It’s been a busy time for DIG IT of late so it was a pleasure to grab a few quick minutes with Scott to find out a little more about him, the history of DIG IT, the highs and lows he’s experienced over the past 10 years and the advice he has for others starting out on their own. Thanks for your time Scott.
- How would you describe yourself in one word?
Ambitious.
- How old were you when you had your first paying job and what was it?
About 10 years old - mowing neighbour’s lawns for $10 each week so I could buy a remote-control boat.
- How and why did you get into civil contracting?
I had worked around machinery from a young age and had always enjoyed it. After school, I began an engineering degree but quickly realised that it wasn’t for me so on leaving university early, I decided to get my tickets and started working as an operator.
- How did you start out and where are you now?
After working as an operator for other companies, I took on a role looking after a small earthmoving business but decided that I wanted to do things for myself. I started by buying a truck and a mini excavator and went out on my own servicing the Eastern Suburbs. That was 10 years ago now. In that time our fleet of specialist machinery has grown significantly, we now employ over 30 staff members and we’ve worked on over 2000 projects/sites. In addition, our reach has widened somewhat and our services now extend well beyond the Eastern Suburbs, encapsulating the wider Sydney metropolitan and Central Coast regions.
- How did winning your first job make you feel?
I remember being very excited to win the job but equally as nervous as I wanted to deliver what I had promised.
- What has been the hardest part of owning your own business?
I’d like to say that there are no hard parts to the job however I’d be lying, as I’m sure most business owners would agree! There are many day to day challenges but mainly finding the right staff and honest clients can be tricky.
- What has been the most rewarding part?
Seeing the business grow, along with our clients. Also, developing our staff and seeing them flourish and take pride in the jobs that they do, is very satisfying and rewarding.
- What do you enjoy most about your job?
The daily variety of skills needed to be either in a meeting, on site working, operating a machine or in the office.
- What is your advice for someone else starting out?
Communicate well, deliver what’s promised and make sure you get paid!
- What type of culture have you instilled in your workforce?
I believe I’ve instilled a culture where everybody works well together, communicates well and expects a high output of work and professionalism from each other.
- If you weren’t Director of DIG IT, what do you think you’d be doing now?
I would probably have done my trade as an electrician or finished my engineering degree.
- What are your goals for the future of DIG IT?
In the near future, we are hoping to add a few new tier 1 and 2 clients to our portfolio plus we’re looking at packing piling and remediation work into the services we offer. We’re also hoping to add further machines to the fleet and will be looking to employ additional staff to support the company as it continues to grow. Our ultimate goal is to become the first choice for small to large civil excavation and demolition projects in Sydney and the surrounding areas – something that we truly believe we are well on the way to becoming.
- What do you do in your spare time?
Water-skiing or motorbike riding, closely followed by looking at boats and bikes on gumtree!
- Tell us one interesting fact about yourself.
I used to ride horses until I was 18. I competed in a few national cross-country events representing NSW at the Sydney Royal and Brisbane Ekka.
- Last but not least (and just humour us here), what was the last dress-up costume you wore and why did you choose it?
I do like a dress up! It was the rugby at the Sydney Rugby Sevens and I (and a few friends) went as Tom Cruise in Risky Business (it suited the hot weather!).