Message from Jeff:
“In 1970, when G.James turnover topped $1million, the company started a branch at the Gold Coast in a rented shed in Upton St under the management of Ray Dunlop” said Joe Saragossi.
50 years later the Gold Coast office block has undergone a transformation – if you build it , they will come.
We would like to thank Lewis and the family for the foresight, investment and confidence in the future of the Gold Coast branch.
1. COVID 19
The impact of COVID 19 to our business will come to a head in the next three months as we have been living off our order banks prior to the closedown of our economy in late March.
Even though our order banks have increased in the last quarter, the commencement on site of the majority of new projects are programmed for next year and this leaves us in a very vulnerable place for the next 3-6 months.
Every effort is being made to secure work for the short and medium terms. Again, we need to really support our sales and estimating team in this most vital and important pursuit.
The programming and scheduling of our work is very important so as to understand in particular our labour requirements are matched to the work which we are undertaking.
The need to vary our hours of work and to use AL/LSL is an important strategy to help in the proper labour utilisation and to control our cost to produce.
I really appreciate your understanding to support our management teams when this issue is raised with you.
2. END OF FINANCIAL YEAR
I can’t believe that we have now arrived at the end of this financial year 19/20. Our Finance team now will finalise our profit and loss statements and balance sheets and I will soon review the complete 12 months financial statements.
There are no surprises as our results have been extremely disappointing up to this point.
G.James remains in a very strong financial position, owning all of its assets which have been paid by all the profits that have been made in our history. Our profitability has been declining from positive to negative and is of the highest concern to me.
The need to manage the efficient use of our resources, employees, materials and assets is again absolutely necessary to keep our costs as low as possible to maximise our best returns.
Please remember that it is very difficult to increase prices in this extremely competitive market.
3. CAPEX PROJECT UPDATE
990 KSD Automated Case Warehouse has now been commissioned and will be passed to production for testing.
8” Press and 3rd Ageing Oven can’t be finally commissioned until overseas technicians can come to Australia.
New office Gold Coast is complete and is awaiting final connection of water for the fire services (we are all awaiting anxiously especially Jeff and his team at the Branch).
Bundaberg Factory new layout is complete.
Lismore office and showroom refurbishing will start on 13 July 2020.
New generation glass processing factory at Campbellfield in Melbourne is continuing with the arrival of machinery and the project will be challenged in the next 12 months with what is happening.
4. NEW YEAR
Even though I’m confronted with a host of challenges and issues I remain absolutely resolved to the turnaround, recovery and the future of G.James’ endeavours.
There will be changes to realise recovery. All that is needed of you, our committed and loyal staff, is to do what is necessary within your control to continue to make G.James a great place to work and to make your mark.
In these trying times, I thank you most sincerely for your efforts and contributions.
Message from Robert Astill: A huge thanks to Lewis for his ongoing commitment to improving processes wherever possible. Thanks also to Col Brewster, Glenn Shipley, Bruce Moy and all the crew at Engineering. The factory is now very open, well lit and ready for action.
Recent improvement to the shopfront at G.James Hervey Bay. The new Colourlite panel installed features the Urangan Pier, a well known landmark in the area. Construction began in 1913 and was completed in 1917, the same year G.James began trading. It was originally 1,107m and used to facilitate the export of sugar, timber and coal. It was restored in 1999 and reduced to a length of 868m. It is now a popular fishing spot!!
Congratulations to Steve Stamatiou of Mati Constructions on the completion of 68 Sirius St, Coorparoo (Brisbane). As a complete knock-down and rebuild project, the planning and construction period spanned just over 12 months while the build consumed some 300 m3 of concrete. This stunning home features a wide selection of G.James products including hinged doors with arched high lights along with awning, double hung and fixed windows supplied by our Narangba Branch. The inclusion of glazing bars create that extra touch of class. Photos: Brock Beasley Photography
The award winning ‘Doonan Glasshouse’ was featured in an episode of Better Homes & Garden which aired on the 10th of April on Channel 7. Designed and built by Sunshine Coast-based architect Sarah Waller, this showpiece residence won the Australian Glass & Window Association’s 2019 National Design Award for the Best Use of Windows & Doors – Residential.
This home features an extensive selection of G.James windows and doors but importantly highlights how the effective and thoughtful use of glazing products can create a perfectly functional interior and visually stunning exterior.
