Industry tries nailing down jobs | Fraser Coast News | Local News in Fraser Coast

Carpenter Larry Thompson has been lucky to have had regular work with Kerry Campbell Homes for the last 15 years.

Alistair Brightman

NOT all carpenters have managed to hold on to their jobs as builders move out of the Fraser Coast in search of work, but Larry Thompson scored 15 years ago when he landed steady work with a successful local builder.

His employer, Kerry Campbell Homes, has built homes on the Fraser Coast for 20 years and for the last 15 years has been the biggest builder in the Bay.

With about 80 employees Mr Campbell managed in a period of economic downturn to keep his workers employed.

“Kerry had work pretty much all the way through, right from the start,” Mr Thompson said.

“We've been really lucky over the last few years.”

For the last few months Mr Campbell said they had steadily sold two houses a month.

“It's still down on what we were doing but keeping the business very viable,” he said.

“There's a pretty severe downturn.

“Most guys have been working the last 20 years in the business but at the moment there are a lot of people out of work and there are a lot of people chasing us for work ... and a lot of suppliers are too. They're looking for every bit of work they can get.”

Mr Thompson said the business went from turning out 250 houses a year three years ago to 150 the following year.

“Just before Christmas it died right down and stayed slow all the way through to about February.”

For Mr Campbell it was important to fuel the local building industry and recycle funds back into the area.

“That huge amount of turnover we have is regenerated into the town,” he said.

“We buy locally and employ locally and it gets spent in the local area.”