Outback steps up as big miners go green

Environmental consultancy Outback Ecology is eyeing expansion into Queensland as it recruits its first chief executive and devolves more ownership to employees.

The company, which was created by Harley Lacy in regional WA in 1990, was a winner in WA Business News’ 2010 Rising Stars Awards.

At the time Mr Lacy said being in the right place at the right time had enabled the company to take advantage of increased environmental protection concerns from resources companies such as BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines.

Two years on and the company is still thriving; scientific staff numbers have increased from 42 to 62, growth of 27 per cent was recorded last year and more service groups are being added to focus on areas of emerging business.

This prompted the company to look outside the initial three founding scientists for guidance on how to take the company forward.

That guidance came in the form of Nigel Lutton, who joined the business in November.

Mr Lacy said the decision to take on a chief executive recognised the need to have someone to work on the company – as opposed to in it – and also recognition that just taking on a general manager would not suffice.

“General managers often don’t have that level of experience needed and we knew we needed to go to the next level,” Mr Lacy said.

“It’s recognising that the three scientists that led the company don’t come with the formal training that’s necessary to take the company forward.”

Mr Lutton has already been involved in streamlining operations within the company by implementing new information technology systems and revealed the company’s plans to open its first office outside of Western Australia.

All going to plan, Outback Ecology should have a base set up in Queensland to service the growing level of demand there by the end of the financial year.

Demand has also been growing from other parts of Australia and the business is considering establishing bases in the Northern Territory and Adelaide.

Within WA, demand for environmental consultancy work has continued to increase – particularly around mine closures following the introduction of legislation last year, which required all miners to have closure strategies in place.

Outback Ecology has jumped on this opportunity by buying the source code to software to manage mine-closure plans – steering away from the static paper mine-closure plans, which are typical of the industry.

A number of clients have already bought the new software from Outback Ecology and it’s now working to figure out how to fully commercialise the product.

The introduction of the carbon tax has also prompted the addition of a carbon-focused team of consultants to the range of service groups, which have increased from eight in 2010 to 13.

Outback Ecology has always been funded internally but the initial three founders have consistently devolved ownership of the company to give employees a stake in the business. 

It’s a scheme which Mr Lacy is passionate about and has seen the number of employees engaged as owners increase from six to 25 in two years.

“It’s a sense of the staff having a stake in their success,” Mr Lacy said.

“I think I just want to leave a successful company and a legacy that these guys go on and build into a great Australian company.”

DO YOU KNOW A RISING STAR?

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