TVN On-Country wins top honours at Australian Defence Industry Awards

Yet despite the financial challenges of the early years, his Wodonga-based Indigenous-owned construction company, TVN On-Country, has been named Estate and Infrastructure Business of the Year in the Australian Defence Industry Awards 2023.

"I was pretty shocked, to be honest," Mr Hutchison, the managing director of TVN On-Country, said.

"We were up against some very large multinational companies with thousands of employees, and it was a bit overwhelming, I guess, for a small country builder to pip them at the post."

Mr Hutchison said when he and fellow managing directors Jon Whelan and Gareth VanNoort founded TVN-On Country, they wanted to create a business where people looked forward to coming to work and supported other First Nations businesses and people to achieve success.

"For us, employing people was a big thing because you're also taking on the challenge of making sure that you're not only feeding them, but their families as well," he said.

"I guess that's why we wanted to go into business, because we wanted to make a difference for not just our lives and our families, but other people's lives and families and make sure they enjoy the ride as well.

"And one thing I'm really proud of is that we've maintained over 20 per cent indigenous employment, and we have 33 per cent females in our business, which is unheard of in the construction industry."

Mr Hutchison credited TVN On-Country's success to its unwavering self-belief and an ability to surround themselves with the right people.

"It took us a while to win our first job because we were these new guys on the block that have no business experience," he said.

"But we overcame by just continually backing ourselves. We knew our ability and surrounded ourselves with the right people.

"If you surround yourself with good people, great things will happen."

For young Indigenous people looking to follow in his footsteps, Mr Hutchison offers this advice: "dare to dream".

"Lean on people for advice that you're close to and people that have gone before you," he said.

"There are other indigenous business owners that have been there and done it, and I've asked questions, and I guess it's just about forging my own way as well."

With TVN On-Country now building the $40 million Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence in Shepperton, Mr Hutchison said the future had never looked brighter.

"I think this award doesn't just highlight our hard work but shows our future potential," he said.

"We're going up against multinational companies, and yes, we might only be five-years-old, but we've got a ton of experience in the industry and some fantastic people.

"I think we're about to really tip into the iceberg now where our business is well set up and we've got good structures and really good people in it.

"So we're ready to continue our success into the future."

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