2020 The Year That Was – A Word from Craig Honeyman

People know me to be a very positive, passionate person however there’s no way to write a recap of 2020 without mentioning the pandemic and natural disasters. That said, I believe this year has taught the world a great deal. Narrowing in specifically on our industry, we’ve had a crash course in adversity and how to deal with it and the way the industry has rallied has been absolutely incredible.

From challenges come opportunity. We could all sit back and talk about how bad the world is or how adverse events have affected us. Or we can control the controllables and do something with them. Challenges are always there. Beat one and another will be along soon enough.

The surprising upturn of the pandemic

With so many Australians at home due to lockdown, the home improvement urge surged. Who would have thought that homeowners would start building decks amid an impending recession? Our decking market, which usually starts around Bathurst time (September/October) exploded back in April, then gained momentum and pushed out to June/July which is just unprecedented.

Following some of the most catastrophic bushfires in Australia’s history, the industry was challenged to still produce timber with burnt logs. Through all the negativity, challenges and setbacks from the droughts, bushfires and Covid-19, the industry (and Accurate Group) has managed to become stronger and more agile. In September and October, the housing market experienced the most significant increase in approvals since 2002. Consequently, our company is heading into 2021 with even more orders and even more confidence in the timber industry and its secure future. Today, the real battle is to manage the timber supplies available to us and strategise how we’re going to produce it.

Four keys to success in 2021

Based on what I’ve seen this year in terms of positive steps forward, I believe proactivity has replaced complacency in a big way. I think as a national, perhaps even global business community, we had it too good for too long. Consider the following for next year:

• Cohesion strategies – Assembling the right people, tools, machinery and expertise is going to be even more critical to production.
• Hone your competitive edge – 2021 is going to be about integrating advanced equipment with current technology into businesses.
• Innovate, don’t stagnate - Adapting to create new income streams has proven to be a real game-changer for our customers in 2020.
• Refocus on the customer – Making it easy for customers to do business with you has never been more important.

For me personally, 2020 has been a milestone year

It has enabled me to spend the vast majority of my time closer to home, working on the business and being contactable and available. This has had such a positive impact that I can’t wait to see what unfolds in the future.

Just like nearly everyone else, Covid-19 hit all three of our companies. Our staff were pushed on to half weeks and half salary, but even though none of us knew how long it would take to come out the other side, they got on with what had to be done. The sacrifices our magnificent people made for the greater benefit of all has, for me, been the most revealing positive outcome of 2020.

I cannot wait for 2021. What could have been disastrous for our business and the industry as a whole has turned out to be a gigantic lesson that has gifted us with new strategies, greater resilience and a huge determination to never give up. And let’s not forget, whilst we’re extremely fortunate to live where we do, the global pandemic is not over. Keep your eye on the prize and never let your guard down. We can’t let adversity win; there’s too much good to experience out there.