An Australian-qualified carpenter and joiner with over 18 years of experience, Henry Wabwile, sole proprietor of Built By Henry, is one of the latest of his kind to ditch the work ute in favour of a far more capable Isuzu NNR 45-150 AMT Traypack Crew.
The multi-talented Wabwile has a broad repertoire including carpentry, handmade furniture, brickwork, tiling, painting, bathrooms, kitchens, renovations, extensions, irrigation, and landscaping.
“I was born in Kenya, where I worked as a builder for six years before moving to Australia in 2012,” said Wabwile.
“Since then, I’ve become the sole proprietor of Built By Henry.
“I am happy to do the small and the large jobs – you name it, I can build it!”
Most of his clients come from word-of-mouth recommendations and he’s kept so busy that he doesn’t need to advertise.
“I have requests for services across the country from New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, to South Australia and even Tasmania,” he said.
Wabwile is registered nationwide with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and is happy to install wheelchair ramps, handrails and any other custom modifications for people with disabilities.
“I am willing to take on regional jobs, as I know how hard it is for people out in the rural areas to get services,” said Wabwile.
“I have a lot of work already booked. That is why I now have my Isuzu NNR 45-150 AMT Traypack Crew.
“It does all the hard work, and I do the easy job,” he joked.
In terms of the most important tool of the trade, Wabwile’s story is a very familiar one: He started off with a ute but found it just did not cut the mustard in terms of payload, towing capacity or efficiency for the business.
“You can’t run a carpentry business with a ute and trailer – it’s just not possible,” he remarked.
“With my Traypack crew, I can comfortably carry five other workers to site, including all my gear, tow a trailer and still have no issues with weight.”
Wabwile, who last year purchased his new Isuzu from Goldfields Truck Power Isuzu in Kalgoorlie, said changing from a ute to a truck meant he no longer needed to muck around going backwards and forwards carrying materials like he did with the ute.
“It is also fuel efficient,” he added, “there’s actually no difference in terms of fuel consumption compared to the ute, but I get additional power and towing capacity.”
Running Isuzu’s hearty 4JJ1-TCS four-cylinder diesel with 110kW of power and 375Nm torque, the NNR 45-150 AMT Traypack Crew has ample grunt to handle a full eight-tonne Gross Combination Mass.
“I can now carry all my tools in the truck, all my necessary materials in the trailer, and haul everything to site in one go,” he said.