Putting the Client into “Focus”
Hands-On Leadership, Trusted Delivery, and Steady Growth in a Demanding Market
In an industry where reputation is built one project at a time, Focus Building Company has established itself as a dependable and highly respected name in Western Australia’s construction sector. Since its founding in 2013, the company has carved out a strong niche in retail and education, delivering quality projects through a hands-on leadership model, trusted subcontractor relationships, and a clear commitment to doing things the right way.
Today, Focus Building Company specializes primarily in shopping center developments and private school projects. With approximately 26 employees and an annual turnover expected to reach about $75 million this year, the company has grown steadily by staying disciplined, relationship-driven, and focused on consistent execution.
According to General Manager and Director Shaun Hughes, the company’s growth has been deliberate and shaped by both market realities and a strong understanding of where its strengths lie.
“Focus Building was founded back in November 2013 by Kevin Luttrell and Adrian Ridderhof,” Hughes explains. “They had been former partners in another company and started doing some of their own developments before getting calls from other developers asking if they would take on projects. From there, we started growing the business to cater to the retail and private school sectors.”
That strategy proved effective. By 2018, the business had grown to roughly $75 million in turnover. Then, in response to an increasingly competitive market, the company intentionally scaled back before beginning to rebuild in the post-COVID recovery period. That measured approach has positioned Focus Building Company well in what remains a challenging environment.
Built Around Leadership and Accessibility
One of the clearest themes to emerge from Hughes’ description of the company is the importance of accessibility at the leadership level. Unlike firms where decision-making can be slowed by layers of management, Focus Building Company takes pride in its direct and responsive structure.
“My business partners and I are quite hands-on in the business,” Hughes says. “We’re involved in the day-to-day activities, and we’re available. If there’s an issue, we can deal with it straight away. We don’t have to go through different chains of management.”
That philosophy has become a defining characteristic of the company’s internal culture. Employees are supported by leaders who are active in the business, visible on projects, and invested in outcomes. The result is a collaborative environment that keeps teams aligned and problems moving toward resolution quickly.
“It’s really important to us to deliver a good product,” Hughes adds. “It’s not just the Focus name that’s attached to the business — our own names are involved too. That matters.”
This sense of personal accountability shapes both internal operations and client interactions. Clients know they can pick up the phone, call a director, and speak to someone who has firsthand knowledge of the project. That level of engagement is increasingly rare, and it has become a meaningful differentiator for the company.
Growing Through Reputation, Not Promotion
While many construction firms invest heavily in marketing and business development campaigns, Focus Building Company has largely grown through referrals, relationships, and repeat opportunities.
“We don’t do a great deal of promotion,” Hughes says. “Word of mouth is generally where our business comes from.”
That word of mouth has been built over years of delivering projects successfully for project managers, developers, and institutional clients. In sectors like retail and private education, where trust and reliability are paramount, a strong track record often speaks louder than a polished pitch deck.
“Clients and project managers know our track record,” Hughes explains. “If there’s a retail project or a private school project that comes up, there’s a good chance we’ll be asked about it.”
The company’s value proposition goes far beyond simply completing construction work. Focus Building Company takes a highly engaged role throughout the project lifecycle, often raising concerns or suggesting design improvements even under construct-only contracts.
“If we see something that we think is going to cause a long-term maintenance issue or a water ingress issue, we’ll push them to review the details and work through solutions,” Hughes says. “We want to make sure the client actually achieves the goal they set out to achieve.”
That mindset reflects a broader commitment to relationship-building. For Focus Building Company, success is not measured solely by margin, but by whether the outcome meets the client’s expectations and stands the test of time.
Practical Technology That Supports Performance
Focus Building Company may describe itself as operating with a relatively straightforward technology stack, but it has made thoughtful investments in systems that improve efficiency and project oversight.
About five years ago, the company adopted Procore as part of its construction management suite. It has also developed its own internal cost-control system, based on the Excel platform and tailored specifically to the company’s operational needs. Most recently, Focus Building Company began rolling out HammerTech to strengthen and streamline health and safety management.
“We’re just about to start using HammerTech for our health and safety,” Hughes says. “A lot of our systems were paper-based in the past, so moving to online and application-based systems has been a really good move, especially around document control.”
