Best of the Gold Coast: Top tradies as voted by you
WHETHER they’re building your house or fixing your pipes, a good tradesman is worth his weight in gold. Here are the top picks on the Coast as voted by you.
Best of Gold Coast
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WHETHER they’re building your house or fixing your pipes, a good tradesman is worth his weight in gold. You probably only need a tradie every once in a while, so it can be tricky to shop around for the right person for the job without risking it. So here are the top picks on the Gold Coast, ranging everywhere from carpentry to tiling to air conditioning, as voted by you.
8. John Leeson — Zippy Chippy Carpentry
0412017586
John has been running Zippy Chippy Carpentry for over 20 years now, starting out as a 21 year old lad who just wanted to work with timber.
“I’ve been doing it 20-odd years, I just like playing with timber and building houses,” he said.
“Probably my favourite thing to build is pergolas; I do a fair few pergolas for people all around the place.”
John’s clients are always over the moon with his work and said he is hardworking and professional when it comes to all forms of carpentry.
The construction guru also remembers what it was like to get started in the industry, so he likes to give young apprentices a go.
A family man, John even built his own home for his wife and kids and even though sometimes his work takes him away from them he is always keen to spend time being a dad.
7. David Trainor — Beckwith Tiling
David’s Canadian heritage played a surprisingly large role in his career as a tiler, which has led him to being regarded as one of the best tradies on the Coast.
“I’m Canadian, I’ve only been in Australia for about three years,” he said.
“Originally in Canada I was a landscaper but I needed a job in the winter months because there’s not a lot of landscaping you can do in a Canadian winter.
“So I started tiling and from there it kind of became a full time thing.”
The customer’s wants and needs are number one on David’s list of priorities when it comes to his tiling work and he endeavours to always put them first.
“I really just enjoy creating beautiful spaces for the customer,” he said.
“It’s their house or project so all that really matters is that they’re happy with the job and I’ve created something they enjoy.
“That makes the job interesting for me because it’s not monotonous — there’s always different things to work on.”
6. Dan Carpenter — Dan the Sparky Man
3/25 Brendan Dr, Nerang
5578 3481
With a name like Dan Carpenter, it’s no shock he followed the trade path, but you might expect him to be playing with wood rather than electricity.
“I was at high school and not really enjoying it when my uncle offered me an apprenticeship,” he said.
“I had to make the choice to either stay at school and miss out on the apprenticeship, or leave and begin my career.
“I opted for the latter so I've been in the industry for 19 years now.”
There’s definitely been no looking back for Dan, who loves his job and team equally.
“We have a brilliant team of guys who are out there getting the jobs done — without them there is no Dan the Sparky Man,” he said.
“My beautiful wife manages job bookings, HR, marketing and invoicing while trying to keep me in line, as well as being a great mum to our two kids, Emma and Jay.
“Jeremy is our project manager he oversees all jobs to ensure they are completed at the highest level possible and he is also known to be the company mentor and counsellor to our guys on-site.
“And my role involves quoting, meeting with customers and builders, scheduling jobs and day to day operations of the business.”
People skills and passion play a big role in Dan’s personal success who always aims to make the people around him happy, be it his team or his customers.
“Over the past 10 years we have been able to provide 45 apprentices, both junior and mature aged, with an opportunity to commence, continue or even complete their trade with us,” he said.
“We are passionate about our business and offer a personalised approach to our customers — each customer has different expectations of what he or she wants so we always aim for a win-win outcome.”
“But many of them have been with us for 10 years so we like to think we’re doing something right.”
5. Lee Martin — Lee’s Personal Plumbing and Property Maintenance
0420 923 923
1/23 Donald Ave, Paradise Point
For Lee Martin, plumbing and personal maintenance is far more than just pipes and drains.
“My favourite thing about the job is just meeting customers, especially the older customers — I just really love their stories and having a chat.
“We like to keep in touch, I have an older gentleman and I did some work for him and his wife. “Unfortunately his wife passed away but I still like to keep in touch, go over for a coffee and I’ll take some scones.”
While this tradie has a soft side, at the end of the day it’s his reliability and skill that earned him a place on this list.
“I did my plumbing apprenticeship in New Zealand when I was 15 so I’ve been doing it for 27 years now,” Lee said.
“I do everything from replacing a tap washer to renovations to new builds and all kinds of sites including small residential to commercial projects,” he said.
Lee is a family man who radiates pride and happiness when he talks about his wife, Karyn and two sons, Noah and Bayley.
“I’ve got two boys who are 10 and 19 and Bayley came out on the job with me for a bit.
“He tried it out but I told him you’re still young, just focus on doing what you want to do so he’s finishing up his personal training course — Noah, the 10 year old, he wants to be a magician.”
“My wife runs Oi Cosmetics up at Paradise Point with her business partner so that’s why we’re all in Sydney, we’re at a beauty convention thing for her.”
