Galvin in big league

A company policy written almost 50 years ago about the importance of customers is as relevant today as in the 1950s, according to Galvin Engineering marketing director Chris Galvin.

Chris and his brother Paul’s grandfather, Roy Galvin, bought into the business in 1947. The business has been passed down three generations to the point where it is now one of Australia’s leading specialised commercial plumbing suppliers.

And while the late Roy Galvin’s policy is still front-of-mind, it is the brothers’ direction that has kept it at the forefront of its industry.

The advice of their father, Jim Galvin, on the importance of family also had a long-lasting effect.

This sense of family values, as well as the brothers’ continued success with the company where both their wives work part-time, has earned it the top third generation family business gong in this year’s Family Business Awards.

During the past five years the brothers, with their own unique skills – Chris, a chartered accountant and Paul a mechanical engineer – have directed the company away from competing with large manufacturing countries such as China, and into more of a specialised role.

“Specialisation is always something we had done a bit of but it’s something about five years ago we really decided to concentrate on,” Chris Galvin said.

“We are now quite specialised as a foundry in smaller products and we do them in many metals … so we can do a lot of specialised things whereas a lot of companies can focus in one area.”

The Malaga-based business now services large, specialised projects in Western Australia and has agents and outlets around the country.  Exporting is another part of the business that has been significantly developed under the brothers’ watch.

This year Galvin Engineering overshot last year’s predicted revenue target of $9 million by $500,000.

Chris Galvin said increased sales in the east as well as a busy mining sector in the west played a big part in this year’s the result.

In the next two months a $500,000, highly specialised contract will be completed at the University of Western Australia’s new $60 million chemistry laboratories.

Galvin’s leading role has also allowed it to form close relationships with the Western Australian mining sector, while relationships are also developing in the Middle East.

One of its biggest customers includes one of WA’s biggest iron ore miners, Hamersley Iron. Galvin is also quoting on a number of big projects in Dubai, where it has recently completed a $30,000 contract for the Dubai Central Prison.