Telethon Home Receives Rave Reviews - BGC

CHRISTMAS 2005b u i l d i n gs u c c e s sA Very Merry Christmasand a Happy New Yearfrom all at BGCIN THIS ISSUE:Telethon Homereceives rave reviewsSEE PAGE 32 Forword by Gerry Forde 2 Christmas message 3 Telephone Home receives rave reviews 3 Fresh new look for HomeStart4 BGC Contracting overcoming the skills shortage 5 AGI news 5 HIA Awards 2005 6 Make your own at the BGC Centre6 Blokpave launches the HelenastoneBGC BULLETIN is produced for employees and friends of BGC (AUSTRALIA) Pty Ltd ABN 62 005 736 005

Foreword by Gerry FordeThe ShelleyThe ColleridgeGerry FordeTeamwork is the ability towork together toward a commonvision. The ability to direct individualaccomplishments towardorganizational objectives. It is thefuel that allows common people toattain uncommon results.The success of BGCConstruction over the past twelvemonths was not achieved bychance.It is a case of being able tofully understand the vision of theclient, and work towards achievinga timely, cost effective result.This can only be done within aframework and atmosphere ofteamwork.With the industry in a particularlypressurised state over thepast twelve months, and theshortage of labour and materials,our subcontractors and staff havebeen pushed to the limit.Add to this a lack of StateGovernment support and theirobvious prejudice against the newbrickworks, which is being establishedto alleviate the currentshortage of bricks and make themarket more competitive to benefitthe consumer, and their assistancewith critical industry issues,such as training, roads and power,and the result is an industry pressurecooker waiting to explode.In fact, in my 17 years at BGC,this is the toughest period I haveever experienced.In addition, with the latest IRLegislation by the FederalGovernment, personally, I do notfully support all the initiativeswithout having seen the smallprint. Be it old fashioned, I stillsupport the notion of a fair go forall workers, particularly within theconstruction industry, which traditionallyhas to contend with such afluctuating marketplace.For the additional effort thatour staff and subcontractors haveput into making the business asuccess, we thank each and everyone of them. We were publiclyacknowledged for our hard workrecently with the highest award inconstruction - the MasterBuilders Association Award forExcellence - for work undertakenon the University of WesternAustralia's Chemistry Building.This project is just one of thesuccessful projects our team hascompleted this year. Othersinclude the St John of GodHospitals at both Subiaco andMurdoch, the EmergencyEntrance and refurbishment ofthe Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital,the Department of Fisheries atHillarys, Riley Centre, or as it'snow called, the University Club,and the University of WesternAustralia Water Sports Complex.It would be fair to say that thefuture of BGC Construction looksstrong. And should theGovernment begin to do their partby ignoring the ridiculousdemands of the unions and startproviding the necessary infrastructurefor this state to grow,the business will continue toexpand, which translates into successfor everyone.On that note, I'd like to wishmy entire team and their supportstaff, husbands, wives, partners,children and parents, not forgettingmy own family, complete withten beautiful grandsons, a verysafe, happy Christmas and a greatstart to 2006.Teamwork is the ability to work togethertoward a common vision. The ability todirect individual accomplishments towardorganizational objectives. It is the fuelthat allows common people to attainuncommon results.Beautiful Telethon Home kitchen and living area interiors.Telethon Homereceives ravereviewsFresh newlook forHomeStartAfter 15 years, HomeStart'ssignature white picket fence hasbeen uprooted and replaced with afresh, new look.With the tagline, 'You don'tneed a second job for your firsthome' and an eye catching newblue and green logo, the advertisingcampaign is already in thepress, with a view to producing aTV commercial in the new year.In addition to the brand'sexisting regional centre on LeachHighway in Wilson, HomeStart haslaunched two new display homeswhich reflect the new image.The Shelley at Seville Grove,Armadale, is a three bedroom,two bathroom home including ahome theatre and alfresco area,and The Coleridge at Wellard, is afour bedroom, two bathroom