4. Nathan Odmark — H & B Group Electricians
1300 001 390
41 Minjunbal Dr, Tweed Heads
Nathan works as an electrician for H & B Electricians, a Tweed based solar company who focus on the design, supply and installation of solar panels for homes and businesses across Australia. Nathan said he likes that he can be a part of making the world a greener place.
“Nathan’s the name, solars the game — I’m a sparky for a solar company; H & B Group,” he said.
“I love my job and I’m doing my part for the environment creating green energy.
“I never really chose the career I was just in the right place at the right time and the rest is history.”
Having worked with H & B for two years, Nathan is still loving the job and the positive work environment.
“I love my job, there’s always something different happening and it keeps me fit,” he said.
“It’s my mate that owns the company, which is why I got involved in the first place and I’m glad I did.
“The best thing is I work with a bunch of great blokes, which makes coming to work quite easy.”
3. Nathan Francis — Mr Cool Air Conditioning Services
5500 0907
At 31 years of age Nathan Francis is a happy husband, a father or two and the owner of Mr Cool Air Conditioning Services.
“I came across the ad in the paper for an apprenticeship as a refrigeration mechanic when I was 19,” he said.
“I was only playing footy at the time and working behind the bar and I wanted to get a trade and after some research this industry actually interested me a lot.”
After earning his stripes in the industry and with a growing family to provide for, Nathan decided to start up Mr Cool.
“Before Mr Cool I was working for one of the largest commercial air conditioning companies on the Gold Coast, which definitely taught me a lot about the industry,” he said.
“I love the major variety in my job; from small unit repairs and installs to major shopping centre works and construction jobs.
“Every day is something different and no two jobs are the same so it keeps it interesting.”
It’s a combination of quality work and a good attitude that has made Mr Cool a success from the get-go.
“I keep my clients happy by offering great honest reliable service and I try to work around the client’s schedule the best we can,” Nathan said.
“My number one priority is to do our best to meet the customer’s needs as quickly and efficiently as possible and do the job right so they are satisfied.”
2. Zac Davis — BJC Projects
After Zac was the victim of a violent attack that left him needing extensive medical treatment, he thought his goal to become an electrician was over.
He needed ongoing medical work that meant he would need to take time off work which not many electricians would be understanding of.
Luckily for Zac, he was working in an electrical wholesale warehouse where he developed a number of relationships and eventually was offered an apprenticeship by his current employer, BJC Projects.
“I work for BJC Projects, I’ve been here just over a year now and yeah it’s been awesome,” Zac said.
“My favourite thing is just the variety, there always something different every day and it’s a good accomplishment at the end of the day when you finish the job and power it up.
“I really enjoy the trade; I’ve always wanted to be an electrician so I love what I do.”
Zac said there are plenty of perks to his work and never takes anything for granted considering the opportunity almost never arose.
“Right now I’m on an 11 storey high-rise near Harbour Town working with a great bunch of guys,” he said.
“It’s just times like these that make me realise how much I love it.”
1. Brad Sharman — Sharman Brothers Tiling
0487 640 145
For Brad Sharman, there was a good reason behind his decision to start his own tiling business — a little girl on the way.
“I started my own business a little bit over two years ago when I found out I was going to be a dad,” he said.
“I was earning $30 an hour for somebody else and I knew I wanted to earn more and have more control over my life.
“It just means I can be there for my daughter and provide for her — her name is Elsie, she’s my little princess.”
Although he’s been in trades since he graduated high school, tiling wasn’t his first choice.
“When I finished school in 2007 I originally wanted to be a brickie because I wanted to do something really physical,” Brad said.
“I went into the All Trades office and the guy I spoke with pretty much said no — be a tiler instead.
“He said bricklaying’s got such a short life, it’s so bad on your body and it’s not sustainable.”
The advice of a random stranger served Brad well, with the 26 year old regularly noticing the perks of his trade.
“With tiling you get the best of both worlds — it’s still pretty physical but not as bad on your body,” he explained.
“There are jobs outdoors and indoors which means I still get some sun but there’s less days where the work is rained off — it’s really versatile.
“I think the biggest thing is, though, that I can stand back at the end of a job and see the finished result and the client can see it as well — it’s a really good feeling and in other jobs they’re not as lucky.”
Like in many trades, Brad recognises that when running a successful business, the relationship you build with your clients is just as important as the work.
“I’ve actually done jobs for people and we end up being friends on Facebook. I’m easy to get along with — I think.
“I’ll have a laugh and a joke with someone but also take the job seriously and do it properly.
If I say something is going to be done at a certain time, it’ll be done, even if we have to put in the overtime.”
With refined skill and expertise in all areas of tiling, Brad is eager to continue building his company well into the future.
“I think tiles make a big difference in a house so people are very particular with who they work with,” he said.
“People have had bad experiences with tradies but we do our best to turn that idea around.”
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