Elle Cecil
Established in 2007 by husband and wife team John and Anita Ekberg, Coastyle Building Solutions is a family friendly, community proactive company.
Specialising in custom homes, new builds, renovations and extensions, corporate social responsibility (CSR) runs in the veins of Coastyle Building Solutions. Combining a strong local focus, care of its workplace and an eye to the growing needs of the community, Coastyle gives employment to over 40 trades in the region, all while promoting and contributing to local schools and community groups.
“We’re not out to become the biggest builder in Australia, not even slightly interested. We really want to make sure the work we do is very good and that we’re known for our skillsmanship, but also that we’re well known for being active in our community,” Anita explains.
Registered builder John and interior designer Anita are extremely proud of their involvement in the community, from sponsoring and donating to local charities and sporting clubs to employing a team full of local tradespeople.
“We get so involved with the local community, and that’s our business model. We hire local, we work local, all our team are local, we support local suppliers and traders,” Anita says.
“Our proudest achievement is probably the fact that our 12 full-time employees have all come through apprenticeships with us and they want to stay, and that we’ve trained around 20 apprentices to go on to other jobs in the industry.”
As the winner of the 2021 Geelong Business Excellence Awards (GBEAs) Corporate Social Responsibility Award, sponsored by gen U, Coastyle Building Solutions has once again entered the Geelong Business Awards, aiming to add to its collection of achievements, including consecutively winning HIA Victorian Small Professional Builder of the Year six times, and representing Victoria at the National Awards from 2016 to 2021.
Anita explains that the decision to enter the GBEAs this year is a testament to the hard work of Coastyle’s amazing staff and that it helps to highlight the increasing need for businesses to support the local community.
“Doing the Geelong Business Excellence Awards, it gives us a chance to really focus on why we’re doing things and that our focus is on being part of the local socioeconomic group and how important it is that we are part of Geelong,” Anita says.
“It’s a real chance to have a look at your business from the inside out, but then also have somebody else look at your business and show you ways you can improve. It’s the opportunity to step away from the day-to-day running and really think about who you are, where you’re going and what you want to achieve.”
The 2022 Geelong Business Excellence Awards are proudly brought to you by major sponsor LBW Business and Wealth Advisors.
The awards are open to clever, creative and connected businesses, business leaders and young entrepreneurs, and provide a platform to celebrate businesses that have adapted, survived or thrived over the last 12 months.
Entries to the 2022 Geelong Business Excellence Awards are now open and close on July 15. You do not need to be nominated to enter the awards.
For more information and to enter the awards, visit www.gbea.com.au.
