Hutchies Building community connections
Construction may be Hutchinson Builders’ industry, but community, philanthropy and diversity are high on the agenda for Australia’s largest privately-owned construction company.
When you think of Hutchinson Builders, you’re probably imagining their striking blue logo emblazoned across numerous construction sites around town. Perhaps you recall seeing the Hutchies’ hoarding at St Patrick’s College on the Strand, or at The Ville’s spectacular refurbishment. What doesn’t come to mind usually, is philanthropy or honey bees.
Across Hutchinson Builders national network, the local teams support more than 200 charities every year. In June this year, Hutchinson Builders was named Queensland Community Foundation’s 2019 Corporate Philanthropist of the Year, an incredible honour.
“The Hutchies model means we operate as local teams, with national support, so our way of giving to our community is very localised,” explains Peter Lee, Hutchinson Builders Team Leader. “It’s not decided at the national level as most companies of our size and reach are; it’s each team seeing what matters in their community and being hands-on in that delivery.”
Hutchies’ Townsville office recently supported the Townsville BBQ Battle and Ronald McDonald House Charity Gala, and will be supporting the St Patrick’s College Science Fair (STEM Like a Pat’s Girl) & School Musical and the upcoming North Qld Tourism Awards.
Hutchinson Honey Bees
There’s been much buzz in recent years around the importance of bees, with the realisation that one-third of the world’s food supplies are dependent on pollination by bees; while bee populations are dwindling due to parasites, disease and pesticides. But what does this have to do with Hutchies?
In 2014, the company launched Hutchinson Honey Bees, an initiative that installs and maintains active urban beehives on the roofs of Hutchies’ corporate offices, as a way of supporting increasing local urban bee populations. Currently, bee colonies have been established on the roofs of six of Hutchies’ Queensland buildings, as well as Hobart, Sydney, Melbourne and Tweed Heads offices. More than 20 beehives have been installed to date, giving refuge to 1.6 million bees and producing 1.5 tonnes of Hutchies Honey, which is used as corporate gifts.
“Hutchies’ Honey Bees is a unique initiative,” says Peter. “We are the only company in Australia promoting the establishment of urban bee hives on a national scale.
“Our Townsville beehives are thriving and currently producing the most honey out of all our offices, probably because of our good weather up here. I believe the Cairns beehives are doing really well too.”
Statim Yaga – “start work”
Hutchies’ Statim Yaga program (meaning “start work”) was designed in support of the Federal Government’s Employment Parity Initiative to grow Indigenous participation in the private sector construction industry. For Hutchies, Statim Yaga is really about finding the right person and providing them with the right training to move into the right career.
The Statim Yaga program works with Hutchies Training to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates receive the training, in a supportive learning environment. Currently, Hutchies’ Indigenous participation sits at 2.5% nationally, with an internal target of 4% participation nationally.
“As Australia’s biggest local national builder, Hutchies offers good career opportunity,” says Peter. “Our office is entirely self-sufficient, but we do have the national network to allow growth so there isn’t a limit to where you can go, projects you can work on or the experience you can get.”
There are more than 70 different career paths available through Hutchinson’s network, from labourer to crane operator, contract administrator to project manager and so on.
“We are still delivering projects on Palm Island, and have provided multiple employment opportunities for Palm Island locals over the past few years,” shares Peter.
To date, Hutchies has employed more than 350 First Australians, with an internal target to increase that number to 550 nationally by 2020. Hutchies offers pre-apprenticeship programs, apprenticeships and skilled employment.
NQ Cowboys House Girls Campus
In December 2018, Hutchies handed over a completed NQ Cowboys House Girls Campus, at Pimlico, in time for the start of the 2019 school year. NQ Cowboys House is managed by Cowboys Community Foundation and provides supported accommodation for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from some of North Queensland’s most remote and educationally disadvantaged communities. The existing Boys’ Campus accommodates 54 students, with the Girls’ Campus expected to reach its capacity of 50 students by the start of the 2020 school year.
“We were proud to be part of this project,” says Peter. “Community based projects are always the most rewarding, given all our people are part of the local Townsville community.
“You don’t have to look too far within our team to find someone who has a connection to just about any project we do.”
For more information about Statim Yaga, Hutchinson Honey Bees or local projects, visit hutchinsonbuilders.com.au
