support) for students in year 11 or 12 who want to get a head start into becoming a building designer. We currently have a team of twelve and are looking for the right person to help us to grow the business further.
We are here in business to serve the needs of our clients. They are the only reason that we exist. We will do absolutely everything in our power to provide the best outcome for our clients. I don’t deal well with bureaucracy for the sake of bureaucracy. We have rules in society and generally, they are there for the betterment and protection of society however there are times in our industry when those rules are applied to be obstructionist, not helpful. Our job is to navigate through this for our clients and assist them in achieving sensible and sustainable outcomes for their homes or business. In those 15 years, we have completed almost 1600 projects. We have won 2 National Design Awards, 1 National Commendation, 14 State Design Awards, 54 Regional Design Awards and 1 Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award.
We make a conscious decision to support local sport and not for profit organisations regularly through sponsorship and participation and I am very proud of some of our achievements. We were part of the Bloom House Flip that raised funds for the Bloom Asia Foundation. We donated to and supported Careflight while they were working to establish their Toowoomba and Roma bases. We sponsored Toowoomba Bears Rugby Club in one way or another continuously for over 12 years. We have provided sponsorship to Toowoomba Grammar School, St Mary's College, The Leukemia Foundation, Sunrise Way Rehabilitation, Toowoomba Hospital Foundation and MND & Blush Breast Cancer. We sponsor and participate in the annual Mother's Day Classic in Toowoomba. I have been Treasurer, President, junior coach, team manager and Downs Rugby representative for Toowoomba Bears Rugby Club. I am currently serving as State President of the Building Designers’ Association of Queensland.
We will continue to develop our people and our business. Growing our knowledge and experience to serve our Clients continuously throughout their projects. I am looking forward to the next 15 years and what they may bring.
- Owen