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Glenn Pluck has been in the industry since April 2013, when he established Western Screens, Blinds & Awnings in the regional Victorian town of Bacchus Marsh. WFA caught up with him to track his impressive advance to date.
Glenn Pluck’s form in the technical sphere has certainly stood him in good stead in terms of starting his own window furnishings business, a fact that by no means diminishes his rapid progress.
“I had no previous experience in the industry and no experience in running a business; it was all learning on the job,” he confirms. “I have an engineering background so have been able to transfer my skills from that to this industry.”
“Importantly, undertaking Certificate III Blinds and
Awnings has been a significant achievement in both my own and the business’ evolution. It has certainly helped and has reassured us that the way we run our business, the way we operate and the expectations of customers are all done to a standard.”
In fact, Glenn has been involved with Frontline Group, the organisation that develops, implements, reviews and improves learning and development for industry, in terms of adapting the Certificate III for the needs of his business. “Frontline has been fantastic. They are always there to help and assist me if i require clarification on anything and provide me with direction and guidance with my training.”
Learning a new industry and running a business to optimal standards are immensely satisfying but also challenging, he says. “The hardest thing i have found is trying to find a balance between work and family life. Owning and running your own business takes a lot of time and energy, there is plenty of time out of normal work hours that is required keep things ticking over.”
In terms of the “immensely satisfying” aspects of the business, chief among these for Glenn is customer interaction. “Being such a customer service based business and the fact that people are allowing you into their homes, means that there needs to be a level of trust and being in a small regional town, our business is always on show.”
Meanwhile the hands on aspect of running a small regional business means there’s never a dull moment.
“In terms of how my average day tends to pan out, days vary dramatically due to the fact that i do the quoting and installation. No two days are the same; there is always something that needs to be done.”
The result of all this hard work is a business that’s gaining a solid reputation locally. “Consistency in our product is our point of difference. We set high standards for both ourselves and our suppliers. On the rare occasion there is an issue, it is rectified efficiently whilst ensuring the customer is kept up to date at all times. A big focus for our business is to source as many products as possible from Australian suppliers. We have a great supply chain; a great variety of suppliers that specialise in key products.”
Looking ahead, Glenn’s first goal is to complete his Cert III. “I feel that certification in our industry is overdue, so many trades require certification, why should we be any different?”
Beyond that, the company’s rapid expansion to date points to an optimistic outlook. “In the five years that we have been in business we have outgrown our original premises and moved to a much bigger site. We have increased our footprint and would like to see that continue to grow.”
Finally, as a regional business owner, he indicates the importance of local community will always be close to his heart.
“We take great pride in giving back to our community; we are great supporters of local sporting teams, the arts and local events. For our business it’s not all about taking, it’s the giving back to the community that gives us great pride. We love supporting the community that supports us.”
