The Fit-Out Kings Company

The Fit-out King has been under the radar for over two decades, not needing to advertise or market for work or staff due to his extensive clientele and fantastic reputation around town.

Over the past 25 years, as the leader of this hidden kingdom, he has secured some of the most significant accounts for the largest pubs and clubs in South Australia.

If you like beer and a pub meal, no doubt you’ve been to one of his excellent beer garden fit-outs.

If you like wine and a fancy meal, no doubt you’ve been to one of his classy dining room fit-outs.

If you like poking and free games, no doubt you have been to one of his exciting pokie room fit-outs.

Whichever one it is, you can count on it being world-class and done right the first time, and, most notably for him, on time.

Turning over $10 million a year and, at its peak, over $20 million. He’s looking to pump those current rookie numbers back up to the top professional numbers of the past, but he knows he can’t do that without a leader who treats the job and business as seriously as he does.

A construction manager runs the office, and an operations manager (you) runs the sites.

The Fit-Out King's Passion

Upon meeting the FOK years ago, I immediately saw his passion and energy!

While sipping his coffee, the FOK explained his passion for fit-out, the hospitality niche, clients, creativity, craft, unique selling points, and employer value proposition.

The FOK reminisced about the stories of his past projects, much like a father would about his son’s first steps.

The FOK explained his business model, values, principles, and vision.

This, in a nutshell, was very inspiring, as, without a Captain at the helm like him, his business would never have sailed the proverbial seven seas of the South Australian hospitality game as it has over the past three decades.

At its peak, his ship was full of hard-working sailors willing to do anything for their Captain.

He gave them whatever they needed to fit out the cave of treasures and helped them get back on the ship, recharged and ready to attack the next one with the ferocity they had shown the first.

The Fit-out Kings Reach Out

The FOK heard from a few of his colleagues that I was known for finding the best construction professionals in the market, without the corporate fake niceties, but rather for being genuine and honest.

When a client took the time to provide me with accurate information, both personally and professionally.

95% of the time, I can find them almost exactly what kind of person they were looking for!

Please take a look at the information below for more details about me and the CTA Group. Anyway, moving on...

After a two-hour meeting, he agreed that I was the right person for the job and that his critical leadership positions were in good hands.

Once found, this would enable his business to thrive in the new-age world of construction that our great city has been developing over the past few years since the COVID-19 pandemic.

This key Senior Site Manager position is designed to develop into an Operations Manager.

The Fit-Out Kings Frustrations

Once we got onto his staff, I immediately saw how stressed and deflated he was.

His glow and excitement turned to sadness and regret.

He explained that this position requires a lot of trust, autonomy, and accountability from the leader, and these freedoms have been exploited instead of respected by his past employees.

The FOK started to share his disappointment in his staff for taking liberties by mistaking his kindness for weakness over the years.

This meant his culture and kingdom were in jeopardy if he didn’t find a leader.

Sadly, the reason we are here is that he's been given several chances to lead senior management over the past few years.

As none of them genuinely stepped up to the plate, he had let go of all the dead wood in the current crew, which took him years, mind you.

As you can imagine, it's not easy to say goodbye to people you have been given many chances, but they couldn’t level up, so he had to do it.

Still, he did it because he knew he needed to make way for new blood, ready to join him in rebuilding his empire.

If you believe you possess all the hallmarks and traits described in the advert, it could be you.

The Fit-out Kings Site Manager

The FOK started to describe what he was looking for in his right hand, and he continued to explain the personal traits, professional responsibilities, and career opportunities this Site Manager would need and receive if given the position. Let’s go through them…

Personal Traits

Someone who prioritises client outcomes over the bottom line. The FOK's reputation has been built over the decades by being about deliverability, not profitability. This, in turn, gave him repeat business and made him more profitable.

Someone who excels in interacting with people and enjoys working on live sites. You’d be a roaming Site Manager on multiple fit-out sites, so this leader would require someone who can navigate the terrain of various stakeholders, suppliers, subbies, and clients throughout the day.

Someone who can constantly communicate with The FOK throughout the week by being the eyes and ears of the business outside the office.

Professional Traits

Someone with over 5 years of experience in the fit-out and refurbishment industry in the South Australian market, working within a Head Contractor, is a great start. It doesn’t matter what type of project exactly, but it would naturally be advantageous if you’ve completed some hospitality projects.

You’ve a carpentry background or a similar trade and have worked in it for 3-4 years since completing your apprenticeship. The reason is that your natural progression would have been from leading hand to site supervisor, and then to site manager. He’s not looking for someone who’s just left their trade a year or two ago, just someone a lot more experienced than that, as it’s a leadership position over people with that level of experience.

You have a solid understanding of programming, scheduling, and sequencing for fit-out and refurbishment projects. You are the company's representative, and the buck stops with you, so it’s not a job for someone looking to grow in the trade, but rather for someone already an expert in their field.

Career Opportunities

If this individual demonstrates the leadership traits that accompany this position, they may be well-positioned to progress to the Operations Manager position within the business.

More significant projects are on the way, so the more accountability, trust, and responsibility you can show the FOK early on, the quicker he can unlock his client's Pandora's box of future blue-chip opportunities.

Naturally, the salary is dictated by your background and experience, but rest assured, it’s more than competitive, and as you progress, it will increase significantly over time.

CTA Thoughts

This business has the potential to grow significantly with the right people in the top leadership positions. He has a long list of blue-chip repeat clients awaiting his call to secure work and projects that you might never think existed, as they don’t need to be tendered for or competed for.

Unlike larger organisations, this business doesn’t have layers of reporting or a structure of unrealistic KPIs that must be met. Instead, the client and the FOK will assess your performance more based on the project's success through the metrics they consider valuable.

So, I’m sure after two or three projects, you’d get a feel for how things are done at the FOKs and how you’d excel in the position, knowing that in the future, both from a leadership and management perspective.

CTA Consultant

I’ve been recruiting and headhunting for 11 years this month as a Construction Talent Authority at The CTA Group.

So, feel free to do your due diligence on me by clicking the Sourcr link below.

It will provide you with over 120 reviews from top talent and employers throughout South Australia who have evaluated my recruitment and consulting expertise over the years.

Which has awarded me SA Recruiter of the Year in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

You can apply or call me confidently, knowing you’ll receive the best service in SA for construction consulting and recruitment.

We'll help you find the most sought-after roles in the market, tailored to your background and experience.

While we have an enjoyable experience doing it, I can assure you that.

I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Have a great day!

David – CTA

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