Steve Jones is a common name in Brisbane’s landscape scene. Whether it’s been professional tradies, or the average gardener, Steve’s been the go-to since 1983.
“Initially it was just a small hardware store with just a John Deere tractor and a couple of different products being loaded into people’s trailers,” Steve said.
“I took up one of six sheds on the site of an industrial complex, fast forward to today and we took over all the other sheds as we got bigger. Now we take up the entire property.”
Steve Jones Landscaping now inhabits multiple sites, has about 15 trucks and employs about 50 people across the northern Brisbane area.
Set in stone
Throughout Steve Jones’ time in business, he’s leaned on another True Blue and longstanding Aussie brand – Cement Australia.
“I’ve been with CA from day one and haven’t used another cement supplier since 1983
I guess you could say we’re pretty loyal,” Steve said.
Steve’s fair dinkum when it comes to how he conducts business – valuing long-term loyalty over a quick buck.
“It’s a lot of give and take, and I think when you build a good relationship with good loyalty, you’re rewarded in the tough times as well,” he said.
“There’s all kinds of suppliers and importers out there, but I’m a firm believer that where I can, I buy Australian made.
“We’re in it for the long term. My son’s in his late 20s and he’ll take over the business. “I’m hoping he’ll be buying Cement Australia products in 40 years time.”
Mixin’ it up
As the cement world evolves, as does Cement Australia’s – and therefore Steve Jones’ – offerings.
“We’ve been through the lot. We started with 40kg bags, now everything’s done in 20s,” Steve said.
“There’s all kinds of special stuff like trade mortars, rapid sets … CA moves with the times and we’ve embraced all their products and stock them all.”
Sufficed to say, both Steve and Cement Australia are in it for the long haul, which can only mean good things for tradies and gardeners.
“It means something that we’ve got that Australian product – we’re not chopping and changing every six months based on which bags are cheaper,” Steve said.
“It’s about that offering you can provide your customers over a long period of time.”