openplan home, with a large kitchenoverlooking the alfresco area.Keep an eye out for the newHomeStart campaign in the weekendpress.A Christmas messageFrom Julian AmbroseLooking back on 2005 I think that it is clear that it was a very hard year for most participants in the building,construction, and allied industries. We have seen the extension for the third year of high demand in the housingmarket, a strong commercial building market, and as many people see daily as they commute, substantialspending on infrastructure.As the year draws to a close I hear often that the end can’t come soon enough. The workload has been enormous,tempers have become frayed, and people are looking forward to a holiday. But it is worth reflecting onwhat has been achieved, and why we do it.We are in the business of providing some fairly basic requirements for our society – housing, schools, hospitals,roads, bridges, and mines. These are the things that drive the economy in our State. Without them Perth, andWestern Australia would be a bleak, arid, inhospitable place. By providing these basic and often overlooked necessitieswe help the State grow richer, and provide a great foundation for our society; our ‘way of life’.I think that everyone involved in the effort to improve our State should look around at what they, at what you,have achieved this past year, because it is your hard work that builds the roads, bridges, hospitals, and housesto make sure that we all continue to prosper.I would like to offer my thanks to you all, and of course to those who support you at home, for your effort inthis past year. Merry Christmas, have a great break, enjoy your time with your loved ones and be proud of whatyou have achieved.Julian AmbrosePerceptions the Home Builders and Brighton Beachside Estate,Jindalee, received rave reviews on the 2005 Metropolitan Telethon Home.Located in Satterley’s successful Brighton Beachside Estate, thehome was auctioned on November 13th, on the Telethon weekend, butwas passed in when it failed to reach the reserve.According to Mike Russell, Brand Manager for Perceptions, the saleof the home is imminent.“Telethon is in negotiation with several interested parties and expectto make a donation to Telethon in the vicinity of $700,000 within the nextfew weeks,” he said.Specifically designed to fit on a narrow lot, the home will once againshowcase not only the talents of the Perceptions design team, but providea fitting focal point at Brighton Beachside overlooking one of the Estate’spicturesque parks.The home features three bedrooms and three bathrooms, along witha large home office located on the upper floor, which could be convertedinto a children’s activity area or teenage retreat.The exterior of the home is a striking façade (see front cover), constructedfrom rendered materials and topped by a curved roof.A ‘blade’ feature wall provides a stunning design focus and shades theentry from the westerly wind and afternoon sun.Brighton Beachside Estate Jindalee, is located approximately 45 minutesnorth of Perth, off Marmion Avenue.For more information on the 2005 Metropolitan Telethon Home byPerceptions, please call 1800 014 448, or visit www.perceptions.com.auGeneral Manager hands over the Downunder BBQ to Les Patch of Wanneroo. From left to right, David Smith,Retail Sales Consultant, Yvonne Pitt-Pladdy, Retails Sales Manager, Les Patch and Vince Scarvaci, GeneralManager of BlokpaveNeerabupcelebratesopeningBlokpave's newest retail outlet,located at Lot 31 TurnballRoad, Corner of Avery Street,Neerabup, has given away aBarbeque to a local couple just intime to entertain over theChristmas period!Les and Joan Patch ofWanneroo entered the competitionafter buying some paving to finishoff their recent outdoor area renovationsThe letterdrop campaign ranin November throughout the surroundingareas of the Neerabupstore, and only customers whopurchased a Blokpave product inconjunction with the competitionwere eligible to enter.Congratulations to Roy andJoan! Blokpave hopes you enjoyyour Downunder BBQ as much asyou enjoy your new paving.2b u i l d i n gs u c c e s s3

