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Gary Gardner – Lessons in Business and Leadership
Gary Gardner is an incredible Toowoomba business leader and newly elected TRC Councillor. He is the Executive Chairman of FKG Group and noted by IBIS World as being in the top 500 largest private companies in Australia. They have 900+ staff and group revenue of $700M+. Not only is he at the helm of the family run FKG Group, he and his brothers, and their families have built many other successful businesses such as Ezyquip Hire, NRG Services, GFG Projects, Anaman, Total Hydraulic Services, Hexeis, Pulse Data Centre, Obadare Group, Auscoil and so many more.
I recently interviewed Gary as part of our Purpa Fireside Chat Series. He shared the secrets to his success, but also the lessons learnt from 52 years in business. At Purpa, our aim is to empower businesspeople to achieve success, so by sharing these lessons, we hope you can bring to life in your business.
Think Big and Solve Tomorrow’s Problems Today●
Long term, big picture, macro thinking about issues leads to identifying opportunities. Then to solve those opportunities by building sustainable, profitable solutions that have a greater chance of increasing demand and therefore repeatable cashflows that last longer. Gary seems great at solving the problems of the next 10+ years and isn’t scared to commit resources on analysis but also a gut feel of knowing / thinking ‘what is coming’. Don’t get bogged down in the small stuff, rather think big and be bold.
Work Ethic●
You must work hard if you expect high results. Its great to work smart, be efficient, productive, and strategic, but none of that compares to working hard, being committed through consistent effort, and getting your hands dirty. As the business grew, it would be very normal for Gary get up in the middle of the night, do invoicing then head of to a site to pour concrete.
Invest in Your People●
Pretty self-explanatory, but Gary firmly believes to run a successful company, you need to invest heavily in people. Invest through trust, belief, and delegation to ensure as the owner, you don’t ‘get in the way’. Empower your people to take initiative, make decisions with an ‘ownership mentality’, and importantly hire people that are smarter than yourself, and let them execute with high level guidance when needed.
An example of his commitment to his staff is shown through the head office in Toowoomba. Complete with a gym, indoor pool, childcare centre, green space, cafeteria and so many other perks that make FKG such a great place to work. This long-term culture and loyalty goes both ways with an average employee tenure of 6+years and over 110 staff with more than 10 years of service.
Family Come First●
Gary’s biggest priority and proudest achievement is his family. Initially working with his parents and siblings and now to his own children, nieces, nephews and even grandchildren. Everything he does now is for them. Relationships are formed around the kitchen table as well as being in the fortunate position to see his family grow around the board room table too.
I believe in looking after my staff. Invest in people and property.
Gary has certainly created a legacy for our community, and we thank him for his approach to business, but also in his commitment to improve our region through his role as TRC Councillor.
If we can assist in your business journey, don’t hesitate to reach out to Purpa for a no obligation assessment to see how we can help.
Chris is a self-confessed business nerd and the brains behind Purpa. He lives for helping businesses and businesspeople find their purpose, uncover their potential, and then provide the systems, processes, and accountability to make it happen.
