2 | 5 Star Timbers

5 Star Timbers | 3

Setting your standards high is one thing – putting

those standards into your company’s name is an-

other. At 5 Star Timbers these standards are not

only reflected in their name, but in their dedica-

tion to the quality of their product and excellence

in customer service.

5 Star was founded in 2008 by two families,

the Lanyons and the Culphs. Both of them come

from a long tradition of working within the tim-

ber industry. Justin Lanyon, Managing Direc-

tor of 5 Star, says that this heritage is part of the

strength that has carried the company forward.

“Between the two families we have over 95

years of experience in the timber industry,” he

says. “We know the industry up and down. We

have managerial knowledge, sales knowledge, and

are experienced at sawmilling. We are experts in

the fields of timber and hardware. It is what we

have all done since we have been able to be em-

ployed.”

In the five years that 5 Star has been in opera-

tion, the company has expanded their branch in

4 | 5 Star Timbers

Stayplton, Queensland, and have opened a sec-

ond site in Woodridge. They have also grown

from a six person outfit to an employee base of

14 full-time staff, three part-time employees, one

trainee and an additional three freight operators.

A CHANGING MARKETWhen 5 Star Timbers began, their client base was

comprised of about 80 per cent trade custom-

ers, and 20 per cent retail ones. Their site in Wo-

odridge is in a more suburban area, however, so

they have recently seen an uptick in retail clients.

No matter who they are selling to, 5 Star re-

mains what Justin calls a “traditional timber com-

pany.” At the same time, they have expanded their

operations into production, where they create

their own decking and flooring. Justin reiterates

that it’s the experience of the two founding fami-

lies that sets their whole product range apart.

“We know timber,” he says. “We know every

detail – it’s what we do. We know how it is made,

produced, and we know its capabilities.”

5 Star Timbers is also set apart by their service

culture – which is missing from the bigger corpo-

rate suppliers, who offer more of a “supermarket

style of shopping,” which requires the customer

to be the expert, and not the other way around. It

also leaves little room for personal service.

At 5 Star Timbers, they strive to be the oppo-

site of that. Their goal is not only to help individ-

uals find what they need, but design specifically

for their needs.

“It’s really this experience and our service level

that sets us apart from our competitors,” Justin

says. “At the end of the day the companies that

operate in this space offer very similar products.

5 Star Timbers | 5

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6 | 5 Star Timbers

But being able to give that advice about how that

timber should be used, how it should be looked

after, maintained, cared for and installed – that’s

really what makes us different from our competi-

tors.”

BUILDING THEFOUNDATION

By offering their own expertise to clients, 5 Star

Timbers solidifies relationships and builds trust.

They show clients that they are truly there to work

with them, and for them. And this philosophy is

explicitly expressed through one of the programs

that they have developed – the Customer Rela-

tionship Agreement.

“When our customers come to us, and they

want to utilise our services, we can offer loyalty

discounts and long term incentives,” Justin ex-

plains. “So if they get to a certain level of spend

we will return money to them.”

“We also offer social events,” he continues.

“We will run carpenters days, we will have field

trips – we will do everything we can to form and

maintain these relationships.”

5 Star’s sales team is also essential to keeping

those relationships strong, Justin says, and he

points out the initial sale is not the end of the re-

lationship. The company’s sales staff remains in

touch with their customer, visiting them at least

once a month to see if there is any additional sup-

port that they can provide.

“It’s about service,” Justin says simply. “We

not only provide service to the client but listen

to them and modify our offerings to meet their

5 Star Timbers | 7

needs. Because we’re a small family-run business,

we can be agile and adaptable.”

“Whilst others may claim to offer a similar

service, most fall short,” he adds. “5 Star Timbers

has invested it’s time and resources into listening

to the construction industries wants and needs

making it unique by servicing all of your require-

ments in one location.”

5-Star’s focus on relationship-building ex-

tends beyond their customers, to their suppliers

as well. Justin says they always make sure they pay

on time, and they always receive a good quality

product in return.

“We are then able to pass that quality and ser-

vice on to our customer base,” he explains. “It’s a

big full circle – customers, suppliers and employ-

ees. That’s what makes the business successful.”

BIGGER IS NOTALWAYS BETTER

Dedication to service and quality is not just some-

thing that they pay lip service to at 5 Star Timbers

– the company has been repeatedly recognised

by different industry bodies for their initiatives.

Most recently, they received the May 2013 Fam-

ily Business Award with the Gold Coast Business

Excellence Awards as well as Member of the Year

2013 and Best Specialist Service Operation hon-

ors from TABMA (Timber and Building Materi-

als Association Australia) These accolades – and

the numerous others they have acquired over the

years – indicates that they are doing things the

right way, says Lanyon.

“It is a huge boost to company morale,” he says

of the recognition. “It is great for advertising, and

8 | 5 Star Timbers

5 Star Timbers | 9

it goes toward our credentials. We toot our horn

at any given opportunity and we are more than

happy to let other people toot it for us.”

According to Justin, that industry recognition

is significantly important for a small family run

business that, like theirs, “plays in a big market.”

When customers are shopping around for the

best product, those accolades represent a notable

point of difference. They prove that bigger is not

necessarily better, and just because a company is

smaller does not make it less professional.

“We look to make sure that we dot all of our i’s

and cross our t’s,” Justin explains. “We make sure

our health and safety is beyond industry stan-

dards, along with making sure our entire staff is

well trained. These are activities you usually see

major corporates doing. We have proven to the

industry that we are a very professional outfit for

a small business.”

Industry recognition is also motivational for

the company’s team, Justin adds. It shows them

that their hard work is not going unnoticed or

unappreciated, and encourages them to keep it

up.

“And these awards are often coming from

people outside of our industry,” Justin says. “They

are looking at the business as a whole. In the case

of the Gold Coast Business Awards, they aren’t

just comparing us to the timber or retail sector,

they’re comparing us to all types of business. So

we are very happy to tell the world that the Gold

Coast Business Awards think we are good at what

we do.”

Over the years, the dedication of 5 Star’s staff

has not only been rewarded by industry bod-

ies like the Gold Coast Business Award – it has

also helped propel the company to success, even

amidst the Global Financial Crisis. As they move

on from that stormy economic climate, Justin

looks forward to the opportunities of the future.

“5 Star Timbers is looking forward to the next

5 years and the challenges it will bring,” he con-

cludes. “After experiencing some relative lean

years within the building industry, we look for-

ward to continuing the growth of our compa-

ny and increasing our market share and brand

awareness. We want 5 Star Timbers to be known

Australia-wide as a market leader that provides

great service, and quality products at competitive

rates.”

http://www.5startimbers.com.au