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 spin, 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 around $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 gun 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.

This advert and opportunity are for a Project Manager or Senior Project Manager who will one day become the Construction Manager of the Fit-Out Kings Empire.

The Fit-Out King's Passion

I'm pleased to say it's finally time for him to find the right person to run the business, allowing him to focus on it.

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 few 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 manage, fitting out the cave of treasures, helping them get back on the ship, recharge, and be ready to attack the next one with the ferocity they had shown the first.

Or, in your case, lead, manage, and instruct the sailors from the ship as the first mate below Captain FOK.

The Fit-Out Kings' Frustrations

Once we reached the topic of his staff, I immediately saw how stressed and deflated he was. His glow and excitement quickly 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 2IC.

Whom he let go of late last year, which was very hard for him as he'd been with him for close to a decade.

The FOK started to share his disappointment in his staff for taking liberties by mistaking his kindness for weakness over the 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 couldn’t level up.

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

The Fit-out Kings Project Manager / Senior Project Manager / Construction Manager

The FOK began to describe what he was looking for in his right-hand, and he continued to explain the personal traits, professional responsibilities, and career opportunities that a 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, led to repeat business and increased his profitability due to his flexibility in taking on projects, sometimes at the last minute, without complaint.

Someone who excels with clients and enjoys working on multiple projects of varying sizes and scopes. If you want a solitary, large project to sink your teeth into once or twice a year, then this isn’t the business for you.

He wants someone who can act like a leader to the younger, less established FOK employees so they aspire to be like you in the future. This would be the difference between the PM/SPM and the CM he hopes to find in this person. It's a long-term hire and essentially a succession plan if things can naturally flow that way.

Professional Traits.

Someone who has been a Project Manager in the fit-out and refurbishment industry for over five, preferably ten, years in the South Australian market, serving as a Head Contractor. It doesn’t matter what type of fit-out projects you've completed, but it would naturally be advantageous if you’ve completed some hospitality projects; however, it's not essential.

You’ve got a contract administration or estimation background before Project Management. The FOKs business is an eat-what-you-kill business model, meaning you estimate, win, administer the contracts, and manage the project. This is the reason he’s looking for a PM or even an SPM, as someone with the above traits is supposed to be able to come in and show everyone how it’s done, as it's not new to you, but just another day at the office.

You have a solid understanding of programming, scheduling, and sequencing for fit-out and refurbishment projects at a high level. You are the company's representative, and the buck stops with you, so it’s not a job for someone wanting to learn the fit-out business but for someone already close to being an expert in this field.

Career Opportunities

If this individual demonstrates the leadership traits required for this position, they may progress to the Construction Manager role 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 project opportunities.

Most projects stay under $1M, but recently a few have been larger than that, so it would suit a PM/SPM with a Tier 3/4 background who doesn't sweat the small stuff but loves the details.

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 person in the top leadership position. 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, competed for, or completed that quarter. Yet, they'd welcome it if the right people are in place to complete the work.

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 early project's success, as measured through the metrics they consider valuable, which I explained above in terms of personal traits.

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.

Closing thought. Suppose you're sick of corporate construction companies and want to be in a close-knit business that cares more about the client and the project than the profit. This is the business and role for you!

I know that seems counterproductive, but long-term clients are very different from short-term or one-off clients. He has been with him for decades, so there's a lot more trust and respect due to the nurtured nature of the relationship.

Construction Talent Authority

I’ve been recruiting and headhunting for 11 years as a Construction Talent Authority whilst running The CTA Group business, hence the name.

So, feel free to do your due diligence on me by clicking the Sourcr link below. It will give you hundreds of reviews from top talent and employers throughout SA who have reviewed my CTA consulting expertise over the years.

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

I'll help you find the most sought-after roles in the market, tailored to your skills, background, industry, and experience, while enjoying an excellent discussion in the process.

I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Have a great day!

David – CTA

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