About Dave
David Gullis is the Business Development Director of Fabritecture and an influential personality in the industry. Dave is well-recognized in the fabric structure marketplace having built solid relationships over the 17 years since Fabritecture’ s inception and is recognized as an influential contributor within the tensile fabric structure industry.
Q: How did you get started in this business?
DG: I started in the fabric structure business over 20 years ago, originally working in Australia and Europe for various companies, and then eventually in the USA. I began working with the US office of Universal Fabric Structures (UFS) in 1997, where I rapidly advanced from Installer, to Supervisor, then to Construction Manager.
In 2000, I relocated to Australia where I founded the Australasian branch of UFS, which later became Fabritecture. As Director of Marketing and Business Development, I have been responsible for generating new business, forging strong and lasting relationships in the industry, and meeting the company’s sales targets over the last 17 years.
Q: Can you describe your customers / what type of customers do you have?
DG: As a specialist design and construct contractor, our clients are quite diverse, and include top tier architects, developers, and general contractors. Our work typically begins in the design stages of a project, working with top tier architects and structural engineers.
During this stage, we usually assist with various design elements of complex tensile fabric structures, ETFE cladding, and other special architectural projects.
Once a Principal Contractor for a project has been awarded, we then continue to develop designs, and construct the project alongside the Principal Contractor (who are generally top tier General Construction companies).
Q: What are some of your “keys to success” in building your customer base?
DG: First and foremost, our greatest key to lasting success over the last 17 years has been our ability as a company to establish and forge strong and lasting relationships – founded on trust and integrity – with our clients and key industry players.
The strength of communication from our project management team throughout the duration of each project sets us apart. We offer our advice to architects and structural engineers early on in concept design, and once we are awarded the D&C subcontract for the structure in question, our projects team communicates effectively and consistently with all stakeholders through to completion, and thereafter.
Q: Is there anything about your business that you feel makes it special?
DG: There are so many things that set us apart in our industry. We are fearless. We will take on a project no matter how complex, and work with the design team to bring even the most outlandish visions to fruition.
Our Sydney Wildlife World project is an example of that, and demonstrates our passion for what we do. Both myself, my business partner, Jethro Jones, and our entire team are truly passionate about every aspect of the business, our clients, and our amazing portfolio of projects.
Project: Sydney Wildlife World
Most importantly, what makes us truly unique in this industry is our commitment to always keep our promises: we always deliver what we say we will – in terms of safety, quality, time, and budget. We strive to exceed our client’s expectations through every step and stage of a project’s life cycle, and beyond.
Our projects are completed to the highest quality and safety standards. Cutting corners can be rife in our industry, and that is something we have never done. We deliver quality in all aspects of our project delivery.
Q: Where do you see your business in the next year? In the next five years? In the next ten years?
DG: In order to sustain the rapid growth we have encountered in the past decade, we adopt a “CANI” attitude… Constant And Never-ending Improvement. We will continue to improve efficiencies in our corporate processes – in our Quality Management Systems, our Safety Systems, our Human Resources, and our Product Development – to become better in all aspects of what we do.
In particular, we expect to see continued grow in our range of Product Offerings and the variety of materials with which we work, in particular, our “special projects” offerings.
Project: Westfield Chermside Urchin
Whilst we will continue to focus on design and construction of large and complex tensioned membrane and ETFE clad structures (particularly for stadia and large retail, infrastructure and educational developments), as well as modular fabric structures for industrial and aviation projects, we will also continue to expand our “Special Projects”, which involve the design and construction of other types of cladding on art/feature projects and intelligent facades.
Dave’s Background
Dave started with the company in the US in 1997, where he rapidly advanced from Installer, to Supervisor, then Manager. He relocated to Australia in 2000, where he started Universal Fabric Structures, which later became Fabritecture.
With broad experience as an installer, construction manager, and Project Manager, Dave has extensive knowledge of fabric structures from the ground up and naturally transitioned into selling where his primary objective is to generate new business and meet the company’s sales targets, whilst overseeing the Business Development & Marketing Departments.
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