Nouri on building Concrete City and the problem behind CreteMate

In Episode 12 of Behind the Facade, Jake from Proline Group and Daniel from Complex Facade Install sit down with Nouri from Concrete City and founder of CreteMate for a raw conversation about concreting, business, work ethic, sacrifice and what it takes to build a name in the construction industry.

Nouri takes us back to growing up in housing commission, trying different jobs and trades before finding concreting, and eventually realising just how far he could take it. He opens up about the hunger that has driven him throughout his career, the influence of his father, the pressure of never feeling like he had done enough, and why he believes hardship played such a major role in shaping the person and businessman he became.

We get into the reality behind building Concrete City, from 3:30 AM starts and spending full days on the tools to managing crews, quoting work and organising jobs after hours. Nouri also tells the story of a 1,500m² concrete pour where eight workers he had booked failed to show up and another arrived drunk, leaving a seven-man crew to get through one of the hardest pours of his career. Experiences like this exposed a major problem in the industry and helped drive the thinking behind CreteMate, his platform designed to connect concrete businesses with workers while creating greater accountability through profiles, ratings and reviews.

The conversation also explores Nouri's huge social media presence and the concrete videos that have reached millions of people, why he still wants to remain on the tools regardless of how large the business becomes, how he develops younger workers, and why he openly teaches techniques and helps other concreters even when they could be considered competitors.

If you work in construction, concreting, facades, cladding, glazing, subcontracting, trades, estimating, project management, operations or business ownership, this episode is an unfiltered look at work ethic, leadership and the reality behind trying to build something bigger than yourself.

Timestamps:

00:00 Concreting in Melbourne weather, early starts and why Nouri refuses to call a pour off

04:19 From nightclubs and trying different trades to discovering concreting

09:02 Hunger, hardship and the challenge from Nouri's father that changed his goals

14:43 The 3:30 AM routine and what a full day running Concrete City actually looks like

20:30 Learning the business side of construction and building his first concreting company

25:50 Growing up in housing commission and why Nouri never wanted his kids to experience the same hardship

31:22 Meeting Stefan in court, developing him and turning him into a leader on site

36:13 Building CreteMate and creating accountability in the concrete industry

39:42 Eight workers don't show up, one arrives drunk and seven men face a 1,500m² pour

44:48 Going viral, millions of views and building a personal brand through concrete

48:27 Why Nouri still wants to stay on the tools as Concrete City grows

52:27 Teaching competitors, figuring out floating stairs and learning by doing

59:50 Is it worth leaving a good job to start your own business?

01:03:07 Should you ever go into business with one of your closest mates?

01:10:11 The real cost of success, losing friendships and what ambition requires you to sacrifice

01:19:10 Nouri's favourite concrete project and the jobs that push his skills the furthest

01:27:41 Have tradies gone soft? The future of construction, leadership and developing the next generation

01:35:33 Final thoughts on work ethic, finding the right people and setting the benchmark