This transition has helped reduce administrative burden while improving accessibility and consistency across projects. At the same time, the company recognizes the growing role of technology among its subcontractors and consultants, particularly in areas such as 3D modeling, BIM coordination, CAD, and Revit.
“The use of 3D modeling has helped everyone immensely in the industry,” Hughes notes. “Especially with steel and coordination of services. On shopping center projects, we spend a lot of time coordinating services with our consultants and trades, so technology has definitely helped streamline that process.”
Rather than pursuing technology for its own sake, Focus Building Company appears to favor practical systems that reduce friction, improve visibility, and support stronger project delivery.
Strong Partnerships for Better Outcomes
As Hughes points out, a builder is only as good as the subcontractors it engages. For that reason, Focus Building Company places significant emphasis on selecting the right partners.
“We subcontract out all the building works, so we’re only as good as our subcontractors,” he says.
“We look at capability, resourcing, and whether they’re people we feel we can work with.”
The company balances long-standing trade relationships with a willingness to bring in newer subcontractors when appropriate. That approach allows Focus Building Company to manage risk while still broadening its network and identifying strong new partners.
Importantly, the company is not driven by low-price procurement.
“We don’t just look for the cheapest submissions,” Hughes explains. “We look for the best value. If someone’s cheap, they might take a lot more time to manage, and you may not get the best quality outcome.”
Among the subcontractor relationships Hughes highlighted as particularly impactful are Team Electrical, Mechanical Project Management (MPM), and WTS Mechanical Services. These partnerships, built on trust and performance, have helped support the company’s ability to deliver consistent results across multiple projects.
Embracing Sustainability and Safety Standards
Although Focus Building Company is not currently running a major standalone sustainability campaign, it is actively participating in Green Star-rated projects and strengthening its environmental management awareness.
The company maintains accreditation under ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001, reflecting an ongoing commitment to quality, environmental responsibility, and workplace safety.
“We are starting to be a bit more aware of our carbon footprint and managing that,” Hughes says. “That’s something that’s coming more into the environmental management system.”
At present, one of the company’s key operational initiatives is the rollout of HammerTech, which Hughes says will help streamline the health and safety management suite. It is another example of the company investing in structure and systems that support long-term efficiency and accountability.
Navigating Labor Shortages and Industry Pressure
Like many firms in the construction sector, Focus Building Company is contending with one of the industry’s most pressing challenges: workforce capacity.
“The biggest challenge is finding good quality people and good quality trades,” Hughes says. “There is a big shortage of experienced workers in the market at the moment.”
He notes that the issue is particularly acute among structural trades, with mining and resource-sector demand having pulled experienced workers away from commercial construction. In many cases, people have risen into more senior roles without the depth of experience that would traditionally accompany those positions.
“There’s too much work out there for the current workforce,” Hughes says. “We just don’t have the capacity in the industry.”
This shortage places added importance on strong subcontractor partnerships, internal structure, and practical leadership — all areas where Focus Building Company has made deliberate investments.
Focused on Stability and Smart Growth
Looking ahead, the company’s goals are centered less on aggressive expansion and more on controlled, sustainable performance. Hughes is clear that bigger is not always better.
“We don’t want to turn over more than $100 million a year,” he says. “I’d like to stay under that threshold.”
Instead, Focus Building Company is aiming for a stable operating model with four to five projects running concurrently, ideally anchored by one larger project in the $40 million to $50 million range and complemented by several smaller ones.
The next phase of growth is also tied to building the right management structure as senior partners begin to step back incrementally.
“It’s about making sure we have the right management structure to keep everything moving along like clockwork,” Hughes says.
That measured, self-aware approach may be one of the company’s greatest strengths. In a market often defined by volatility, Focus Building Company is choosing discipline over overreach, substance over show, and steady delivery over unnecessary noise.
With strong leadership, trusted trade relationships, and a clear understanding of what it does best, Focus Building Company is well-positioned to continue building quality projects — and lasting client confidence — for years to come.
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AT A GLANCE
Who: Focus Building
What: A leading commercial builder specializing in retail and educational construction, always putting the client first
Where: Leaderville, Western Australia
Website: www.focusbuilding.net.au
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