Construction has started on Thomas Building’s latest contract win, a $9 million, 25-apartment complex in Booragoon, as the formerly Pilbara-focused builder continues to grow its Perth operations.
Thomas Building, which was established around eight years ago, is building the Booragoon complex on behalf of Malaysian-backed private developer IKRA Australia Pty Ltd.
Designed by local architecture firm Arkitek 10, the four-storey mixed use development is located in close proximity to Garden City Booragoon and includes seven commercial tenancies.
Thomas Building managing director Alan Thomas said the project was the latest in a growing list of metropolitan area jobs, including recently completed developments Butler Medical Centre, Baldivis Child Care Centre, Palmyra Medical Centre and the Glenariff Apartments in Canning Vale.
Mr Thomas said the builder had shifted its focus to Perth in 2015, prior to which the company was focused on regional projects, particularly in the North West.
Flagship projects include resorts in Broome, Karratha and at Preston Beach in the South West, alongside apartments and housing developments in Port Hedland and South Hedland.
“We’ve always operated out of Perth but built regionally,” he said.
“It was never our intention to be a metropolitan area builder, we intended to work regionally, but 2015 came along and our business stopped overnight, like a lot of others.
“The problem I had was we have a business full of good people and no work, and no real opportunity for work in the North West because it basically stopped.
“It’s taken us until now to get ourselves known in Perth, particularly with architects and clients.”
Mr Thomas established Thomas Building in 2010 after he and his partners in Rapley Wilkinson sold their stakes in the company to Nomad Building Solutions.
“At the moment our sweet spot is projects valued at up to $15 million,” he said.
“We’ve been doing day-care centres, medical centres, we do apartment buildings, some restaurants etcetera.
“You can’t specialise in the market, you can’t get away with only building apartments or only building commercial projects.
“We have the capability to do them all; it’s just about the size of the project.”
By Dan Wilkie
