Natbuild

Company

Natbuild is Australia’s leading trade hardware and building supplies buying group. Through trust, communication and innovation, Natbuild has built a community of members, suppliers and trade customers that understand only true independence can deliver certainty, flexibility, diversity and real choice to all.

Since forming in 1992 we have grown to include and offer more to our members, evolving to meet the needs of the marketplace and the strengths of our membership base. With the exclusive use of TradeNet, Natbuild’s trading platform, our members are able to purchase and communicate, perform daily trading tasks and stay informed with efficiency and ease in real-time.

Philosophy

Partnership

With us, it’s personal. We may be Australia’s largest buying group, but we value the camaraderie that comes from shared ideals and being in a tight-knit community. Our mission is to enhance the relationships and opportunities between our members and suppliers, in turn bolstering the relationships our members share with their trade customers. We actively encourage the direct contact our suppliers have with our members, cultivating an efficient partnership that everyone can benefit from.

Fairness

Being a for member profit group, Natbuild are able to make unbiased decisions on behalf of the culture and the company, which means the ability to strengthen trade outcomes and make unbiased decisions as needed. Members get out what they put in, and Natbuild’s core benefit is the act of enhancing the trade process to maximise the economic outcomes for their member’s independent organisations.

Flexibility

We understand that no two supplier partners are the same, which is why we offer flexible arrangements and will work with you to implement your plan, rather than dictate ours. And because we are an efficient, low-overhead organisation, we offer fair and transparent financials and a significantly lower cost to serve than our competitors.

Transparency

With Natbuild, you get what you see. Whether it is a considered Member-driven board comprising of key decision makers, easy access to rebates and deals or simply transparent trading agreements to help you make decisions with complete confidence, our team will always communicate openly and encourage members to share and learn. Every step we take ensures ensure you have a position to meet your market with volume requirements and net deal positions that help you grow.

Innovation

Staying at the forefront of technology, Natbuild works closely with TradeNet, our trading platform, to provide members the information and tools to purchase and communicate, perform daily operational tasks and stay informed with efficiency and ease in real-time. Our team is always abreast of industry developments, through constant engagement with existing and new members, visiting stores, absorbing industry marketing material, and attending supplier and trade shows. This allows us to successfully tailor our knowledge base to you and evolve our business to your needs.

Responsibility

It’s about ‘you’, not us. As a member-owned, member-run organisation, we realise our core responsibility is to defend and grow our members’ competitive position, profitability and market share within the industry. We appreciate the trust our members and partners put in us. We are committed to providing quality supplies to our members and their customers, while commanding the best trade terms and deals to support business’s objectives and goals, whether through a focus on trade and business improvement or a source of advice and information.

Our Team

Peter has over 33 years of experience in building supply and associated manufacturing industries. Successful tenures as General Manager and CEO with three large independents; JH Williams, Cairns Hardware and Bretts, has left Peter with a solid understanding of the expectations and charter of Natbuild to fight for and grow its members position, profitability and market share. His roles with Natbuild have ranged from Principal’s Representative to Board Member. As CEO he is passionate about the future of the group and the community of independents that make Natbuild unique in the marketplace.

Mick has built an impressive career spanning 45 years in the timber and building supply industries. As a 15-year-old Mick worked on the ground floor at Bowens, holding numerous positions in both retail and supplier sectors. His deep pool of knowledge comes from a keen sense of understanding both sides of the floor with a wealth of experience, from customer service and sales to purchasing and operations management. As Bowens Merchandise Manager for over 12 years, Mick’s knowledge of timber and wood panels is hard to match.

Experienced in both retail and supply, Danny has accumulated over 28 years of experience in several senior roles. With12 years at JH Williams in the hardware retail business and 8 years at ITW Proline and Bostik, his knowledge of supply channels and dedication to independent hardware has meant his step into Product Category Manager with Natbuild was a natural progression.

Rob has 43 years of experience in the timber and hardware industry. From apprentice to multi-site, big-box retail manager, family businesses and large corporates, Rob has seen it all. He has worked in most states and in many capacities, including production, sales, operations, warehousing, purchasing and management. Rob was a Merchandise Manager before joining the team in 2020.

