From $600 to 18 Machines: Rhys Cooper’s Story | Cooper Civil

In Episode 52 of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Rhys Cooper, Managing Director of Cooper Civil, a southeast Queensland civil excavation business known for GPS excavation, Cat Next Gen gear, late-model machines and high-quality operators. Rhys shares his story from growing up in New Zealand, working in forestry, travelling across Australia operating machinery, spending years in the mines, and eventually starting Cooper Civil with almost nothing behind him. From buying his first excavator to growing into a fleet of machines, Rhys opens up about the highs, lows, pressure and reality of building a civil construction business. This episode gets into the real side of excavation and plant hire: wet hire versus contract work, GPS systems, tilt rotators, Cat gear, pricing pressure, operator quality, tough markets, the Queensland pipeline, and why growing bigger does not always mean making more money. Jimmy and Rhys also talk honestly about success, reputation, mental health, vulnerability in construction, working with good clients, and what young operators need to understand if they want to build a proper career in the industry. If you are in civil construction, excavation, plant hire, GPS machine control, earthmoving, or you are trying to grow a construction business, this episode is packed with real-world lessons. Connect with Rhys: 🌐 Website: https://www.coopercivil.com.au/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coopercivil... 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rhys-cooper-688430164?originalSubdomain=au 📘 Facebook:   / coopercivil.com.au   Connect with Jimmy: 🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au 📺 YouTube:    / @jimmytalksconstruction   📸 Instagram:   / starbuckexcavation   📘 Facebook:   / starbuckexcavation   💼 LinkedIn:   / james-starbuck-13336546   Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: [email protected] Send in Business Problems: [email protected] CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro: Rhys Cooper from Cooper Civil 1:57 From New Zealand forestry to Australian civil 4:45 Growing up around old machines 9:47 Buying the first excavator and starting Cooper Civil 13:44 GPS excavation, Cat Next Gen gear and operator training 20:29 Wet hire, quoted jobs, light rail and tilt rotators 24:28 Queensland slowdown, parked gear and the 2032 Olympics pipeline 26:42 Scaling fast, rental gear and the risk of saying yes 31:47 What success really means in construction 41:40 Vulnerability, mental health and a better industry culture 52:47 Backing your price, rates and proving value 58:41 Advice for young operators entering the industry