Introducing bimstore's Ian Holmes

Ian's time with bimstore closely mirrors the company's learning curve and evolution. As bimstore ventured into the realm of BIM, Ian discovered his passion for it and helping construction professionals across the sector. From the early stages of the company's history until now, Ian has remained a trusted partner of both the bimstore team and the manufacturers he works with.

Ian Holmes, a pivotal figure in bimstore's journey, joined the company in March 2014 while pursuing his engineering studies at Gateshead College. Ian was quick to spot the apprenticeship opportunity offered by bimstore and applied for it. He worked closely with the team and was sponsored by the company throughout both his two-year course in Construction in the Built Environment and his five-year Architectural Technology degree at Northumbria University.

Recalling some of his favourite memories of his time with bimstore, Ian spoke of the different bimshow live events, the launch of bimstore 4.0, and building relationships with manufacturers such as the time he worked directly with BLÜCHER's head of Cast Iron Drains, Gert Siekmans, whilst he was visiting from the Netherlands as bimstore manufacturer-in-residence.

After hoping to travel to Australia before the pandemic for a three-month sabbatical, Ian knew that once the opportunity to enter Australia came about again, he would be on the first flight out there. During his first few months in Australia, Ian travelled to different parts of the country, such as Melbourne and the East Coast. He then spent some time in Cairns, where he worked in a kitchen and met a bunch of new friends.

After returning to the UK following his first three months in Australia, Ian knew he needed to return, finish off his hospitality work, and continue his adventure down under.

To do this, Ian thought he would have to hand his notice in, but little did Ian know that Rob Charlton, bimstore's Co-Founder and CEO, had already been considering launching bimstore in Australia after recognising the idea of helping Aussie manufacturers offer BIM to local and international architects and specifiers. With a long-standing relationship with the firm, Ian was delighted to be able to continue working with the company while exploring more of Australia.

Once Ian had finished his regional work, he then moved to Sydney. While bimstore was in the process of establishing itself as a limited company in Australia, Ian worked as a cable hauler for Krack Solutions during the daytime. Despite his day job, he dedicated his evenings and weekends to collaborating with the bimstore team and assisting with various projects. After two years of living in Australia and a brief visit back to the North East of England to visit family and the bimstore UK team, Ian will shortly be returning to Sydney to settle in Bondi.

Now a senior BIM modeller, Ian enjoys catching up with manufacturer teams, both new and existing. On a typical day, Ian works on building and creating BIM content, component by component. He ensures that the content functions effectively within Revit and is easy for end-users to download and integrate into their projects. After the team approves the objects, Ian demonstrates them to the manufacturers and continues to build strong relationships with them. He communicates with them regularly to ensure that their information and data are always up to date and checks in with them from time to time to discuss how a particular product is performing in the market. He sees great potential in the Australian market and is enthusiastic to work with manufacturers who are eager to get involved. Ian explained that transitioning from a developed market like the UK and Europe to a fresh new market in Australia has been a really positive and interesting experience so far. From what he has seen firsthand already, it's going to be a great time and opportunity for the team out there to help deliver BIM and provide technical expertise.

In conversation with Ian, we discussed the occasional extreme weather conditions in Australia and how it connect with the positive efforts of many manufacturers to protect the environment. Ian highlighted the sustainable strategies of many manufacturers that he has encountered so far and praised their great work in reducing the amount of packaging used in their products and adopting recyclable materials in their production process.

Ian went on to recognise some of the challenges faced by the construction industry in Australia and highlighted the issue of skills shortages. However, he is optimistic that by leveraging the capabilities of BIM, the industry can overcome some of these challenges by streamlining construction processes and increasing collaboration between stakeholders. 

When asked how bimstore has contributed to his personal and professional growth, Ian said,

It's hard to narrow it down in a single line, but this new chapter in Australia demonstrates the growth of the company as a whole and also my own personal development. It's wonderful to be trusted in this way and to have the opportunity to help integrate BIM into Australia. This experience has allowed me to reflect on how far I have come and how I can now utilise my knowledge of BIM to help a new group of manufacturers and specifiers. Being able to speak on bimstore's global presence and having the opportunity to work for bimstore over here really highlights how far the platform, the bimstore team and I have come. I feel confident about what's around the corner and what we can do for manufacturers and the construction industry in Australia.

Ian's story is one of personal and professional growth, and it shows how dedication and hard work can lead to great opportunities. With his passion for BIM, his knowledge of the construction industry and our support, Ian is set to make a significant impact on the Australian market, and we wish him all the best in this new chapter.