Congratulations to the team at Maroochydore!
Our Sydney Domestic team recently completed a project for the National Disability Scheme program. They worked closely with DPN Casa Capace and BA Murphy builders.
G.James supplied our 246 Series Commercial doors with 475 fixed lite windows and 136 counterbalance windows. The glass used was Solect Clear 119 Laminate, Clear Laminate and white translucent laminate where privacy was needed.
The program has been funded for up to 100 houses of varied design to cater for the NDIS in Sydney
DPN Casa Capace visited the Sydney Showroom in 2019 and were overwhelmed by the look and functionality of the 246 Commercial stacked doors.
Miro Slavuljica worked tirelessly with DPN Casa Capace design team to achieve a modern look and functional design for the 6 bedroom multi-function home.
After recent bushfires ravaged much of the wildlife on South Australia’s Kangaroo Island (KI), former The Block contestants Spence & Kerrie conceived the ambitious plan to construct a new hospital to treat the many injured animals. Joined by their Block rivals Matt & Elise and some 30 trade volunteers as well as the generous contribution of many suppliers, the build was completed in five days.
The reveal of the hospital took place on Friday’s Channel 9 TODAY show. G.James was pleased to be able to donate the windows and doors for this very worthwhile project and wish Sam and Dana all the best in their new facility and the work they do caring for and rehabilitating the local wildlife.
“We ensure that our plant, equipment and workplace practices allow for a safe environment”
For all of us, being safety conscious should be a way of life and part of our everyday conversations. It requires a personal commitment on all levels. With our motto “Think Safe Be Safe”, we all have a responsibility to ensure we can come to work each day, carry out our tasks in a safe environment and go home safe and healthy.
We would like to remind everyone to hold our safety value and messages at front of mind, both at the workplace and at home. Take the time to think and plan prior to commencing any activity to ensure that they are carried out in a safe manner without risk of injury to yourself or anyone else, or damage to property.
• Follow our induction and safety procedures
• Conduct Safety committee meetings with minutes and actions – close out actions
• Read and circulate the Safety newsletters
• Report and record incidents, hazards and near misses as well as identify and complete corrective actions in our HSE system
• Have regular safety conversations – these will go a long way to preventing unsafe practices and accidents occurring
Our goal is for a zero-harm workplace. As with life in general, please be aware of what is happening around you at all times.
This post is a safety conversation so please share it with all team members.
Lewis, Directors and Managers
Happy New Year and welcome back to 2020 – 103 years as a family-owned manufacturing business providing quality products and services across Australia. Our thoughts are with any of our team members, families, customers and suppliers that have been impacted by the devastating fires burning across the holiday period and still causing serious threat across the nation.
As many of you have made your own new year resolutions and focus on your personal goals, it is a good time to communicate our vision and goals for the coming year.
In an environment and economy with many challenges we continue to be well positioned because of our reputation, capability and diverse portfolio of products and services.
To achieve our vision of ensuring a sustainable and successful business for generations to come, 4 key focus areas have been identified:
Focus on Safety – ensuring we have effective hazard and risk identification and management whilst embedding safety behaviours.
Increase Revenue – by delivering on our promises to our loyal customer base, implementing strategies for winning new customers and constantly looking for opportunities for sales growth.
Decrease Costs – as we carry out our daily activities be aware and conscious of cost saving initiatives and work to bring these initiatives into practice.
Improve Operational Effectiveness – underpins all our business units. We all must be striving to achieve maximum productivity while minimising waste and expense.
Our ‘Values’ provide an insight into what motivates us and defines what is valued across all our employees and managers. Over the next few weeks we will be talking about each of our Values – Safety, Integrity, Our People, Customer Focus, Product Excellence and Investment – what they mean to me and how we can all influence how we demonstrate these in our daily tasks.
This year we will see the commissioning of the new 8 inch Press and Case Warehouse at 990 for our Extrusion business. We have included some photos of the progress. The next generation Glass Manufacturing Plant in Melbourne will be well underway to completion by year end. Oracle EBS will continue to be stabilised and improved to support our operations. This work will be ongoing as defects are flushed out and further progress made for better use and functionality.
We look forward to a productive and profitable year and thank you in advance for your commitment and contribution.
Lewis, Directors and Managers