How a humble electrical business is helping builders move faster, communicate better, and grow stronger teams, without the noise.
The spark behind the partnership
When The Good Builder launched, one of the first people to back the idea was electrician and business owner Alan Brannick. As Aaron recalled on the podcast: “He was the first person to actually believe in The Good Builder… he’s got a special place in our heart here.”
For Brannick, that early support wasn’t a marketing play. It was a philosophy.
“It hit home a bit, just trying to get a bit more of a community, a bit more partnerships, build something, get everyone on the same page,” he said. “You always see the negative things, but it’s good to start being positive… some good collaborations and partnerships.”
That mindset has shaped the way New Home Electrical Specialists partners with builders. In an industry wrestling with red tape, supply swings, and tight timelines, Brannick’s business has focused on the things they can control: responsiveness, communication, and a smooth client journey.
Control what you can: Speed through smarter partnerships
There’s no shortage of external headwinds right now, from code changes to approvals. Builders can’t fix all of it. But they can choose partners who reduce friction.
“You can control some of the choices you make when you choose a partner,” Aaron said. “You make the build process so much more efficient and quicker for builders.”
Brannick’s view is pragmatic:
“With the speed of construction, you’ve got to be flexible and agile,” he said. “It seems to be feast or famine. One week you’ve got a lot of work, the next week a drop-off. It’s having strategies for both, so with the influx of work you can still hit dates and schedules.”
That agility, he stresses, is built on pre-planned options, from trusted subcontractor relationships to labour-hire contingencies, so the schedule keeps moving when the pipeline surges or dips. Once those options are documented and used a few times, “it just becomes part of the norm.”
“From A to B make it easy”
Ask Brannick how his team differentiates and he doesn’t talk about products or brands. He talks about the experience.
“Builders, whatever trade it may be, you’re always going to get from A to B. What we try and do is make that experience from A to B easy,” he said. “Basically, we’re flying under the radar so you don’t even know we’re there.”
That “invisible” delivery stems from a mix of tech and discipline:
- Job management systems to keep stages, plans and quality checks tight.
- Structured communications that are largely scripted and automated, with manual attention when something is technical or sensitive.
- Root-cause fixes when something isn’t easy: “If it’s a tooling issue, a material issue, a training issue, whatever it may be, let’s get to the root cause and make it easy.”
The north star is simplicity. “We shouldn’t be making this hard,” Brannick said. “It should be simple, easy.”
Communication as a core value (especially when it’s bad news)
Every builder has been burned by silence, particularly when something goes wrong. Brannick is blunt about it.
“Communication, whether it’s good or bad, it’s got to be communicated,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s not always done early enough. A lot of the time it’s because it’s on the bad side and people don’t want to communicate, but we’re learning and training the team to approach it differently.”
That’s not a poster on a wall; it’s embedded into process. Status updates aren’t ad hoc; they’re baked into the workflow. The result is fewer surprises and fewer days lost to “waiting for an answer.”
It echoes what another guest, Tony from Creation Homes, told us: the best trades are considerate of who follows after them. Brannick agrees and operationalises it so what he finishes today sets the next trade up well tomorrow.
Taking the client off the builder’s plate
For many builders, electrical design and client selections can chew time fast. Depending on the partner builder’s setup, New Home Electrical Specialist will take that entire journey.
“For some of our partners, we’ll do a design,” Brannick said. “Some companies have their own electrical/lighting consultants; for some of our clients, we’ll sit down and put together the package of options the new homeowner will get. We design a package to suit that builder’s ideal client.”
Critically, the team liaises directly with the homeowner, manages the documentation, and returns final plans with the builder’s mark-ups incorporated; a clean hand-back that reduces back-and-forth and shortens the administrative tail.
Why experience beats spec sheets
In many categories the end product is similar. What decides winners is the process.
The workmanship is non-negotiable, But how did the process go? That’s how you rate a partnership.
Brannick doesn’t argue.
“It’s the ease of the experience and always coming back to our core values,” he said. “Everyone can install and get from A to B, but the client experience determines success or failure.”
For builders juggling dozens of moving parts, that matters. A good experience closes out faster. A bad one lingers and compounds.
Building people: apprentices, pathways, and pride
Away from schedules and systems, there’s a human story. The New Home Electrical Specialists has been steadily developing apprentices and celebrating their progression.
“We’ve had a few recently,” Brannick said. “One of the guys just finished his capstone, he’s now a tradesman. Quinn, congrats, Quinn. Great bloke.”
Is it rewarding to see that journey?
“Very rewarding,” he said. “Seeing him come from first-year apprentice all the way through, it’s satisfying.”
The pipeline is strong. Electrical is popular, and they receive regular applications “two or three every fortnight.” They also work alongside HIA programs, and many hires come through word of mouth.
“We’ve not really advertised; it’s been word of mouth,” Brannick said, an outcome Aaron linked to trust: “You only give word of mouth when you fully trust the company.”
There’s also a family currently running through the business. Brannick’s dad works in the company, and his son Preston has started as a school-based apprentice.
“He comes and does two days a week,” Brannick said. “We’ll see how it goes… but it’s very good.”
Culture you can feel
If you’ve ever worked inside a family business, you know the difference. There’s a stick-together feel that shapes decisions, not just posters.
Aaron reflected on stories from other builders about shared lunches, simple rituals, and the loyalty they create. Brannick nodded along, quietly proud, but still humble.
“We’ve got a great team,” he said. “We align everything with our values, the team’s got the buy-in.”
That humility shows up in small moments too, like their recent golf day. “I was second last,” he laughed. “Luke won, he smashed it.”
Data, socials, and the next step
The new financial year has brought a fresh push on two fronts: data and visibility.
“We’ve set our targets,” Brannick said. “A few things on the back end with reports and reporting software, getting the correct data so we can make decisions.”
And then there’s socials. For a self-confessed behind-the-scenes operator, getting on camera hasn’t been natural, but he’s leaning in.
“We’re pushing the socials and it’s good I’m enjoying it,” he said. They have been introducing team members, “some of the young fellas and the young ladies in the team” and sharing more of the story.
It’s part of gearing up for measured growth.
“We’re ready for a bit of growth,” Brannick said. “We’ve got apprentices turning into tradesmen, which will allow us to bring more apprentices in. It opens capacity.”
What this means for builders
Put all of this together and you get a partner that reduces mental load, keeps clients engaged, and protects the schedule, especially in the messy middle of a build.
- Agile capacity means fewer “we’re booked out” roadblocks.
- Structured communications mean fewer surprises and faster decisions.
- End-to-end client liaison takes a chunk of admin off your team.
- Values-led culture shows up as reliability onsite.
- A steady apprentice pipeline strengthens resourcing for the long haul.
Or, as Brannick sums it up:
“If it’s not easy, let’s get to the root cause and make it easy.”
For an industry that often overcomplicates the simple, that’s a refreshing promise.
The Good Builder take
If you’re looking to shave time off your program without gambling on quality, start with partners who treat process as a product. The New Home Electrical Specialist doesn’t shout about it, but the systems, the cadence of communication, and the way they own the homeowner journey are exactly what helps builders move faster with fewer headaches. In a market where so much is out of your control, this is one lever you can pull.
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