AGI NewsYandanooka:A place well knownRising Stars Award – AGI was ranked the 5th fastest growing company inthe recent Deloittes 2005 Rising Stars Award. The rising stars index is aplatform to showcase private enterprise in the WA market that have sustainedgrowth over the last two financial years. This award recognizes thetop ten fastest growing companies in WA based on a quantitative measure.All credit must go to the team at AGI, their award shows what aneffective team operating under a focused, performance based culturecan achieve.“The Ningaloo” – winner of the “Best Display under $120,000” category.Gary Murray, Brett Rowlands and Barry Fennel recently spent aweek camped on the “WARDS” farming property at Yandanooka,where they batched concrete for stage 1 of Peter Wards StorageExpansion Program.With farm machinery ever increasing in size and performance,it is now impossible for road transport to keep pace with the grainbeing harvested. As a result on farm storage is becoming moreprominent. With the remotness of many farms, BGC Concrete Moora,utilising their recently manufactured mobile batching plant, havebeen quick to take the opportunity to supply concrete to these areas.From left to right: Teofilo Butal, Dante DeJesus, Joy Mangampo, Noel Paharillo, Robert Ocampo,Ben Eliorante and Alfredo Covero.Left to right – Melissa, Karen, Joe, John, Frank (General Manager), Daniel, Naum and Sue.AGI Victoria – AGI has expanded its business to the east coast ofAustralia with the opening of its Victoria branch. Our first step into theVictoria market will be with our Insulation division. “Recent changes tothe new 5 star energy efficiency requirements in the BCA in Victoria hascreated an opportunity for insulation companies to bring homes up to a 5star rating”, says Brad Rooff State Sales Manager Victoria.Brad has many years experience in the plasterboard and generalbuilding products market and his local knowledge will be invaluable ingiving AGI a strong presence across the whole east coast market.AGI Malaga – AGI has also expanded its presence into the northern suburbswith the opening of a trade store in Malaga. The store is a naturalexpansion of AGI’s business and will service retail and trade customersin the northern suburbs. The new store offers complete range of plasterboard,fibre-cement, insulation, rapidwall compounds and all theassociated products.Call in and see Peter Scorer at 7 Holder way Malaga or call himon 9240 9110.New Staff – AGI has bolstered its team with a string of new recruits:Troy Nesbitt (Sales Executive)Joe Carrocci (Manager Commercial)Sue Seaman (Administration)Daniel Calverley (Distribution Manager)Mario Zirrino (Branch Manager)We welcome each and every one of them and look forward to theirvalued contribution.“The Peninsula” – winner of the “Best Display $155,000 to $175,000” category.HIA Awards 2005Honours for BGC at this years Housing Industry Association AwardsCeremony:National Homes:Winner: Display Category $155000 to $175000; “The Peninsula”Finalist: Display Category $135000 to $155000; “The Habitat”Finalist: Display Category $155000 to $175000; “The Peninsula”Finalist: Display Category $175000 to $200000; “The Casablanca”Finalist: Display Category $200000 to $250000; “The Elements”Finalist: Small Lot Housing; “The Icon”.Finalist: Perth’s Special Purpose Housing Project of the Year.“The Elements”Western Australian Housing Centre:Winner: Display Category under $120,000; "The Ningaloo"Finalist: Display Category $120,001 to $135,000; "The Rowley"Finalist: Display Category $120,001 to $135,000; "The Abrolhos"Finalist: Gold Key Award for Display Home of the Year; "The Ningaloo”Chris Williams (left) and Micheal Heley.Apprenticeof the yearBGC plumbing picked up twoawards at this years MasterPlumbers and Gasfitters WA Awardsfor Excellence held at the HyattRegency on the 8th October.Chris Williams was presentedwith the “Employer of the Year”Award, while Michael Heley won theprestigious “Apprentice of the Year”Award.Under construction the 60x30 metre all concrete storage area at Yandanooka.BGC Moora cleans up atPresentation CompetitionBGC Moora continues to set the benchmark for business in theMoora Shire by winning the Moora and District Tidy Town Competition“Best Business Presentation 2005”.Brand Manager Joe Fitzpatrick could not resist the temptation toshow off the landscaping that has evolved since moving premises onApril 1st 2004. The articulate and manicured lawns must be attributed tothe Volunteer Services of local identity Des King, who in association withthe BGC driver Jeff Thomson (Rock Landscaper extraordinaire)presented a stunning visual effect.The final finish to the presentation