As you are undoubtedly aware, here at TKBB we are always wanting to promote anything that’s good, be it from Australia or elsewhere. However we are also very keen to promote the young and the enterprising, and given the manufacturing side of our industry is mainly male dominated it was a pleasant change to meet one young lady taking on the boys!
Jayme-Lee Cooney started her business in 2005 at the ripe old age of 19 after she had gone from finishing her trade and entered the design side of the industry. As she said in an exclusive interview with TKBB “I found myself wanting to be involved in the whole process from design to installation. I went out on my own and once the word of mouth got out I found myself never looking back. The name O’Beachy comes from a type timber I used for my boyfriend and now husband Chris. I built him a wooden Surfboard for his birthday and it was a really light timber to use. To this day I have only come across one person who knew what O’beachy was as he used it for his model airplanes. I found that the name has always stuck with me and I find it to be a unique name too.”
But what about the business, how has she shaped O’Beachy Designs? “Our focus is and has always been quality and customer satisfaction. Once I had started to quote on jobs and realising how much money people intended to spend on their kitchens, I soon realised that the customer needs to feel very comfortable with you, what you are doing and how the whole time line process is going to be achieved. Therefore the relationship between me and my client is of most importance to me and I take great pride in that. And from a quality perspective, I have always tried to be informed and research products so I a can inform the client what there is to use and to get as much out of their budget as possible, but maintaining a degree of reasonability. That is also why I like to be out on site as I take great pride in doing the best possible job I can do as you never know where that one next job can take you.” 
What about the beginnings, how did Jayme-Lee decide on this career path? “I found myself struggling in school with my lack of concentration for the books, (didn’t we all!) I always wanted to build and loved wood drawing, designing then creating the finished product . I had intended to do school work experience with a builder as at the time I wanted to be a chippie but was unable to find anyone to take me on at the time. So I decided I would give cabinet making a go and found a company to take me on for the two weeks. After the two week trial was up I got offered a apprenticeship and I never looked back.”
You have a strong relationship with Condari – the makers of Qasair hoods, tell us how that came about? “I got onto Qasair (9years ago) through a family friend who new John Keating. He informed me that Qasair was in need of another cabinet maker. I had a meeting in his kitchen and that was that. His sale reps got in contact with me and I started doing the shop fitouts for them. I had never done anything like that before and found it a real challange at first, as the Qasair displays are all open from one end to another with no structal support in the middle anywhere. Once I figured out a how to support everything it was smooth sailing from then on. John has given me some great opportunities over the years and one of my most memorable was doing my first interstate job for the Appliance Gallery in Canberra.We have since then done our second display in that store. I have formed a great relationship with John and his team over the years and have enjoyed working with Qasair.”
And for the future? “My aspirations are to keep on excelling myself in bettering the way I do things. I have a young family now and life has become a real juggling act between family life and work. As my kids grow up, I want them to see that if you really are pasionite about something you can make it work and I hope that I can show them this through what I have done being a female in a male dominated industry which I love.”
Sometimes you meet people for the first time and are immediately inspired by their willingness to learn, their thirst for knowledge and their passion for this industry. Jayme-Lee is one such person.
For more information visit www.obeachydesigns.com.au
