DRILLDOWN WINTER 2026 // VOL. 003
“THERE IS NO STOP BUTTON ON CONSTRUCTION.”
Tim Phillips on rising pressure across the industry and why the job still has to get done.
Pg. 19 FUEL LEVY REMOVED
A welcome change for customers, plus other company updates.
Honest conversations, industry stories and the people behind the work. OUR PODCAST HAS LAUNCHED! Pg. 06
FIND MEGA MAX FOR A CHANCE TO WIN See Back Cover For Details GIVEAWAY
BEHIND THE SCENES AT DRILLCUT Pg. 18
PRODUCT OF THE MONTH Pg. 10
PREFABRICATED SOLUTION Pg. 08
INSIDE
INDEX CONTENTS 03 STATEMENT FROM THE CEO
Tim Phillips on why Drillcut answered a tough market by backing customers and building capacity. 06 OUR NEW PODCAST HAS LAUNCHED Behind the Wall is now live, with Paul Higginson leading honest conversations on industry pressure, business, and the people behind the work.
12 COOKE & DOWSETT GOLF DAY 2026 A look back at another great day supporting the annual Cooke & Dowsett Golf Day and catching up off site with the team. 14 WIN A DRILLCUT HOODIE + BEANIE Win Drillcut hoodies and beanies this winter through social posts or online orders. 16 PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM Discover how Drillcut’s new Project Management Team is helping keep projects moving more smoothly.
18 DRILLCUT FACTORY TOUR Go behind the scenes at Drillcut and see more of the operation behind the business.
08 HOLMES PLUMBING TESTIMONIAL See how Holmes Plumbing used Drillcut’s prefabricated manifold solution to save labour, reduce on-site complexity, and keep the job moving. 10 PRODUCT OF THE MONTH See how Shurjoint’s M07 helps cut install time with faster, simpler coupling installation.
19 COMPANY UPDATES
The latest from across the business, including fuel levy removal, new staff and trading time updates.
DRILLDOWN VOL. 003 | drillcut.au | sales@drillcut.com.au | 1800 374 552 02
STATEMENT FROM THE CEO
How Drillcut answered the hardest year since COVID by doing the opposite of everyone else. “THERE IS NO STOP BUTTON ON CONSTRUCTION.”
Quote of the Month: “ TIM PHILLIPS | CEO WHEN THERE’S UNCERTAINTY IN THIS INDUSTRY, YOU DON’T PULL BACK. YOU CREATE CAPACITY.”
This year, a war broke out on the other side of the world. A few weeks later, it landed on an Australian building site. Not as a headline. As a letter. BY TIM PHILLIPS
• The developer can’t stop - they’ve bought the land, they need their return. The builder can’t stop. The subbie can’t stop. The bloke on the tools at 6 AM can’t stop. • When the price of everything goes up and the product gets harder to get… the job still has to get done.
“
PVC UP 36%. ACROSS THE BOARD. EVERY TRADE, EVERY SUPPLIER, EVERY PROJECT ALREADY PRICED AND LOCKED IN.
Fuel went the same way. And when fuel moves, freight moves with it. Suddenly the cost of getting product to site was climbing as fast as the product itself. For a lot of businesses, that’s where the maths stops working. You tendered a job at a price. You shook hands on it. Then the ground moved underneath you - through no fault of your own. We felt for every customer caught in that. Because here’s the thing outsiders never understand about our industry: • There is no stop button.
03
STATEMENT FROM THE CEO WE’VE SEEN THIS MOVIE BEFORE.
The Drillcut team on site in 2020, staying close to projects through COVID restrictions.
Drillcut was born in a recession. My father started this business in 1988, when there was one tower crane in the Melbourne skyline. We came up through the early 90s. We were here for the GFC. We were here for COVID. And every time this industry gets put in a corner, we learn the same lesson.
You don’t curl up. You look around.
Now - I’ll be honest with you. We’re a family business. No shareholders to keep happy. No board chasing a quarterly number. We have one stakeholder. You. So when things get hard, we don’t ask how do we protect our margin. We ask...
“
HOW DO WE MAKE SURE OUR CUSTOMERS GET THROUGH THIS?
And yes - selfishly - that’s because we’ve never succeeded any other way. We only win when you win. So if we have to wear a blow in the short term to keep you moving, we’ll wear it. Every time.
Laurence (Drillcut) on site, helping keep communication clear and projects moving where it counts.
