Boom beckons Land Surveys

ONE of Western Australia’s fastest-growing surveying companies has successfully navigated through the economic downturn, increasing its annual turnover by almost 375 per cent and tripling its staffing levels in recent years.

Belmont-based Land Surveys has experienced significant growth since it was established in 1997.

The business has more than 50 qualified specialist surveyors involved with major clients including Thiess, Leighton and Decmil working on projects ranging from large-scale site preparation for a new liquefied natural gas plant, to numerous multi-storey buildings and rail developments.

In the 2006-07 financial year, Land Surveys had 33 staff on its books and a positive outlook.

The following year turnover had leapt about 145 per cent and during FY09, the company’s turnover jumped almost 94 per cent.

That’s an increase in turnover of about 375 per cent during the past few years, and Land Surveys has forecast that figure to grow by about 17 per cent this financial year.

At the same time the company increased employee numbers by 60 per cent from FY07 to FY08, growing from 33 to 53 staff members, and again the following year, growing by about 56 per cent to 83 by the end of financial year 2009.

Land Surveys managing director Peter Rullo suggested that further growth was on the cards in light of the state’s impending boom.

“We are currently implementing processes and strategies which will enable us to operate with a proactive approach in time for the next coming boom,” Mr Rullo said.

He said Land Surveys had recognised a gap in the market for precision surveying with the introduction of prefabricated steel work and concrete panels, amid the shift from traditional surveying methods used by building companies (where surveyors were engaged to simply mark out the boundaries of a property) to more accurate onsite surveying services.

“After spending the early years establishing and securing our market position, we began to find our niche and differentiate ourselves from our competitors by offering a unique service,” Mr Rullo said.

“Land Surveys developed a comprehensive surveying solution with complete project management, human resource and administration support included.

“This set us apart ... and started us on the path to growth.”

In order to cater for future demand, the company said it had recognised the inevitable skills shortage arising as a result of the next commodity boom and, as such, had established a number of recruitment processes to overcome this obstacle.

Mr Rullo said the expansion of recruitment efforts across Australia and New Zealand, and partnerships with universities in both countries, was a cornerstone to future growth in anticipation of the high volume of north-west projects to commence in coming years.

He said Land Surveys would establish recruitment offices in NSW, Victoria and New Zealand in an attempt to secure the top graduates from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and the University of Otago.