When my father passed away suddenly, I was still serving my national service, conscripted into the defence forces. His absence left a void, and without hesitation, I stepped into it. The learning curve was steep, but necessity is a remarkable teacher. At a young age, I found myself absorbing skills, carrying responsibilities, and discovering strength I didn’t know I had.

In time, I took over my father’s business. I ran it, grew it, and eventually sold it as a thriving concern. From there, life opened new chapters. We moved into contracts within the mining industry—first refurbishing houses, then building residential homes. The work evolved into constructing luxury homes, boutique hotels, and turnkey restaurant fit-outs. To meet demand, I established an in-house joinery workshop, and soon we were subcontracting to projects like Sun City and Serengeti Golf Estate.

In 2009, my family and I immigrated to Australia. In Adelaide, I co-founded a building company and later moved to Perth, where I entered commercial maintenance management. Over time, I became a client-side project manager on three multi-million-dollar building projects—overseeing everything from early stakeholder meetings to final handover.

The last eight years have been a season of both growth and return. We’ve built houses, consulted on commercial projects, undertaken structural repairs and renovations—but also circled back to our beginnings. I reopened a joinery workshop, specialising in bespoke furniture and entranceways. This has been more than work; it has been passion rediscovered. To create pieces that are one-of-a-kind, to see clients light up as they interact with what has been crafted for them—this is both challenging and profoundly rewarding.

But more than timber, tools, or projects, my true work has always been with people. I don’t just talk to people; I try to meet them. I allow them to make a lasting impression on me. I listen, deeply, for who they are—not just what they want. And from there, I create. Every product, every design, carries not only my vision, but also theirs. Their intentions, their desires, and—sometimes—their dreams.

This way of working is not always simple. It takes time, humility, and faith. But it is the only way I know how.

And so, Milvis is not merely a company. It is a journey—of heritage, resilience, craft, and above all, people.