DRILLDOWN VOL. 003 | drillcut.au | sales@drillcut.com.au | 1800 374 552 04
STATEMENT FROM THE CEO
WHEN THERE’S UNCERTAINTY, YOU CREATE CAPACITY. This is where we go the other way to most of the market. When uncertainty hits, the instinct is to pull back. Cut costs. Because the one thing a customer needs most when everything is shaking… is somewhere solid to stand. So we doubled down. We’d been planning a full restructure for a while - and the crisis didn’t slow it down. It locked it in. It gave us the reason to move faster. Here’s what that looks like: • A bigger customer service Cut heads. Wait it out. We did the opposite. team - more people, more capacity, more hands on your account. • Freight times rebuilt state by state - tuned to real demand, so your product turns up when you actually need it.
• An in-house seismic and structural engineering team - so compliance gets answered by us, not bounced around for weeks. • A dedicated Project Management team - and this is the one I’m most excited about. Let me explain that last one, because it changes everything. Your account manager is brilliant. But they’re on the road. On site. In a ute between jobs. And we all know the truth - they can’t always pick up the second you call. So now you don’t just have an account manager. You have a project manager too. A dedicated person, at a desk, whose entire job is your account - working hand in hand with your account manager on the ground. One out on the road for you. One on the phone for you. Always. THIS IS HOW WE’VE ALWAYS DONE IT. COVID gave us Job Flow. This crisis gave us the capacity to deliver it better than ever. That’s the pattern. Every hard season this industry has thrown at us, we’ve come out the other side with something we built to make our customers stronger. Not despite the chaos - because of it. So while the rest of the industry battens down the hatches… We’re building. Because my old man was right. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
“
AND WE’D RATHER TAKE THE HIT OURSELVES THAN EVER WATCH YOU STOP.
05
PODCAST
REAL CONVERSATIONS. NOW STREAMING.
The Behind the Wall Podcast brings industry stories, insights and conversations into a format you can tune into on the road, on site, or in the office.
HOSTED BY PAUL HIGGINSON
Watch on YouTube
SCAN TO WATCH
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Podcasts
PODCAST
WHY WE STARTED THE PODCAST... BY PAUL HIGGINSON
Behind the Wall started from a pretty simple idea. We spend a lot of time around good operators, good businesses, and people with real experience in this industry, and a lot of those conversations are too good to be left in passing. Whether it is on site, in the warehouse, over the phone, or after a meeting, there is always something worth unpacking properly. That is what this podcast is for. Now that we have a few episodes out, it is already doing what I hoped. It has given us the chance to sit down with good people, hear their story properly, and talk through what is actually happening across the industry right now. Some episodes lean into bigger topics like pricing pressure, supply issues, team culture, leadership, and where construction is heading. Others are more about the individual, how they got started, what they have learnt, what they have got wrong, and what it has taken to build something over time. FEATURED EPISODES #001 #002
That mix is important to me. I did not want Behind the Wall to feel too polished or too surface- level. I wanted it to feel honest. Something that teaches, makes people think, and maybe even helps someone look at their own business, team, or way of working a bit differently. The goal is not to have all the answers. It is to keep asking better questions, keep learning from the people in the industry, and keep uncovering the stories, lessons, and opinions that do not always get said out loud. There is a lot we can learn from each other when the conversation is real. That is what we want Behind the Wall to keep being as it grows. A place for honest conversations, different perspectives, and the kind of insight you can take back with you, whether you are on the tools, running a business, leading a team, or just finding your way in the industry. And we are only getting started.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Industry Guests Stories from Site
Different Perspectives Honest Conversations
Good Banter
#003
#004
PVC, PRICING & INDUSTRY PRESSURE W / TIM PHILLIPS Paul and Tim unpack PVC pricing, supply pressure, and construction in Australia for 2026.
FROM APPRENTICE TO BUSINESS OWNER W / STEPHEN M C GHEE Paul and Stephen McGhee discuss business growth, leadership, and life beyond tools.
5 BRUTAL TRUTHS ABOUT COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION Paul covers five major pressures hitting the industry right now based on customer feedback.
BUILDING TREC PLUMBING W / AARON & ROB
Aaron and Rob unpack their start, building Trec Plumbing together, and what they have learnt.
