Home is Where the Heart is

What Domenic Morolla is striving to achieve above all else at Endeavour Homes is deceptively simple: to make the houses they build ‘homes’.

“A home is where the heart is,” he tells The CEO Magazine. “It’s tied to that nostalgia when you go home, and the memories, the smell, the look, the feel.”

Indeed, the way Morolla sees it, the Perth-based construction company is responsible for providing much more than just a canvas that the owner can imprint their own style into – it’s about listening to the needs of the client, so that beautiful, new memories can be made within the bricks and mortar of an Endeavour home.

“The industry has increased twofold, if not threefold, in volume.”

And Morolla understands how this can be achieved.

“We’re increasing the number of display homes, which increases the portfolio to give our new clients the opportunity to select something that they remember, that they can actually choose from,” Morolla explains.

“So if it’s a small house, a big house, however we determine it, kitchen at the front, kitchen at the back – whatever brings back memories, we’re trying to accommodate that as a portfolio.”

Maintaining a Vision

Since The CEO Magazine last checked in on Endeavour in mid-2021, things have only accelerated for the business. Throw a post-pandemic climate into the mix, and it’s understandable that Morolla describes the past few years as challenging.

“The industry has increased twofold, if not threefold, in volume,” he says. “We haven’t stopped! And what we’ve had to do is manage the amount of volume to actually maintain the values and the mission and vision of Endeavour.”

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Materials and labor have been very difficult to acquire through these last periods, he explains.

“It’s still very busy at the moment, materials are difficult and labor’s difficult, but we do see it relaxing a little, which means that over the next six months it could get back to a more controllable time.”

In particular, Morolla says it’s been vital to keep the client abreast of the situation while meeting their expectations in a realistic manner.

A Winning Team

That said, Morolla emphasizes that it’s also provided an opportunity to reflect on the strength of Endeavour as a team, and celebrate the wins along the way.

“There have been cost increases across the industry, so it’s about looking at how our staff and contractors and partners can work together to mitigate those potential increases that can cause, unfortunately, financial losses within the building industry,” he reflects.

The Endeavour secret to weathering those storms is “pure communication”. “I stand in the corner as General Manager, of course, but it’s more like wow, look at how the staff have handled such a tough situation,” he enthuses.

“I mean we’re not done, but we’re definitely getting through it and it’s a proud moment, honestly, because these people have been amazing, and without them, we wouldn’t be who we are. So it’s been amazing and it’s who we stand for, it’s what we do.”

“Never lose sight of your core business and the people you are working for.”

For a business as fixated on the customer experience as Endeavour, a reliance on exceptional partners is paramount. With a family mentality that prioritizes trust and transparency, Endeavour has built a small but mighty network of suppliers.

“We’ve got a number of people that we’ve been lucky enough to work with, or partner with,” Morolla says. “And honestly, without them, the story could be very different, in a sad way. They are amazing people, and as an example, the relationship with the ceiling company goes back nearly 30 years.”

Ultimately, when it comes to what makes Endeavour as successful as it is, Morolla puts it down to three key factors. “Firstly, the importance of staff and the partnerships of suppliers and contractors,” he explains.

“Number two, never lose sight of your core business and the people you are working for. And that’s our clients. The third, always look to the future. We come to work to enjoy it, obviously, but also there’s a reason why we come to work. It’s to create a livelihood at home or a lifestyle. So the future protects the people that protect us.”