WHEN good mates Paul Spencer and Chris Chapman determined to arrange their very own turf product distribution and consultancy enterprise a decade in the past, one in every of their greatest issues was that the stress would possibly put an finish to their 20-year friendship.
“Individuals advised us you may’t go into enterprise along with your mate,” Spencer mentioned. “I feel we’ve confirmed them flawed. Chappy and I have been nice mates then, and we stay nice mates now.”
And the corporate they conceived 10 years in the past is flourishing, too. Greenway Turf Options, a enterprise primarily based as a lot on the information and experience of its administrators as on superior customer support, is one in every of Australia’s most revered suppliers to the skilled turf trade, dishing out merchandise and recommendation to prospects all through the nation.
The efforts of Spencer, Chapman and their group have been recognised in October when Greenway Turf Options was named Provider of the Yr on the Queensland Golf Business awards night time, the primary turf upkeep firm to ever win the award. GTS subject agent Paul Bevan additionally took the Superintendents Business Recognition Award.
Paul Spencer (left) and Chris Chapman from Greenway Turf Options, worthy and widespread winners of the Provider of the Yr on the Queensland Golf Business awards.
“Successful that award was definitely a profession spotlight and a justification for all of the work and sacrifices we now have remodeled the previous 10 years,” Spencer mentioned. “To construct this enterprise collectively has been very particular.”
Spencer and Chapman first met on the College of Queensland’s Gatton Faculty, the place they each studied horticulture and agronomy. Chapman’s aim was to grow to be a veterinarian, enrolling in horticulture solely to move the time, he thought, till a spot turned obtainable in his most popular subject.
Each males cast careers in agronomy, Spencer changing into a turf advisor and Chapman working in more and more senior positions throughout the turf trade.
Annoyed at what they felt was the product provide trade shedding its approach, Chapman instructed to his good friend that they need to begin their very own turf product distribution firm. Spencer agreed.
“So on the age of 39, every of us with 20 years of expertise beneath our belts, not rather a lot to lose and time to recuperate, we took the plunge,” Spencer mentioned.
“I didn’t sleep for 3 days,” he mentioned. “I requested permission from my spouse to do it and forgiveness upfront for the way absent I’d most likely be, placing all my vitality into this new enterprise.”
The enterprise started in October 2014, in a room beneath Spencer’s home, with two computer systems and an previous Holden Rodeo ute that Chapman had purchased second-hand from a golf course superintendent.
“We had no unique merchandise, no warehouse, no prospects, and no employees,” Spencer mentioned.
“However I had a model available in the market as a result of my agronomic consulting work and, whereas Chris is simply as certified in agronomy as I’m, he had an MBA and a pure strategic enterprise mind.”
Associates and now enterprise companions, Paul Spencer and Chris Chapman first met when finding out horticulture and agronomy on the College of Queensland.
Chapman assumed the function of CEO, labored within the workplace – the ‘backend’ of the enterprise, as he described it – whereas Spencer obtained out within the market and tried to conjure up enterprise.
“After we obtained an order I’d name Chris,” Spencer mentioned. “He would ring across the small group of suppliers we had, order the product, go choose it up from most likely three totally different sources, put all of it collectively and ship it to the client.”
Chapman and Spencer sought to carry technical gross sales again to the trade, utilising their information of agronomy and offering customised options for his or her shoppers. And it labored, the market responding positively.
“The second a part of our method, which Chris actually drove, was unparalleled service,” Spencer mentioned. “We obtained the product to the client after they wanted, even when that was 4am the following morning.”
That this unrelenting devotion to customer support continues immediately was evidenced when my interview with the 2 administrators was delayed for 3 hours when Chapman needed to personally prepare the availability and supply of merchandise to a buyer who wanted them directly.
The combo of sound recommendation, high quality merchandise and a focus to element proved to be a winner. Chapman and Spencer drew on the relationships that they had constructed over time and have been pleasantly shocked when suppliers resembling Campbells Chemical compounds, Adama and Agrichem opened accounts with the brand new firm.
“Some suppliers didn’t assist us initially, however over time we proved our price and have been capable of set up a whole product vary,” Spencer mentioned. “I suppose in case you are in an trade for lengthy sufficient, and construct a fame of being trustworthy, truthful and straightforward to work with, you get rewarded in the long run.”
After 18 months, the enterprise had grown and it was time to search for correct workplace house and set up a warehouse. On the similar time US firm Simplot Companions, a competitor of Greenway’s, was pulling out of the Queensland market and provided to promote its enterprise positioned at Ormeau, halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
“We cast a deal the place GTS took over the warehouse, truck, workers and product of the Simplot enterprise.” Spencer mentioned. “In a short time we went from two guys and a ute beneath my home, to an workplace, warehouse, inventory, workers, and a truck,” Spencer mentioned. “It was an enormous step, however now we began feeling like a correct enterprise.”
The corporate grew rapidly, opening an Adelaide workplace in 2016, promoting a 3rd of the enterprise in 2018 to John Peaty, the previous proprietor of Globe and Barmac, and buying the next yr the remaining Australian operations of Simplot Turf and Horticulture.
Today Greenway Turf Options employs about 60 employees and operates in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. Chapman stays CEO and Spencer is Head Agronomist.
“We each nonetheless work direct with our prospects within the subject on their daily wants. There is no such thing as a administration from ivory towers in our enterprise,” Chapman mentioned.
Most of the subject brokers employed by Greenway have been as soon as on the opposite facet of the fence – greenkeepers and turf grass managers, who appreciated the way in which the corporate operated and needed to grow to be part of it.
Chapman and Spencer are captivated with coaching their employees, conserving them updated with altering developments, educating them concerning the firm’s philosophy, and inspiring them to make their very own selections – not least as a result of they know being personally hands-on with Greenway’s rising clientele isn’t sustainable for the 2 of them.
They educate their buyer base, as effectively, internet hosting seminars and workshops throughout the nation, addressing subject days, offering on-line assist and producing webinars and blogs.
Spencer and Chapman, with a ardour for making golf course, and sporting turf, higher for all.
Spencer estimates that golf programs make up 65 p.c of Greenway’s enterprise, forward of racecourses, sporting arenas, and turf farms.
As we spoke, he was planning a go to to Eagle Farm racecourse, on his strategy to an appointment with the grounds employees at Royal Queensland Golf Membership to make sure its course was at its most interesting for the upcoming Australian PGA.
They are saying their work, at its most basic, is to help their shoppers to create higher enjoying surfaces.
“There is no such thing as a larger pleasure than to work in partnership with guys on the bottom and see a course enhance yr on yr and attain its potential – wholesome, immaculate and producing optimistic evaluations from golfers,” Spencer mentioned.
Greenway Turf Options is an enthusiastic sponsor of pro-ams across the nation, offering a uncommon alternative for the 2 administrators to check their golf video games.
They’re each members of south-east Queensland golf golf equipment – Chapman at Keperra and Spencer at Indooroopilly and Maleny and stay up for in the future enjoying the sport extra commonly.
Although acknowledging the hours are lengthy and the work laborious, Spencer mentioned: “Working with good individuals within the trade, helping them to create nice enjoying surfaces, seeing individuals’s careers develop inside your organization, seeing how the enterprise adjustments the lives of your workers, eases the nervousness and makes all of it worthwhile.”