STAY TUNED FOR NEW EPISODES
07
CUSTOMER HIGHLIGHT BUILT OFF-SITE. DELIVERED READY. INSTALLED FASTER. How Holmes Plumbing used Drillcut’s prefabricated manifold solution to save labour and keep a Melbourne project moving. When Lachie from Holmes Plumbing spoke with Gary on site, one thing was clear straight away. On a job of this size, anything that saves time, reduces labour on site, and removes unnecessary complexity is a major win. That is exactly where Drillcut’s workshop capability came into play. For this Melbourne storage facility project, Drillcut supplied a large prefabricated copper manifold system that was designed, built and prepared off site before it ever reached the job. Instead of having Holmes Plumbing spend valuable labour hours building it all out on site, the system was pre- engineered, pre-cut, pre-manufactured and pre- assembled in Drillcut’s workshop, then delivered ready to be placed and connected. For Lachie and his team, the difference was immediate, with Lachie saying: “Going through Drillcut saves us that much time.” On busy commercial projects, that kind of saving does more than just make one part of the install easier. It frees up the crew to keep pushing the rest of the job forward. IT’S SO MUCH MORE EFFICIENT AND EASIER FOR OUR BOYS TO DO THE REST OF THE JOB.” “ That is the real value of off-site prefabrication when it is done properly. Instead of sending loose components to site and expecting the full assembly to be built in the middle of an active project, Drillcut can manufacture custom solutions in advance and deliver them ready for install. That means less time spent fabricating on site, fewer moving parts to manage, and less pressure on labour where it is already stretched.
In this case, the process was simple once the manifold arrived. The truck backed in, the site team had a forklift ready, and the unit came off in one piece. WE LIFTED IT STRAIGHT OFF THE TRUCK AND STRAIGHT TO WHERE IT IS NOW.” “
DRILLDOWN VOL. 003 | drillcut.au | sales@drillcut.com.au | 1800 374 552 08
CUSTOMER HIGHLIGHT
For Holmes Plumbing, that straightforward delivery and placement was a big part of the benefit. The manifold was not delivered as a pile of parts that still needed extensive assembly. It arrived as a completed unit, already built out and ready for the next stage. Just as importantly, it was built with compliance in mind from the start. Because the system had already been prepared properly off site, the Holmes team did not have to worry about spending extra time working through that detail during installation or risking costly rework later. DELIVERED HERE SAVES TIME AND STOPS ANY REWORKS.” “ That is what Drillcut’s workshop is built for. Custom fabricated solutions engineered in advance, manufactured accurately, assembled before delivery, and supplied site ready to link in with the rest of the job. HAVING IT ALL COMPLIANT AND GETTING
For customers like Holmes Plumbing, it means less site labour tied up in repetitive assembly, less room for delays, and more confidence that what arrives is ready to go. And as Lachie’s feedback shows, when those systems are planned properly and delivered the right way, the time savings are not theoretical. They are felt immediately on site.
SCAN TO WATCH THE FULL HOLMES PLUMBING TESTIMONIAL
09
PRODUCT OF THE MONTH FASTER INSTALLS START WITH SHURJOINT Fast, simple installation backed by dependable sealing and system performance.
Shurjoint gives the market more than individual products — it gives installers and project teams a complete solution. With a full range spanning couplings, valves, fittings and integrated piping systems, it is designed to bring consistency and performance across the whole job. Available through Drillcut, the range is built to support fast-moving commercial and industrial projects with the strength and reliability they demand.
Fast install 1 One-bolt installation 2 Leak-resistant GapSeal gasket 3 Lower cost alternative 4
SAVES TIME ON EVERY JOB
SIMPLE TO INSTALL
DEPENDABLE SEALING
COST-SMART CHOICE
DRILLDOWN VOL. 003 | drillcut.au | sales@drillcut.com.au | 1800 374 552 10
PRODUCT OF THE MONTH
SCAN TO SEE INSTALL COMPARISON
SCAN ME
From HVAC and fire protection to plumbing and mechanical services, Shurjoint is engineered to perform under pressure and across diverse temperatures. The M07 Rigid Coupling adds on-site value with one-bolt installation, fast install time and leak-resistant sealing.
THE FULL SHURJOINT RANGE
COUPLINGS
ELBOWS
TEES
REDUCERS
+ MORE
SEE THE RANGE
11
SPONSORSHIP ON THE COURSE WITH COOKE & DOWSETT Drillcut was proud to support the annual Cooke & Dowsett Golf Day for the third year, with Paul Higginson and Daniel Matthews representing the team for a relaxed day of golf and catch-ups.
