LGP spoke to Patrice Sheriff, National Sales Manager at Brandworx, following their win for the Foundation Approved Contractor Award at the LGP Annual Conference last week.
LGP: Congratulations on your recent win! You looked genuinely surprised during the ceremony. What does receiving this award mean for your business?
Patrice, Brandworx: Thank you! Honestly, it means a great deal to us. As a smaller business in our community, competing against much larger players, it’s incredibly rewarding. This recognition gives councils confidence in us when we go to tender. It reassures councils that we are worthy to look at during the tender stage and assures them that we have the capability to deliver. It also leads to job creation within our community, which is one of the most rewarding aspects of this success.
LGP: How has your business grown since working with councils?
Patrice, Brandworx: When we first joined the LGP panel, we were a much smaller operation. We’ve tripled our business since then. We were also recognized in 2019 for Inaugural LGP Approved Contractor of the Year Award. Over the years, the councils have really come to trust us, and that confidence has been instrumental in our growth. We were determined to get onto the LGP panel. At the time, we had around 10 employees. A key turning point came when we had the opportunity to service Kiama Council. There were people advocating for bringing independent businesses into the panel. When the doors finally opened for smaller businesses like ours, more opportunities became available. From there, we began picking up more councils, including Canterbury Bankstown. When local councils began amalgamating a few years back, they had to re-tender contracts, which was a big opportunity for us. Brandworx now employs 30 people in our local community.
LGP: What has been your experience working with local government?
Patrice, Brandworx: Working with local government has been fantastic. Honestly, they’re our best customers. What I appreciate most is the consistency – the rules, regulations, and processes are clear and reliable, which makes it much easier to navigate. Knowing exactly what’s expected allows us to plan and deliver effectively. The reliability and professionalism of local government have made them our cornerstone clients.
LGP: Brandworx has also made a point of supporting people with disabilities. Can you tell us more about that?
Patrice, Brandworx: Yes, we’re very proud of that aspect of our work. We currently employ individuals with disabilities – both physical and mental. We have one man who has only one leg, yet he works on the embroidery machines, standing all day. We provide flexibility like longer breaks and more time off when needed. It’s been a mutually beneficial experience; they’ve proven to be great workers.
LGP: Give people the opportunity to achieve.
Patrice, Brandworx: Yes exactly.
LGP: Thank you for sharing your story with us today, and congratulations again on your success!