Hewshott Celebrates 10 Successful Years in Australia
2019 was a significant milestone for Hewshott. It marks 10 years since Peter Hunt took the decision to expand the Groups customer-driven approach to AV consulting into the Australian market.
How it all began
When Group CEO, Peter Hunt initially moved back to Australia in 2009, it was not with the intention of setting up a new office. Perth was the hub from where he would manage the wider Hewshott Asia Pacific landscape. At that time, more than half of the Group’s global business was being undertaken across Asia. But after noticing a lack of AV consultants in the local market and with years of industry experience under his belt, Peter’s entrepreneurial spirit won out; and thus, Hewshott Australia was born.
The AV market in Perth, c. 2009
Back in 2009, Perth had a strong design and build market, but lacked dedicated AV consultants. Although Perth was a booming commodities and business market, the city had just started to get going. There was clearly a need for expertise but limited options for clients to turn to. AV work was undertaken under the electrical banner or using established consultants from the Eastern seaboard. This was not a sustainable mode of operation as the AV market was courting convergence with IT. Depth of enterprise experience grew in demand as clients looked for solutions to international standards and embraced forward thinking. The integration of AV with their network underlined the undeniable need for a world-class AV consultant resident in Perth.
As Perth grew, so did we
Fuelled by the mining boom, Western Australia was a significant contributor to the country’s GDP for several years. Consequently, a fair share of Hewshott Australia’s early projects were government ones, funded by royalty revenues. Hewshott will always strive to deliver to the highest standards. As we handed over large, complex projects, our clients experienced the difference. With this unrivalled level of client service, backed by strong engineering capabilities and growing international presence, the demand for Hewshott’s services Down Under grew exponentially.
Hewshott Australia’s expanding portfolio
Hewshott Australia consulted in AV and acoustics from the outset. They added dedicated IT consultancy to their portfolio within 2 years – the first Hewshott office to proactively address the convergences between AV and IT. As the office grew in capacity and stature, Hewshott Australia quickly cemented its reputation as a leading consultancy firm in the three related disciplines.
Growing to 12 members of staff at their peak, the Australian office was responsible for delivering a high number of large, complex projects throughout the Perth CBD, sports arenas that included the WACA and Perth Arena, and further afield, projects in many major towns and cities across Australia, including the ‘Red Centre’ of Alice Springs.
Beneath its shiny offices and global corporate HQs, Perth has kept its country town feel – a tight-knit community where a strong network of business relationships is a big part of the city’s appeal. However, this can mean it is a difficult market to break into.
Looking ahead
Nowadays, Perth is rapidly expanding and moving increasingly onto the global stage. With global corporations and organisations setting up world-class facilities in Perth, Hewshott Australia, with their unparalleled international experience and refreshingly honest approach is well placed to work in partnership with clients to deliver some exciting and creative world firsts.
Dedicated to core global Hewshott values of independence, integrity, collaboration and pragmatism, Hewshott’s Australian office continues to flourish. Perfectly positioned and excited for the next 10 years, Hewshott Australia is one of Hewshott’s offices to specialise in the interdependent and converging markets of acoustics, audio visual, technology and theatre!
To learn more, please visit our website or contact our Perth office directly on Australia@hewshott.com