IT’S A GOOD EXCUSE TO GET AROUND EVERYONE, HAVE A HIT, AND CATCH UP.” - Paul Higginson “
SPONSORSHIP
COOKE & DOWSETT GOLF DAY This year marked the third year Drillcut has backed the annual Cooke & Dowsett Golf Day, and it was another good chance to support a customer event we genuinely enjoy being part of. Representing Drillcut on the day were Paul Higginson and Daniel Matthews, who joined in on the golf and spent time catching up with the Cooke & Dowsett team and other familiar faces off site. More than anything, the day was about showing support, enjoying a relaxed atmosphere, and strengthening the partnership in a setting outside the usual day- to-day. Events like this are always a good reminder that strong partnerships are built away from the site as well, while also giving everyone a chance to catch up properly in a more relaxed, social and enjoyable setting.
“ IT’S ONE OF THOSE EVENTS THAT’S JUST ENJOYABLE TO BE PART OF EVERY TIME.”
- Paul Higginson
NEED A SPONSOR FOR AN EVENT?
CONTACT YOUR ACCOUNT MANAGER VIA PHONE OR EMAIL AND WE’LL HAVE A CHAT ABOUT WHAT WE CAN HELP WITH!
13
MERCHANDISE
This winter we’ve got a limited run of Drillcut hoodies and beanies to give away. And there are two ways to get your hands on them! WIN A DRILLCUT HOODIE WINTER REWARDS
FOLLOW, POST
SPEND ONLINE AND RECEIVE REWARDS
AND TAG US 1
2
Place your order through the Drillcut online store during the promotion period and receive:
Follow Drillcut on any social media platform, then tag us in a post or story featuring Drillcut. It can be as simple as a delivery from Drillcut, one of our trucks, or even just this newsletter! We’ll be selecting winners throughout the promotion. How to Win Automatically: If you post a photo with one of our BDMs, that’s an automatic win!
• Spend $2,000 - Get 1 hoodie • Spend $5,000 - Get 3 hoodies • Spend $10,000 - Get 5 hoodies
Note: it has to be in one order, multiple orders do not qualify as multiple wins. Leave a note at the end of the order with your size and who is receiving the reward.
DRILLDOWN VOL. 003 | drillcut.au | sales@drillcut.com.au | 1800 374 552 14
MERCHANDISE
FOLLOW. TAG. SHOP. WIN Scan the QR code to place your order online and win!
15
PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM
As Drillcut continues to grow, recent changes across customer success and project management are strengthening support, improving response times, and helping projects move with less friction. HOW DRILLCUT’S NEW STRUCTURE SUPPORTS YOU BETTER
“
WHY IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE That change matters because timeframes on site do not leave much room for reactive support. By getting ahead of demand, keeping closer contact with customers, and working to real schedules rather than waiting for the next urgent phone call, the team is helping create a more proactive way of working. It is about anticipating the next stage, managing the handover between conversations and action, and helping customers stay on the front foot when programmes are tight. It also means account managers can spend more time where they are strongest, on site, in front of customers, supporting relationships directly.
Growth only matters when it makes things better for the customer. That has been a big part of the thinking behind Drillcut’s recent restructure. As projects become larger, more complex, and more time-sensitive, support needs to do more than answer the phone or process an order. It needs to help customers stay ahead of the job, keep communication moving, and make sure the next step is already being worked on before it becomes urgent. Some of that support happens out on site. More of it now happens behind the scenes, before delays have a chance to build. PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM One of the biggest changes has been the development of Drillcut’s new Project Management Team, led by Daniel Matthews. This is not just customer service with a different title. The team has been built to combine the strengths of account managers on the road with the internal support that keeps jobs moving day to day. In simple terms, they act as the conduit between the field and the office, giving customers more personalised support across both their business and their projects. Their role is to support customers on larger, more complex jobs by helping forecast stock, plan procurement, align deliveries with programme requirements, and keep better control over what is needed next. That means less chasing, less reacting late, and more visibility around what is coming.
THE AIM IS TO GET INVOLVED EARLIER AND STAY CLOSER TO THE JOB THROUGHOUT.
On some projects, that starts alongside engineering, where understanding the job properly up front creates a smoother handover into delivery, scheduling, and support. From there, the project management team works with site teams, project managers, and customers to understand timing, sequence, and what is required next, so support is built around how the project is actually running.
