It was a conversation late one afternoon in a Kalgoorlie pub that first caught the attention of James Hammond, a stonemason by trade. It was over damage caused to heritage properties and buildings in the Western Australian town of Boulder during an earthquake in 2010.
“I was in the pub and overheard someone say, ‘We need someone to do all this heritage building work, who are we going to get?” James recalled.
“Hey boys, you need a stonemason?” he quipped in return.
This fortuitous conversation led James to work restoring heritage buildings in the area and opening his building firm, Hammond Homes WA, based out of Mandurah.
In 2020, business was growing at a furious pace with new home builds rising despite the pandemic. James found himself in need of a reliable trade transport vehicle to tackle his growing client list and bring the tools safely to the worksite.
James approached Major Motors Forrestfield and with a stroke of luck got his hands on an NPR 45-155 AMT MWB Tradepack in AL Grey paint with 50th anniversary Major Motors badges in record time, upgrading from his tried-and-true 2014 model NPR 45-155.
“I consider myself lucky, in the right place at the right time and I was able to get my newest Tradepack within a matter of weeks after speaking with Peter Dewar from Major Motors,” James said.
“My Isuzu truck is my everyday vehicle; I’ve travelled 21,870 kilometres over the past year and driving it’s absolutely sublime.”
With fresh signage done locally by the team at 4 Signs, James's Tradepack displays the Hammond Homes logo wherever he travels, equating to a lot of on-road advertising.
THE GOLDEN TICKET
Growing up in England and under advice from his father, James studied a bricklaying apprenticeship at college after leaving high school.
From there, he went on to study stonemasonry—a choice that would eventually set him on the course to his successful career and business in Australia.
“I never would have thought that my stonemasonry ticket my dad made me get would become my Willy Wonka's golden ticket,” said James.
“For me, running my own business means a 16-hour day, mixed with activity, on-and-off the tools, doing quotes, walk-arounds of sites and supervision of builds.”
He’s supported by his wife Pam, who has a vital role within Hammond Homes working with clients and keeping the back end of the business operating smoothly.
James and Pam on site at a client's build
TRADIE'S BEST FRIEND
“The demand for houses in Western Australia is like nothing we have seen in recent history, there is so much pressure for new homes,” James goes on to describe.
“At Hammond Homes we definitely pride ourselves on excellence and making sure everything's done right for our clients so that they get what they want and more.”
With a GVM of 4,500 kg and a GCM of 9,000 kg, the Tradepack can tow all the machinery Hammond Homes needs and can carry an assortment of tools at the same time.
There is additional space on the heavy-duty aluminium tray to store building materials, and with the medium-wheelbase NPR 45-155 Tradepack’s nominal payload of just over 1,500 kg, it’s made loading up safely each day a breeze for James.
Removable drop-down sides and a rear tailgate on the Tradepack make the process quick and accessible, saving time each morning and on the job.
Powered by the staunch Isuzu 4HK1-TCN 4-cylinder, 16 valve engine, the NPR Tradepack offers 114 kW (155PS) @ 2,600 rpm and 419 Nm @ 1,600 - 2,600 rpm. According to James, it’s simply the complete package for the smart tradie, supplying grunt, payload and panache while transporting staff, supplies and equipment to the jobsite.
FIT FOR PURPOSE
“When I purchased my previous Isuzu truck, I knew I’d never go back to a ute and trailer, and I'd never go back to anything less than a 4.5-metre tray because it’s such a game changer,” said James.
It may seem a minor point of difference, but the Tradepack’s extra tray length compared to a ute makes for a major improvement to Hammond Home's work efficiency, especially when hiring equipment for the job site such as excavators from Little Diggers Rockingham, which is just one of the local businesses worked with routinely.
The Tradepack’s signature ladder racks are a firm favourite with James, marking a huge improvement on his ability to carry large and long equipment.
There are other smart appointments to entice a modern-day tradie such as James, like the 10.1-inch MyIsuzu AV unit with capacitive touchscreen.
“I often take calls while I am driving, and with multimedia unit, the calls come through crystal clear.
“It’s so easy to operate, I think it’s one of the best changes to the cab and dashboard over the years.”
BEST IN SERVICE
James is keen to continue impressing Hammond Homes clients with great workmanship and a reputation for delivering builds on time.
To assist with this, he opted for an Isuzu Service Agreement with his new truck purchase to keep it performing at its best and jobs reliably ticking over.
“The Service Agreement from Isuzu Trucks has been fantastic and keeps my Tradepack on the road with no worries,” said James.
Peter Dewar, Sales Manager at Major Motors Forrestfield confirmed that James had chosen the right truck in the NPR 45-155 Tradepack to help him achieve his business goals.
“It’s tidily specified for trades such as construction, making a perfect fit for his business,” Peter said.
“The added bonus of Isuzu’s Service Agreement for James was very important, as he was conscious about the total cost of ownership while wanting to avoid downtime and invest in preventative maintenance.”
James noted that maintaining his truck with quality servicing was high on his list of priorities as a responsible business owner.
“I think that keeping on top of your servicing is very important and I’m a believer in getting my truck serviced in-house with Major Motors.
“With Isuzu, what you see is what you get… the customer service is next to none, and the product is reliable.
“I’ve driven other truck brands, and they don’t even come close to comparing.
“I’m looking forward to expanding Hammond Homes WA and seeing where that brings me with more staff and more Isuzu trucks in the future,” James concluded.
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