Hello and welcome to our company. My name is Russell Wing and I’m the General Manager here at HC Group.
Let me briefly explain who we are, what we do, and how every day we help improve the lives of Clubs, Pub Hotels, and Restaurants throughout NSW.
In particular, if you’re a Club, please, this is a must read for you because if you’re looking to improve any part of your venue, I promise you this will be the most productive 5 minutes of your day!
Our story begins in 1997, in Guangzhou, South China. An aluminium and steel factory called HC (named after the initials of its owners) develops a new patented hinge system for their doors as an alternative to the high maintenance automotive doors on the market and wins a contract to supply Yum China.
Yum is currently the largest brand of restaurants in China with approximately 8,000 venues and expanding at a rate of 1500 a year. Today, Yum China includes KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, East Dawning, and Little Sheep.
As our partnership with Yum grew, HC developed a comprehensive range of furniture to accompany its doors and windows.
20 years on and HC is a multimillion dollar business opening a restaurant in China every 6 hours and supplying globally to Yum and other clients.
The family moved to Australia, where their son, Jerry Lin, forms a company called HC Aluminium in 2011. Jerry at the time was 28. He’s an architect, a visionary and an entrepreneur and using the capabilities of the Chinese operation, offered a wholesale range of furniture and décor products to hospitality and retail sectors.
The same year, we found each other and Jerry became a regular supplier to me. I’ve been involved in the manufacture and supply of commercial furniture since 2005 working with hotels, resorts, cinemas and since 2009 Clubs, Restaurants, and Aged Care.
We struck up a bond very quickly. Jerry showed integrity in his dealings and demonstrated all the qualities I look for with any one I do business with.
Jerry recognised he needed help to drive his business forward. Inspired by his vision, I came on board May 1 2012.
Soon after, we renamed the company HC Group Australia reflecting the variety of products and services we offered at the time.
Focussing on building our furniture and laser cut screen business to the hospitality and construction industries, our point of difference was that customers could get China factory pricing and have all the expertise, dealings, warranties and peace of mind here in Australia.
Now Jerry’s background and expertise was restaurants. In his dealings with Yum operation, he also owned and operated a successful restaurant in Sydney so was well placed to advise first timers and existing restaurants owners on how to become more successful. Being an architect, he was also a talented designer.
Then, in early 2014, something happened that would define our future, our point of difference and relevance in the market place.
Jerry was designing a restaurant using 3D computer software. It was quite impressive. He had the restaurant owner there with him. Together, they mapped out circulation routes, they planned the space with seating, chose product from the showroom, inputted various product into the model until they created the desired look….all in a single day.
As this was happening, I was showing a Club Manager though our showroom, looking to refurbish their coffee lounge. She saw this design unfold and said to me:
‘This is amazing. I’ve never seen this before. I’ve a really strong vision of what I want and I need something to present to the Board in two weeks. This looks perfect. Do you think it possible you could do the same thing for me?’
So we did. This interactive experience was fun, engaging, and rewarding for both of us as she saw her vision come to life. And two weeks later, we had designed a fabulous new coffee lounge for the Club and armed with multiple 3D renders, a drive through video and full costing, we’d given her the necessary tools to present her ideas and seek approval from the nine members of the Board. A few weeks later and the project was given the green light.
“You guys are really onto something here” she said. “Do you realise how many Clubs would benefit from this service?”
We proceeded to help refurbish other areas of the Club. And they recommended us to another Club, then another. Word soon spread and in doing so, a service was born enabling decision makers to make decisions quickly and pain free.
But for Clubs in particular, this has proved time and time again to be absolutely priceless.
Save weeks and even months of design work to then have to cost and source the product yourselves. Concept design in a day, choose furniture, textiles, wall coverings, ceiling products, laser cut screening, paint finishes and have budgetary costings prepared so you know the project is achievable.
Play the drive through video on a TV in the Club and promote your new space so you can forward book functions and events.
Today, we have hosted over 100 design workshops for Clubs, Restaurants, and Pub Hotels across NSW helping these venues to thrive and succeed within their communities.
The majority of projects have been restaurant and bistro areas, lounge, sports and wine bars, TABs and function spaces.
Some Clubs choose to design multiple areas at once and refurbish each area over time. For other Clubs, it’s one area that needs cosmetic improvement.
Today, HC Group Australia currently operates a number of divisions supporting the hospitality industry in NSW and nationally.
Our Projects Division focusses on cost effective cosmetic refurbishments targeting Clubs, Restaurants, and Pub Hotels throughout NSW.
Our HCDS Division (HC Designer Screens) focusses on the architect and designer market and the construction market. From humble beginnings as a decorative retail product, our screens feature in most projects and can now be seen on the outside of high rise apartment buildings.
Our Direct Sales Division handles all enquiries of supply. Offering the manufacture and supply of the largest range of commercial furniture ever seen before, our 1000sqm showroom will leave you spoilt for choice.
Our mission is simple; to help Clubs and restaurants succeed. Our vision is clear. We want to be the first company you think of when looking to improve your venue.
I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved so far. We are still young, we are on an expansion programme, we have a great company culture, a wonderful team, and I look forward to the future as more venues discover us and as we discover them.
I invite you to view the other tabs on our website for inspiration on some of our projects, our core values that define us and especially the testimonials from our clients. Over 40% of our project business comes from client referrals and repeat business.
I invite you to visit our showroom and design studio. Let us inspire you and show you how we can support you.
Finally, I invite you to contact me directly or one of our team to discuss your ideas. We welcome the opportunity to support you in improving your venue for you and your community. Let us at HC Group help you to thrive and succeed.
Many thanks
Russell Wing
General Manager
M: 0468 55 44 96
P: 1300 289 789
A: 35 Vore Street, Silverwater, NSW, 2128
