Decking Direct CEO Murdoch Razmi (right), with brother and COO Ash Razmi (left) and director Sam Stansfield.
Decking Direct CEO Murdoch Razmi (right), with brother and COO Ash Razmi (left) and director Sam Stansfield.
Having recently sold a business, Murdoch Razmi was looking for his next venture. Now the CEO of Decking Direct, Razmi talks to the Herald about how he got involved in the decking and outdoor construction industry.
What is Decking Direct?
Decking Direct is a full service provider for backyard transformations.We are a dedicated decking and outdoor construction retail store which simplifies the building process by offering an end-to-end quote-to-completion service.
People who want a new deck, fence, balustrade, pergola or louvres for their home can come to Decking Direct, see and touch the built options in the showroom, then be guided through the process by our qualified staff who manage the quote, design and build stages.
Basically, we take the pain out of the backyard building process.
Sam Stansfield, one of Decking Direct’s directors, already had an established decking business in Northland when he came to me with the idea of creating a retail showroom experience for backyard building, much like what exists for the flooring and kitchen industries.
Sam knew getting a new deck or fence built can be a major headache - he had heard a few too many horror stories in his time. So he wanted to provide a slick service which showed people what they were getting before it was built and then managed the entire process from end to end.
Having recently sold a business, I was looking for my next venture. This seemed like a smart idea and an exciting opportunity as there’s nothing else like it in New Zealand. So I proposed to Sam that we work together, alongside my brother Ash Razmi - Decking Direct’s COO, who had also sold his business, to take the concept nationally (and hopefully beyond).
How does it stand out from others in a similar space?
Our current competitors are residential builders and the well-known big building supply stores, however, there’s no one else offering a one-stop shop like us.
First, we take the hassle out of finding a builder as we have our own qualified local builders working for us, then we show you all the decking and fencing options available on the market and what they look like built in our showroom, then we come out and measure and quote, and then we build it for you.
What were you doing before Decking Direct?
I’ve been a management consultant for the last two years and owned a few businesses. Most recently I sold a performance marketing agency I started seven years ago called Powerhouse. My brother Ash was also running his own business in the FMCG space, a successful wholesale dry foods company called Bootleg Food Co, until he sold it this year. Sam has also run a successful decking and fencing business for the last seven years called FDR Construction, which we merged with Decking Direct earlier this year.
Decking Direct’s Takapuna showroom.
How big is your team?
The organisation’s total headcount currently sits at about 25. Our business modelling has us at 60 staff by the end of the year and 150 by the end of the year following. While we are gearing up for a substantial growth trajectory, we’re also about making sure we hire the right people. Our company values and demand for excellence will never be compromised, as that’s the whole reason we started this in the first place.
What have been the biggest challenges getting the business to this point?
The vast discrepancy in standards across the board. Coming into this new industry, where efficiency is low, technology adoption is minimal and customer service seems to be an afterthought, we’ve been very surprised by how hard it is to make things happen.
It’s easy to succumb to a lower standard but we want to help transform this industry so we’re sticking to our core values and making sure we still offer the highest possible value, quality and service.
Decking Direct is a full service provider for backyard transformations, offering an end-to-end quote-to-completion service.
Where do you see the business in the next two to three years?
In the next couple of years we’re aiming for national coverage with 12-25 stores in key suburbs and cities across the country. We’re also wanting to offer more innovative products and customer experiences like augmented reality deck designing and measuring, and finding more innovative installation methods so we can improve on safety, speed, and efficiency.
What’s your advice for budding entrepreneurs?
1. Be relentless with your standards, time and execution. Focus is key so learn to say “no” to anything that doesn’t align with your vision, values and mission.
2. Expand your time horizons, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Think 5-10-20 years ahead. If you want to build a sizable organisation, you won’t be able to do this without time, regardless of how much capital or resources you have.
3. Continuously improve. Aim for small wins every day; this could be revenue, margin or productivity. Over time these results compound, and the longer your time horizon the more substantial the gain.
4. Stay healthy. You can work 120-hour weeks for short seasons but it’s not sustainable. Make sure to take breaks, eat well and get some exercise. A long weekend off isn’t going to hurt your results in the long run.
