The boutique environmental consultancy taking the bull by the horns

For a small company, FVC packs a punch in capabilities that allow them to support clients’ projects from field surveys and the approvals phase, through to compliance and monitoring. How do they do this? By aligning with a trusted network of specialists, who can service niche project requirements and bolster the resources of the small, close-knit team.

Access to exceptional additional resources when needed allows FVC to tailor project teams and offer clients high quality service and delivery, all for excellent value-for-money. These collaborations of accomplished professionals bring together the very best minds for the job and achieve the best possible outcomes for projects.

Where did FVC come from?

Still a relative new-comer, FVC was established in 2015; the brain-child of Managing Director, Kellie Bauer-Simpson (nee Honczar). Kellie, an Ecologist, has been working in environmental consultancies in Perth for more than 20 years.

Over her career, Kellie has filled roles as a specialist botanist, ecologist and team leader in a number of well-regarded businesses in Western Australia’s capital city. From her humble beginnings as a Graduate Biologist at Mattiske Consulting, rapidly learning the specialties of botanical consulting, before moving to AECOM (then, Maunsell) and working up the ranks to lead the Perth Natural Resources team of twelve. From AECOM, Kellie joined the power team at Ecologia, where she took her leadership role to the next level, with a highlight of her career,taking on Manager of Technical Services, leading the 25-strong team of ecologists and environmental managers, supported by General Manager, Dr Lazaro Roque-Albelo. Emerging from the GFC, the Ecologia team went from strength to strength, before a change in ownership and consulting focus, combined with maternity leave, saw Kellie leave the business, to return to the industry several months later as a Director of Environment with the local, long-established Ecoscape.

A seed that had been planted several years prior, saw Kellie, along with husband,Will Bauer-Simpson, take the plunge to set-up FVC and bring new meaning to environmental consulting focused on client vision, ethics, value-for-money and quality outputs.

Will, an accomplished environmental, safety, occupational hygiene and systems consultant, co-Director with Kellie, manages day to day operations of FVC, as well as all GIS and spatial data management, whilst also taking on the main parenting role for their children, aged almost 6 and 2.

Originally just the two of them, over the past few years, Kellie and Will have proudly grown the FVC team to five permanent staff plus casuals and an impressive list of specialist sub-consultants who are available to form the unparalleled teams that clients have returned to again and again for their environmental consulting needs. With an impressive client list that ranges from State and Local government departments and organisations, to mining, oil and gas, and the biggest design engineering houses in Perth, FVC has risen from their tidy suburban office as a force to be reckoned with in the Perth market.

What next for FVC?

With an undeniably amazing track record, FVC is here to stay. With team growth, project experience and a client list that goes from strength to strength, there’s no doubting that continued growth is inevitable for this boutique consultancy.

“It’s always been our plan to grow the team to be of a size that sustains a sensible critical mass and one that can function sustainably, hopefully without the need for me to continue to work most weekends!” says Managing Director, Kellie Bauer-Simpson. “We’re not afraid of growth. In fact, we’ll take that bull by the horns any day of the week.” she adds.

With current opportunities including a possible expansion into inter-state projects, plus more senior recruitment on the horizon, that critical mass may arrive sooner, and may be bigger than expected.

The FVC difference

So what’s all the fuss about? It likely boils down to the commitment and point of difference for this passionate little team.

FVC is committed to working with clients to achieve sustainable outcomes for the delivery of projects requiring biological assessment or monitoring, environmental impact assessments, approvals or compliance and environmental management.

The FVC approach is based on a strong foundation in the belief of conducting business to the highest possible standard, aligned with unmatched ethics and with a focus on client vision and quality outputs.

The war cry of the FVC team says it all: “We work with our clients, not just for them, with a focus on project needs, from beginning to end.”