The Victorian project management team helping keep jobs moving from the office to site.
DRILLDOWN VOL. 003 | drillcut.au | sales@drillcut.com.au | 1800 374 552 16
PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM
WHAT IT MEANS FOR CUSTOMERS For customers, the benefit is a more organised and responsive way of working. It means support that is closer to the project, better aligned to schedules, and more capable of helping manage the pressure points that build up across active jobs. It also means customers are not left carrying all of that organisation alone. Drillcut has invested heavily in this team because the thinking behind it is simple. Our success is measured by your success.
At the same time, the project management team can stay close to the moving parts in the background, making sure details are picked up, followed through, and turned into action.
“
ONE PERSON ON THE ROAD. ONE PERSON ON THE PHONE. BOTH WORKING TOWARD THE SAME OUTCOME.
DANIEL MATTHEWS National Customer Experience Manager
JULIA PORTELLI Internal Account Manager / Project Manager
SIENNA PHILLIPS Internal Account Manager / Project Manager
PHOEBE LACEY Internal Account Manager / Project Manager - NSW
AARON MONRO Internal Account Manager / Project Manager - NSW
17
INSIDE DRILLCUT
A behind-the-scenes look at the stock, systems and spaces that power Drillcut each and every day DRILLCUT FACTORY TOUR
SCAN TO WATCH THE FULL DRILLCUT FACTORY TOUR WITH PAUL HIGGINSON
BEHIND THE SCENES
Most people know Drillcut for fire collars, nuts and bolts, but that is only part of the story. This factory tour gives a look inside the wider operation behind Drillcut, from stockholding and dispatch to prefabrication, training, Job Flow and the systems that keep everything moving day to day across the business. It is a closer look at the people, processes and facilities behind the business, and the scale of what is working behind the scenes to support the jobs our customers are delivering.
DRILLDOWN VOL. 003 | drillcut.au | sales@drillcut.com.au | 1800 374 552 18
COMPANY UPDATES
FUEL LEVY REMOVED
NEW FACES ACROSS THE BUSINESS Since the last issue of Drillown, there have been multiple new arrivals to the Drillcut team. That growth has happened across departments as we continue building the people, capacity and support needed to keep improving the way we work. It is another step in the wider restructure underway, and one that is all about making sure Drillcut is better set up for what customers need now and where the business is headed.
When we introduced the fuel levy in May, fuel costs had risen to a point where we could not continue absorbing them without compromising the standard of service customers expect from us. We were upfront that it was a temporary measure, and we committed to removing it as soon as we could. That time came on Monday, 13 July, when normal freight pricing resumed across the board. YOU ARE THE FIRST SUPPLIER I HAVE EVER SEEN REMOVE A FUEL LEVY. “
MICHAEL NIGRO Account Manager
MITCH M c AULEY Customer Experience Team Member
WELL DONE, THIS BEHAVIOUR IS UNUSUAL IN THIS DAY AND AGE. “
SIMON MACK Customer Experience Team Member
AARON MONRO Internal Account Manager
EMMA ZONOUBI Engineer
SAM SOLEIMANNEJAD Engineer
TRADING TIME UPDATES As part of recent company updates, trading times have now changed in Tasmania, while Victoria and New South Wales remain unchanged. The update helps keep expectations clear for customers and makes planning deliveries easier across each state.
HARRISON CLARKE NSW Delivery Driver
FAAFOUINA LUPO VIC Warehouse
Location
Hours
Melbourne, VIC Sydney, NSW
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM 7:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Hobart, TAS
MATTHEW PAUL VIC Warehouse
AISEA TUPOU VIC Warehouse
Launceston, TAS
19
FIND MEGA MAX & WIN DOUBLE!
NO ONE GUESSED THE CORRECT COUNT LAST ISSUE, SO MEGA MAX IS BACK. AND THIS TIME THE PRIZE VALUE HAS DOUBLED!
HOW TO PLAY: 1. Spot MEGA Max hiding throughout this Drilldown. 2. Count every MEGA Max you find. 3. Scan the QR code below to submit your guess and go into the draw to win a prize!
HINT: THIS ONE IS INCLUDED
SCAN ME
One entry per person | Entries close before the next Drilldown | Winner contacted directly
sales@drillcut.com.au 1800 374 552 drillcut.au
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