From a successful beginning for the company, Barr Property and Planning are now celebrating five years of business.
Starting out with Director Stephen Barr answering phone calls in the backyard and working from the kitchen table, to operating from their Carrington office with a staff of 10, the group have come a long way.
The challenge for the company now is to continue to grow and capitalise on their strong start and the exceptional team they have developed.
Stephen said that the success of their business would not be possible without the input of some key advisory team members.
“I would particularly like to acknowledge the input of the advisory board, Scott Campbell, Jock Carter, Belinda Smith, and Brian Swaine, who have been part of the growth since day one,” Stephen said.
“They have made a significant contribution to the business in providing strategic advice and accountability.”
The company’s service offerings have expanded to include a Social and Economic Business unit providing social and economic impact assessments and analysis. The unit is led by Kirsty Hammer, a qualified Planner and Economist.
As the company’s first employee, Kirsty has continued to develop her skills, completing a Master’s in Economics, and successfully delivering a number of large projects over the past five years.
Barr Property and Planning has also had the chance to provide services to a range of businesses and organisations that have a positive social impact and are always looking for new opportunities to assist these types of organisations.
“We also provide employment for refugees within the office and it has been a privilege to provide even the small amount of assistance after the journey they have been on,” Stephen said.
“I hope that the support we provide will be a positive contribution to both their own success and that of their children”
The company has enjoyed developing partnerships along the way. Some of these partnerships include the Leading Agenda forum, a partnership with the University of Newcastle to deliver a leadership forum twice a year enabling open dialogue and the exchange of ideas between CEOs, MDs and other business and community leaders, academics and postgraduate students from the MBA Program at UoN.
Team members are also encouraged to engage and be closely connected with industry bodies such as Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA), Property Council and the Planning Institute of Australia through membership and committee participation.
Reflecting on the past five years, Stephen Barr said he was excited to see what the future would bring for their company.
“We are looking forward to the next five years and we are very optimistic about the future and the opportunities that will be presented.”
IMAGE | Stephen Barr with Syrian refugee Mustafa Mael (left-right)
