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#42 How Bowens Balances Tradition, Innovation, and Builder Needs with John Bowen
In this episode, Dean Backman & Luke Callery sit down with John Bowen (Managing Director, Bowens) to unpack what keeps a 131-year business alive—culture, disciplined basics, and smart bets on innovation. Recorded live at CIRCA Studio, Bowens Port Melbourne, John talks about starting in Victoria’s early-90s downturn, rebuilding crumbling yards into modern builder hubs, and why Bowens stays laser-focused on pros: stock depth, rapid delivery, and solutions that actually save days on site. They dig into long-tenured teams, the Bowens Expo, and new hands-on spaces for high-performance building.
What you’ll learn
How to scale without losing the soul: the habits that keep teams for decades
The real meaning of “best at the basics” (and why it beats shiny new things)
Practical ways suppliers can accelerate your day: stock, systems, and a yes-mindset
A builder-first approach to innovation: selection centres, expos, and training
What’s coming for high-performance building—and how Bowens plans to help
How private, purposeful growth keeps the focus on builders (not retail volume)
Chapters
00:00 – Introduction (live at CIRCA Studio, Bowens Port Melbourne)
00:23 – Meet John Bowen: 4th-gen MD, 131 years strong
01:07 – Early ’90s downturn: starting out when Victoria stalled
03:17 – Store closures, hard lessons, and culture that stuck
06:20 – From timber yard to selection experience: why it took years
10:33 – Formalising innovation: from Steve Mannion to Andrew Healy
13:04 – Bowens Expo: drawing real innovation from suppliers
15:33 – Rebuilding the asset base: bigger, better, builder-focused stores
21:24 – Basics done right: stock, range, and rapid delivery
24:31 – Challenges: do fewer things, execute them better
26:22 – Acoustic, fire, thermal—solving real site problems
27:30 – Hastings innovation space: hands-on display and training
29:08 – Growth philosophy: private, purposeful, and builder-led
Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke Callery
Guest: John Bowen — Managing Director, Bowens
🎧 Listen to the Build Insite Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
📸 Follow us on Instagram: @build.insite
🌐 More at buildinsite.com.au
View all episodes
By Build InsiteIn this episode, Dean Backman & Luke Callery sit down with John Bowen (Managing Director, Bowens) to unpack what keeps a 131-year business alive—culture, disciplined basics, and smart bets on innovation. Recorded live at CIRCA Studio, Bowens Port Melbourne, John talks about starting in Victoria’s early-90s downturn, rebuilding crumbling yards into modern builder hubs, and why Bowens stays laser-focused on pros: stock depth, rapid delivery, and solutions that actually save days on site. They dig into long-tenured teams, the Bowens Expo, and new hands-on spaces for high-performance building.
What you’ll learn
How to scale without losing the soul: the habits that keep teams for decades
The real meaning of “best at the basics” (and why it beats shiny new things)
Practical ways suppliers can accelerate your day: stock, systems, and a yes-mindset
A builder-first approach to innovation: selection centres, expos, and training
What’s coming for high-performance building—and how Bowens plans to help
How private, purposeful growth keeps the focus on builders (not retail volume)
Chapters
00:00 – Introduction (live at CIRCA Studio, Bowens Port Melbourne)
00:23 – Meet John Bowen: 4th-gen MD, 131 years strong
01:07 – Early ’90s downturn: starting out when Victoria stalled
03:17 – Store closures, hard lessons, and culture that stuck
06:20 – From timber yard to selection experience: why it took years
10:33 – Formalising innovation: from Steve Mannion to Andrew Healy
13:04 – Bowens Expo: drawing real innovation from suppliers
15:33 – Rebuilding the asset base: bigger, better, builder-focused stores
21:24 – Basics done right: stock, range, and rapid delivery
24:31 – Challenges: do fewer things, execute them better
26:22 – Acoustic, fire, thermal—solving real site problems
27:30 – Hastings innovation space: hands-on display and training
29:08 – Growth philosophy: private, purposeful, and builder-led
Hosts: Dean Backman & Luke Callery
Guest: John Bowen — Managing Director, Bowens
🎧 Listen to the Build Insite Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
📸 Follow us on Instagram: @build.insite
🌐 More at buildinsite.com.au
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