Jimmy Talks Construction

In Episode 52 of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Rhys Cooper, Managing Director of Cooper Civil, a southeast Queensland civil excavation business known for GPS excavation, Cat Next Gen gear, late-model machines and high-quality operators.
Rhys shares his story from growing up in New Zealand, working in forestry, travelling across Australia operating machinery, spending years in the mines, and eventually starting Cooper Civil with almost nothing behind him. From buying his first excavator to growing into a fleet of machines, Rhys opens up about the highs, lows, pressure and reality of building a civil construction business.
This episode gets into the real side of excavation and plant hire: wet hire versus contract work, GPS systems, tilt rotators, Cat gear, pricing pressure, operator quality, tough markets, the Queensland pipeline, and why growing bigger does not always mean making more money.
Jimmy and Rhys also talk honestly about success, reputation, mental health, vulnerability in construction, working with good clients, and what young operators need to understand if they want to build a proper career in the industry.
If you are in civil construction, excavation, plant hire, GPS machine control, earthmoving, or you are trying to grow a construction business, this episode is packed with real-world lessons.

Connect with Rhys:
🌐 Website: https://www.coopercivil.com.au/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coopercivil/?hl=en
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rhys-cooper-688430164?originalSubdomain=au
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coopercivil.com.au/

Connect with Jimmy:
🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTalksConstruction
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbuckexcavation
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbuckexcavation
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-starbuck-13336546/

Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: louis@lj-media.com

Send in Business Problems: jimmytalksconstruction@gmail.com

In Episode 51 of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Garath Vella from Lorden Vella to talk about the real business of building: margins, risk, hiring, subbies, COVID, cash flow, and what it actually takes to start and grow a construction company in Melbourne.
Garath shares his path from plumbing, site supervision and project management into co-founding Lorden Vella during one of the most unstable periods the construction industry has seen. He opens up about starting with no work lined up, navigating COVID, dealing with shut-down businesses, and building a company from the ground up.
This episode digs into why builders take on work at low or even negative margins, how subcontractor pricing changed after COVID, why relationships matter more than contracts alone, and why culture, communication and good people can make or break a construction business.
They also cover hiring in construction, why resumes don’t always tell the full story, the difference between site-based and tertiary-trained project managers, education and childcare projects, apartment work, government work, and the pressure builders face when the market gets tight.
If you’re a builder, subcontractor, project manager, site manager, developer, apprentice, or anyone trying to understand the commercial construction industry, this episode is packed with honest lessons from inside the game.

Connect with Garath:
🌐 Website: https://lordenvella.com.au/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lordenvella/?hl=en
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lordenvella/?originalSubdomain=au

Connect with Jimmy:
🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTalksConstruction
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbuckexcavation
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbuckexcavation
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-starbuck-13336546/

Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: louis@lj-media.com

Send in Business Problems: jimmytalksconstruction@gmail.com

In Episode 50 of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Joel Griffs from Heidi Build for a brutally honest conversation about carpentry, construction business, insurance work, and why scaling isn’t always the answer.
Joel shares how Heidi Build has carved out its place by taking on custom carpentry, structural steel, excavation, concreting and insurance repair work, rather than following the usual online advice to “niche down” or remove yourself from the business. The conversation covers the reality of running a trade business in Australia, why margins are getting tighter, how equipment costs have changed, and why simply answering the phone and doing what you say you’ll do is still one of the strongest business models in construction.
Joel also opens up about losing more than $1 million after COVID through fixed-price building contracts, price escalations, labour shortages and cash flow pressure. He explains how he rebuilt from the ground up, starting with a $180 insurance job, and why cost control, reputation and long-term relationships matter more than ego, awards or Instagram-perfect projects.
This episode also dives into Japanese carpentry, craftsmanship, old-school building skills, apprenticeships, motorsport, property investing, and the difference between looking successful online and actually running a profitable construction business.
If you’re a builder, carpenter, subcontractor, tradie, construction business owner or anyone trying to grow a business in the Australian construction industry, this episode is packed with real-world lessons.
Connect with Joel:
🌐 Website: https://www.heidibuild.com.au/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joel_heidibuild/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heidibuild/

Connect with Jimmy:
🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTalksConstruction
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbuckexcavation
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbuckexcavation
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-starbuck-13336546/

Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: louis@lj-media.com

Send in Business Problems: jimmytalksconstruction@gmail.com

Jimmy sits down with Mitch from Slimline Excavations to talk about leaving underground coal mining, buying a 1.7T digger and building an excavation business. They cover coal mining, subdivisions, mountain bike trail projects, helicopters in construction, training operators, hiring the right crew, pricing mistakes, business mentors and why you cannot be half-in when running a construction company.

Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: louis@lj-media.com

Send in Business Problems: jimmytalksconstruction@gmail.com

Connect with Mitch:
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slimline_excavations/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slimlineexcavatins/

Connect with Jimmy:
🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTalksConstruction
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbuckexcavation
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbuckexcavation
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-starbuck-13336546/

In Episode 48 of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with the three directors of Arrow Civil to talk about starting a new civil construction company in Melbourne, leaving a major contractor the right way, building a business with integrity, and backing yourself in a tough market.
A great episode for anyone in civil construction, earthmoving, subdivisions, infrastructure, project management, estimating, subcontracting or anyone thinking about starting their own construction business.

Connect with Arrow Civil:
🌐 Website: https://arrow-civil.com.au/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arrow-civil/?originalSubdomain=au
💼 Nash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nash-conhyedoss-17a7ba37/
💼 Jesse: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-deas-0850b7166/
💼 Stelo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stelios-gunella-370834356/

Connect with Jimmy:
🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTalksConstruction
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbuckexcavation
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbuckexcavation
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-starbuck-13336546/

Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: louis@lj-media.com
Send in Business Problems: jimmytalksconstruction@gmail.com