Simon Stewart, Uniform Growth and BOLA

How do you lead and optimise the output of your diverse operations nationally and internationally?

What are the challenges of maintaining an international supply chain?

Who builds the relationships with your leading corporate and government customers?

These were some of the questions put to Simon Stewart, founder and MD of Stewart & Heaton Clothing Company.? S&HCC is headquartered in Belmont and has branches in Canberra, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria.

Simon led a conversation for Band of Leaders Australia (BOLA) members and guests entitled Uniform Growth, at the group’s monthly meeting on Friday 21 June at Casa Nostra in Osborne Park.

BOLA is a peer membership group for business owners and chief executives.? We seek to take our members beyond achievement to success—the essence of leadership.? Inviting Guest Conversations is a key activity in our group meeting.?

In an in-depth conversation Simon said that the company had been formed with a modest investment after a stint farming fine wool in Hamilton, Victoria. The collapse of the wool price scheme triggered a move away from agriculture.

His father-in-law Brian Heaton, perceived an opportunity in uniforms for the public sector and the long journey began. Winning an early tender, S&HCC assured their customers: “We will not let you down.”?

This became a catch-cry for the company--even when “we had our backs to the wall”.? The culture was also formed on the back of hands-on leadership across all facets of the business.? Spreading to multiple locations and what would become 120 staff, process documentation became vital, in parallel with the founders’ passion.

Today 95% of the supply is to the public sector on tenders.? S&HCC has offices and warehouses in most States, which are supported by 2 dedicated Australian factories.? They also draw on supply from China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Fiji.? Many? of their high performance fabrics come from across the globe.? There is an in-house team of 11 design and product development personnel in the Melbourne office.?

Overall, Simon said, their prices are not the lowest, but the company prides itself on better quality, which leads to longer garment life--creating superior value over time.

Over the 34-year history of the business the company has outfitted hundreds of thousands of fire and emergency services personnel, police officers and other government and corporate personnel across Australia.

They also provide Total Apparel Management (TAM) services, which involves the supply of the customers’ full clothing requirements (head-to-toe) including accoutrements, footwear, protective clothing and a broad range of other personal issue items. Their service includes order processing, procurement, warehouse/distribution, measurement and fitting, product development and customer / management reporting.

Simon said the company had evolved over recent years from “the hunter to the hunted”, seeking to win but also defend long-term contracts.? They had developed a technique for critiquing their own product quality and service and putting a lot of energy into anticipating customer needs and innovation.?

“We are in the solutions business,” he said.

S&HCC had also developed user-friendly software so that officers in the field could receive replacement outfitting quickly and accurately.? They also provided extended warranties, due to their confidence in the garments.

All of these factors led to a strengthening of relationships at all levels.

Simon’s entry into the industry came after an early career with what is now Woodside Energy.? He had grown up on a sheep grazing property in western Victoria and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from Melbourne University.

Much of Simon’s time is spent interstate with the business and his extended family but his home base is Perth where he and his wife have 2 adult daughters and 2 adult sons with diverse careers.

In appreciation of Simon’s conversation with the group, we presented him with a bottle of Moss Wood cabernet sauvignon.

BOLA members will meet next on Friday 19 July, again at Casa Nostra.

Typically, our agenda includes such a Guest Conversation as Simon’s, processing of strategic opportunities raised within the group and leadership development tools and activities.

Prospective members and referrers are invited on request as Paul Manning is continuing to build his BOLA Growth group and Kate De Jong will begin her BOLA Startup group.

In the meantime, each BOLA Prime member will have a monthly coaching session with their BOLA Chair, Jeff.?

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?Next week:?The Next Generation

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About the Author

Jeff Bell?is Principal of executive consultancy ResultsWise in Perth, WA.?To boost your leadership, ask Jeff about Band of Leaders Australia (BOLA) [email protected] and his consulting, coaching and strategy facilitation, or his Advanced Leadership Course [email protected] Mobile 0439 988 662.