Jimmy Talks Construction

In this episode of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Brenton Davey, Managing Director of Control Tech Solutions, to unpack a no-BS story of how a business scales from shovels and a trailer to running vacuum excavation trucks on major projects.

Brenton explains how working in NBN fibre rollout led to his first opportunity, why new safety requirements pushed the industry toward NDD / vacuum excavation, and the moment unreliable subcontract trucks forced a make-or-break decision: buy the first vac truck or stop moving forward.

This episode dives into the real stuff construction business owners deal with:
Buying equipment before you have work lined up (and the panic that comes with it)
The truth about equipment finance and why “just sell it” isn’t a real exit plan
Scaling into bigger projects and the one question clients always ask: “How many trucks can you supply?”
Cash flow chaos, tax surprises, and the brutal lesson Brenton learned after discovering $600,000 in work that wasn’t invoiced
If you’re a contractor, plant owner, vac truck operator, civil crew, or construction business owner, this is packed with lessons on growth, invoicing systems, cash flow management, and surviving the scaling phase.

If you enjoyed this chat, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share the podcast. Follow James and Brenton to keep up with more stories, insights, and behind-the-scenes of building successful businesses from the ground up.

Connect with Brenton:
🌐 Website: https://www.controltechsolutions.com.au/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/controltechsolutions/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100042535813715
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/controltech-solutions-pty-ltd/about/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenton-davey-34ba65121/?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/

Buy CONEXPO 2026 Tickets NOW, and don’t miss my small business workshop on the Friday!

https://www.conexpoconagg.com/attend-the-show/registration-and-pricing

Use code STARBUCK20 to save 20% at checkout.
Valid through to March 2nd

In this episode of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Phil Yates, founder of Versatile Plant Hire & Contracting, to talk about what it really takes to build and operate a successful plant hire and contracting business in regional Western Australia.

Operating out of Kalgoorlie, Phil shares insights from the frontline of civil construction, mining support, and heavy equipment hire, where reliability, reputation, and resilience matter more than hype.

If you enjoyed this chat, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share the podcast. Follow James and Phil to keep up with more stories, insights, and behind-the-scenes of building successful businesses from the ground up.

Connect with Phil:
🌐 Website: https://vphc.com.au/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VersatilePlantHire/
💼 LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/phil-yates-8919697b

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/

Buy CONEXPO 2026 Tickets NOW, and don’t miss my small business workshop on the Friday!

https://www.conexpoconagg.com/attend-the-show/registration-and-pricing

Use code STARBUCK20 to save 20% at checkout.
Valid through to March 2nd

George Passas (Founder of Pascon & Builder Elite) - Jimmy Talks Episode 29

In this episode of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with George Passas, founder of Builder Elite and Pascon, for an honest, no-BS conversation about the realities of running a construction business when everything goes wrong.

George opens up about being locked into high-risk construction contracts during COVID, how poor contract structures nearly destroyed his business, and the brutal reality of losing over $1,000,000 in a single year. He breaks down what that period taught him about risk management, cash flow, leadership, and why trust is everything in the construction industry.

If you enjoyed this chat, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share the podcast. Follow James and George to keep up with more stories, insights, and behind-the-scenes of building successful businesses from the ground up.

Connect with George Passas
💼 LinkedIn (George): https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgepassas/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/george.passas/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/georgepassasofficial/ Facebook
🌐 Personal Website: https://georgepassas.com/

Million Dollar Days Podcast
🌐 Official Site: https://milliondollardays.com.au/
🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/million-dollar-days/id1716294586
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MillionDollarDaysPod/featured
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milliondollardayspod/

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/

Buy CONEXPO 2026 Tickets NOW, and don’t miss my small business workshop on the Friday!

https://www.conexpoconagg.com/attend-the-show/registration-and-pricing

Use code STARBUCK20 to save 20% at checkout.
Valid through to March 2nd

In this episode, Jimmy has a chat with Colm Phibbs, the MD at Cono Services. Colm talks about first moving from Ireland to Australia during the Global Financial Crisis, and building his business from then, to now being a large company which offers bulk excavations, civil, and plant hire services in some of Sydneys biggest projects.

If you enjoyed this chat, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share the podcast. Follow James and Colm to keep up with more stories, insights, and behind-the-scenes of building successful businesses from the ground up.

Connect with Colm:
🌐 Website: https://conoservices.com.au/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conoservices/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/conoservices/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colm-phibbs-cono-services/?originalSubdomain=au
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cono-services/posts/?feedView=all

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/

Buy CONEXPO 2026 Tickets NOW, and don’t miss my small business workshop on the Friday!

https://www.conexpoconagg.com/attend-the-show/registration-and-pricing

Use code STARBUCK20 to save 20% at checkout.
Valid through to March 2nd

In this episode, Jimmy has a chat with Mark Kelly. They first met at CONEXPO a few years ago, where Mark was trying to kick start some small business education for himself. They also dive into culture behind business’, especially the importance of manners.

If you enjoyed this chat, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share the podcast. Follow James and Mark to keep up with more stories, insights, and behind-the-scenes of building successful businesses from the ground up.

Connect with Mark:
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-kelly-27427223a/

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/

Buy CONEXPO 2026 Tickets NOW, and don’t miss my small business workshop on the Friday!

https://www.conexpoconagg.com/attend-the-show/registration-and-pricing

Use code STARBUCK20 to save 20% at checkout.
Valid through to March 2nd