FIRST CLASS BUILDING EXPERTISE

A S F E A T U R E D I N A U S T R A L I A N C O N S T R U C T I O N F O C U S

2 FIRM CONSTRUCTIONS: FIRST CLASS BUILDING EXPERTISE

Written By Robert Hoshowsky

Since 2003, the team at FIRM Con-struction Pty Ltd has provided top-notch commercial and indus-trial building expertise to numer-ous clients in Western Australia. Located in Perth, FIRM Construc-tion works alongside property developers, project managers, architects, engineers, and highly-skilled trades people to create or refurbish structures that are com-petitively priced, cost-effective, and built to last.

“We specialise in commercial con-struction in WA and handle all sorts of commercial, industrial, and min-ing construction projects,” says

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Located in Perth, FIRM Construc-tion works alongside property developers, project managers, architects, engineers, and highly-skilled trades people to create or refurbish structures that are competitively priced, cost-effective, and built to last.

FIRST CLASS BUILDING

EXPERTISE FIRM CONSTRUCTION

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Mark O’Gorman, Project Direc-tor at FIRM Construction and one of the company’s founders. “At FIRM, we will handle all things, from groundworks all the way through to completion, including painting, tiling, ceilings, finishes, and carpeting.”

Over the years, the company cre-ated by business partners Mark O`Gorman and Simon Linklater has been actively involved in a wide range of projects, including school construction, industrial warehous-ing and sheds, mining projects, med-ical facilities, new office buildings, retail fitouts, warehouses, refurbish-ments, and feasibility studies.

Years of Hands-on Experience

Prior to founding the company eight years ago, Messrs O`Gorman and Linklater worked hands-on in the construction industry, doing trade-based work including insur-ance jobs, refurbishment and refit, sheetrock, carpentry, and ceiling repair. Even though they worked for others, the two were always self-sufficient, and knew they wanted to run their own business one day and be in charge of what they were doing for themselves. “In those days, we were doing cer-tain elements of the projects our-selves, but we would also engage plumbing contractors and electri-cal contractors to come in, and

do certain elements of work on our project,” says Mr O’Gorman. Working with others inspired the duo to become involved in project management and project coordi-nation, but they knew if their busi-ness was going to succeed, they needed qualifications. Soon, they took courses in construction man-agement, engineering, economics, project management, and quantity surveying, graduating a few years later. “In that time, we had also come up with a business plan to start FIRM Construction,” says Mr O’Gorman.

Along with his Bachelor of Applied Science - CME with Honors from Curtin University, Mr O’Gorman

4 FIRM CONSTRUCTIONS: FIRST CLASS BUILDING EXPERTISE

gained experience working for a property developer and residential builder in Cape Town, South Africa, and has experience in the building of car parks and service roads, and family ties to the second largest earthmoving and civil contractor in the south west. Mr Linklater, who also has a Bachelor of Applied Sci-ence - CME from Curtin University, today serves as Director at FIRM Construction, and along with be-ing a qualified Quantity Surveyor, undertakes all aspects of the com-pany’s pricing and estimating, has a background in Construction Man-agement, and oversees the day-to-day operations at the company.

“At FIRM, we will

handle all things,

from groundworks all

the way through to

completion, including

painting, tiling,

ceilings, finishes,

and carpeting.”

Today, FIRM Construction has a full-time staff of about 15, with an-other five individuals working on a contract basis. Since the company manages projects, the core team works with a very large subcon-tractor base to carry out the work, including concretors, carpenters, formworkers, electricians, plumb-ers, and mechanical contractors, who are managed by FIRM’s man-agement staff.

Personalised Service

From the early days, friendly per-sonalised service and keeping cli-ents ‘in the know’ have remained key objectives at FIRM Construc-tion. Specialising in project man-agement of large scale industrial and civil engineering jobs requires

more than knowledge – it also re-quires communication at every stage, all the way from initial de-sign to completion.

“We like to keep an open line of com-munication with our clients, where they can pick up the phone and give us a ring if there are any problems, and we’re able to tell them straight away what’s going on,” says Mr O’Gorman. “There’s none of this ‘I’ll have to get back to you’ or ‘I’ll have to call you back tomorrow,’ or that type of thing. We like to be very involved in what’s happening. An open line of communication is pivotal to creating a personalised relationship with our clients.”

For O’Gorman and Linklater, it is important to know what is hap-pening on their job sites. Coming from such a hands-on background in the industry, the two remain di-

rectly involved in their present-day projects. “We’re not the type of directors who take a back seat and really don’t know what’s going on within our operations,” com-ments Mr O’Gorman. “We’re very much involved in the day-to-day running of our business, and we know exactly what’s happening on the work face.”

