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5 minutes with our Managing Director, Michael Cunningham
Michael keeps Tasbuilt humming like a well-oiled machine....let's find out a bit more...
Tell us a little about yourself
I am 48 years old and I really enjoy life! I have 4 adult children and 3 lovely grandchildren, who are my pride and joy.
My day starts with my alarm going off at 5.00am every morning and I climb out of bed,( sometimes keen...sometimes not!!) and hit the floor (some times quick....sometimes slow!) to do 25 push ups. This gets my heart pumping and oxygen flowing and helps me to start the day.
I get to work at 6.30am every day. I live 15 minutes from the factory so leave home at 6.15am. My days are filled with a million different activities. One thing I really enjoy is putting time in to my staff. I make sure I say hello to all the office staff as soon as I get to work or as soon as they come in. I always have a walk around the yard and factory every morning and chat to all the guys in production on a one to one basis, this keeps the line of comminications open, makes them feel wanted and keeps me up to speed with what is going on.
My day finishes at 5.00pm and I head home to my wife. I really enjoy my evenings, especially spending time with the grand kids. Before I go to bed I do another 25 push ups. This helps me to sleep well and prepare for another great day.
How long have you been involved in the building industry?
I have always been involved in the industry as my father was a builder and plasterer so as a very young child I was going to building sites. In the early days there was not so much OH&S concern so it was easy for kids to go on site. My earliest memory is being in my mothers arms watching my father install a set of stairs.
So I guess 46 years I’ve been in the industry....that's a long time....and counting!!
What do you find most interesting about your role as MD?
I guess the most interesting part of the role is being all things to everyone. I like to care for my staff so if they for some reason have a problem I like to encourage them to unload and talk. I have a one to one scheduled with each staff member every month. I have had many interesting conversations with staff members, suppliers and with clients.
As a Managing Director, you are seen as both a leader and a manager. How do you see these roles intersecting?
The roles certainly do intersect and it is important to be able to be a role model and live up to my values so as to encourage others to live by their values. As far as a managerial role goes I have been blessed to have great people around me. We have a number of middle managers in our business and they all do a great job at what they do. I find their support and contribution to be very important.
Where do you envision the business to be in 5 years’ time? Is the demand for housing likely to increase?
We have certainly grown a lot in the past 2 years. I would hope that growth will continue. We are seriously looking at diversifying in the near future as we have two growing families in the business and we want to support both.
Tell us about one of your most enjoyable moments during your management of Tasbuilt Homes.
I don’t know which moment would be the most enjoyable....there have been many!
I love to see my staff succeeding. We have a 2IC here who started as a labourer and we thought he would go nowhere. Gave him some responsibility and he grabbed it and ran. He has now nearly completed his apprenticeship and is an extremely valuable employee. That has been very special and rewarding to me.
And just for fun....If you were on an island and could only bring three things, what would you bring?
I would take my wife for one, as she would be a great support. I guess a tent at least to give me somewhere to call home... and a fishing rod to try and get some food. However I’m a bad fisherman so I would possibly have to make sure I’m not on the island for too long.
Second thoughts....I might swap the tent for a helicopter so I had some means of escape....:)