With previous experience as a franchisee/licensee support in retail head offices and as Buying Co-ordinator for a large tool store, Adriane’s ability to align and organise large amounts of data into a logical and rational database is only matched by her exceptional industry knowledge. Her work with two of Natbuild’s premium suppliers in both sales and administration has given her a solid understanding of the independent marketplace and has provided sound data and analytical results for the group.

Simon has returned to Natbuild after 7 years as a Product Masterfile Manager at another organisation. With an understanding of the independent hardware and supply channel marketplace, plus a wealth of experience in administration systems across several industries, Simon is an admin all-rounder looking forward to contributing to the further success of Natbuild, its members and suppliers.

Josta has been in the hardware, building and supplies industry for the past 12 years in both management and accounting roles, as part of metropolitan and regional operations. Starting with Natbuild in a Product Administration role, Josta now takes on the challenging position of Financial Controller.

With over 13 years of experience in the tourism and hospitality sector, Jaclyn joined Natbuild in 2014 initially as a maternity leave replacement, only to become the group’s Events Manager. With a Bachelor of Business in Hospitality and Tourism, Jaclyn organises conferences, events and promotions for Natbuild’s extensive list of members and suppliers.

Through the course of his career, Jarrod has developed a diverse and advanced set of skills. With 16 years of experience in the building, hardware and trade industries Jarrod’s knowledge of scheduling, sales and marketing, graphic design, IT helpdesk/support, and website maintenance is a valued addition to the Natbuild team. The recipient of several customer service awards with his work at Telstra, along with a speciality in marketing and IT-related roles, Jarrod is well placed to take care of Natbuild’s marketing needs.

Our Board

With 20 years in the timber and hardware business and as the fourth Managing Director of Bowens in 115 years, John also has a lifetime of experience. He began his career at Bowens as a yardman in the school holidays and following university has in some shape or form experienced life in nearly every part of the business. In the 90s John spent time in the United States working for several timber companies. He succeeded his father Jack in 2005, continuing the namesake of the business and the legacy of independent hardware operators. When not working, John enjoys spending time with his wife and their four sons, and, when possible, hitting some golf balls.

Geoff Dahlsen is the CEO of Dahlsens Building Centres, a fifth-generation family business with stores throughout Victoria and southern New South Wales. The Dahlsens Group also owns Cairns Hardware Company, Nortruss Builders Supplies in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, and Midcoast Timber Centres in Sydney and the Central Coast. Geoff is a qualified solicitor, holds an MBA and is also a Director of Plumbing Plus. He is based in Sydney.

After 14 successful years as an accountant in Tier 1 and Tier 2 Chartered Accounting firms, Philip joined the family hardware business. Philip has now served 30 years with the family’s Hardware and General Supplies Limited business, overseeing the operation expansion into six locations across the Sydney metropolitan area.

 

With an extensive background in buying groups, Philip’s involvement in Plumbing Plus, Bathroom, Kitchen and Laundry Limited started over 25 years ago, first as Treasurer and since 2003, as a member of the National Purchasing Committee. Philip has a Bachelor of Business from UTS and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia.

 

Philip enjoys spending time with his wife, five children and young grandson.

Mike began his career with AV Jennings, then Australia’s largest homebuilder, in a range of building and management roles. From there he joined Boral Limited as General Manager for their Windows Fabrication business in Queensland and Northern Territory. Following this position, he took on Boral’s concrete roof tile manufacturing and installation business in Queensland before moving to Perth to become Regional General Manager, Construction Materials, Western Australia and South Australia, a business that covered concrete, quarries, precast concrete, asphalt, road maintenance and transport. Mike then moved to Sydney to take up a position as the Managing Director of the private equity-owned Hudson Building Supplies, a business of 15 focused building supply outlets across Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and regional Australia. Mike finally returned to Queensland as CEO of the then ASX listed MSF Sugar, a role he held for 13 years before stepping down in 2020.