To maintain projects on schedule, the company has a solid program in place. Considerable time is spent planning projects from the beginning, so the company main-tains construction activities and sequencing. Clients are a part of the planning process, which helps them remain informed of con-struction phases, time frames and the completion time. The highly experienced team at FIRM Con-struction ensures that all projects – from new commercial construc-

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tions to refurbishment and upgrades – are prop-erly managed from start to finish.

From Mining Projects…

Over the years, FIRM Construction has success-fully managed a number of projects for mining companies and government clients. The com-pany is presently involved in a number of jobs for internationally known mining giant, Rio Tinto, which has numerous assets in Australia and North America, along with operations in Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa. The company’s work for Rio Tinto includes office buildings and heavy industry production facili-ties. “All of the projects are part of Rio Tinto’s rail expansion program, which is essentially an expansion that would increase capacity of their railway infrastructure in WA, and particularly in the Karaatha area, the Pilbara, which is the area where all the minerals are,” says Mr O’Gorman, who estimates the company still has about a year’s worth of work ahead of them. “They’re one of the bigger mining clients in WA, and we’re quite happy to be working with Rio Tinto,

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6 FIRM CONSTRUCTIONS: FIRST CLASS BUILDING EXPERTISE

and projects are staying on time and on-budget.”

For its industrial and mining clients, FIRM Construction also offers a design and construct service. The company will create a concept for the design, and then engage sub-consultants to handle the architec-tural and engineering components of the design in consultation with the client. From there, the compa-ny will project manage that phase through approvals that are re-quired by local councils and shires in WA and – once the project is ap-proved and ready for construction – will finalise the budget for the client, and move the project into the construction phase, handling it all the way from groundworks to practical completion.

…to School Construction

Recently, the company has un-dertaken a number of school construction projects under the Building the Education Revolution (BER) program. At $1.26 billion, the BER program is providing building, refurbishment, and maintenance works across 773 Western Austral-ian Government primary and high schools as part of the Australian Government’s economic stimulus plan. For the Kingsley Primary School, FIRM Construction acted as builder, working with Architect Gresley Abas Pty Ltd. The school’s Principal, Matthew O’Mara, was thrilled with the new, state-of-the art facilities, stating “The facilities are a real asset and will change the school’s profile” of the building, which received a new covered as-

sembly area and canteen, art and craft room and music room as part of the BER initiative.

For its industrial and

mining clients, FIRM

Construction also

offers a design and

construct service.

With the facilities completed on schedule, Principal O’Mara could not speak more highly of the team at FIRM Construction. “Their workmanship has been first class and they developed a really good working relationship with Sally Woollard, our Registrar, to ensure everything went really smoothly,” said O’Mara. The company was

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equally pleased with the results.

“I applaud the Building the Educa-tion Revolution initiative,” said Mr O’Gorman when the project was completed last year. “During the Global Economic Crisis, we have been able to spread work out to local subcontractors due to the volume of work and develop new working relationships with other companies we would not have done normally.”

At FIRM Construction, the com-pany has taken on projects up to about $50 million in scope, with many ranging between $2 and $25 million. No matter the size of the job, all projects are managed with care and professionalism through all phases of the development process. To ensure all jobs are managed to the highest stand-ards possible, FIRM Construc-

tion has established long-term positive relationships with select sub-contractors to ensure quality workmanship is maintained, and deadlines are met.

“Recently, the

company has

undertaken a

number of school

construction projects

under the Building

the Education

Revolution

(BER) program...”

“There are two main benefits,” says Mr O’Gorman. “There’s the economy of scale benefit of be-ing able to work together to get

a better price out of your sub-con-tractors, but there’s also a quality and time issue there, where you’re able to work to produce a higher level of quality, and particularly a quicker turnaround or timeframe. We try to work together, and build on the positive partnerships that we’ve got with our subcontrac-tors.” Additionally, the company often works with the same select engineering companies, which of-ten benefits the client by creating designs that are more cost-effec-tive to construct. To keep overhead costs reduced for the company’s clients, all phases of development are handled in-house.

For professional, personalised, and expertly managed commer-cial and industrial construction and refurbishment projects, choose FIRM Construction Pty Ltd.

Providing services on... Partition Walls Suspended Ceilings Internal and External Wall Linings

“HANDLING PROJECTS WITH A BIT MORE CARE”

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PH 08 94702248 | FAX 08 94672866 | MOB 0449 622 805 6/8 TOMLINSON RD. WELSHPOOL W.A 6106

We are also Certified Vitrapanel Installers

Commercial and Residential fit-outs

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FIRM CONSTRUCTIONS

177A York StreetSubiaco

Western Australia6008

P : (08) 9388 6004F : (08) 9388 6005

E : info@firmconstruction.com.auwww.firmconstruction.com.au

8th floor, 55 Hunter Street | Sydney NSW 2000 | PO box 4836 | Sydney NSW 2001

Ph: 02 8412 8119 | ABN 93 143 238 126