would have to be attributed to theever reliable Steel Fabricator Darral Staines who was responsible forproducing the polished aluminium BGC entry statement.Plans are already in motion for running again in 2006. Watch thisspace next year.Landscaping at BGC Moora.Contracting overcomingthe skillsshortageThe booming AustralianResources Industry has led to ashortage of skilled constructionand mining personnel throughoutthe country. BGC Contracting hastherefore implemented a numberof initiatives to address this industry-widelabour shortage.In the first instance the numberof apprentices has beenincreased to twelve and a morestructured apprenticeship trainingprogram has been developed,expediting the learning process.Additionally, “Fast TrackTraineeships” have been implemented.These Traineeshipsinvolve taking existing industryexperienced employees and fasttrackingthem through theapprenticeship process. BGCContracting currently has twelvepeople under this scheme whichprimarily targets internal employees,and offers them an excellentcareer development opportunity.Currently employing the maximumnumber of mature age andyoung apprentices for the heavyduty fitter trades, BGCContracting has also recentlymoved towards overseas recuitment.The international recruitmentdrive focused on the Philippineswith the aim of finding suitablyskilled Heavy Duty PlantMechanics for operations inWestern Australia. The quest wasto find dealership trained tradesmenwith varying experience andexpertise with Komatsu,Caterpillar and Tamrock miningequipment.The search for overseasrecruits commenced in earnest inFebruary, with Justin Seal andGreg Rogers championing theprocess with their trips to thePhilippines. In June, we saw thefruits of Justin and Greg's hardwork with the arrival of our firstfive Philippino Heavy Duty PlantMechanics.A further two recruitment initiativeshave seen this numbergrow to seventeen, with the lastgroup due in Perth duringDecember. The skills that thesetradesmen bring into the businessare adding substantial depth andexperience to BGC Contracting’scurrent maintenance team.Addressing the industry labourshortage is critical for ongoingsuccess. Apprentices, Traineesand imported labour are just someof the innovative recruitment techniquesthat are been done (andwill need to be done) to remainsuccessful in business.4b u i l d i n gs u c c e s s5

Envirotechnicswork is the pitsThe new MYO outdoor setting on the ground floor of the BGC Centre.Make your own atthe BGC CentreFollowing the opening of MYO on the ground floor of the BGC Centre,more Perth workers have been making their own lunches – in the city.With the finishing touches made to the new café, customers can nowtailor-make their own pizza, sandwich, roll or wrap by selecting theirfavourite foods from the huge buffet of fresh produce on offer. There arealso ready-made salads available, and a mouthwatering selection of cakes.Comfortable seating for up to 40 customers has made MYO a popularchoice amongst employees from nearby offices, who enjoy both the convenienceand variety that MYO offers.Store Owners, Renee Bird and Ross Abbott, said their loyal clients hadfollowed MYO to its new home, and they had attracted many new customersfrom within the BGC Centre.“Now that summer with us and the days are getting warmer, we’revery pleased to see people making the most of the outdoor setting”,Ross said.MYO serves their breakfast menu from 7am and also providesoffice catering.Envirotechnics Pest Management, a division of J-Corp, was recentlyawarded a project by Decmil Australia to apply a termite treatment at amine site 60km out of Mt Newman.No small task, more than 80 transportables (4000m2) had to betreated. A technician conducted a full site induction prior to commencingthe project and once the initial inspection was complete, a vehicle had tobe transported to the site by rail and road.Peter Adam, General Manager of Envirotechnics said that the job wasa great learning experience and one that they hope would lead to similarprojects in regional WA.“The exercise was a great all round experience both financially andprofessionally. The client was in fact so happy with our performance thatthey are looking to award us similar work on a project they have onBarrow island,” said Peter.“We are also in the process of tendering for work in Mt Newmanthrough BGC Contracting on the BHP Billiton tender.”Blokpave launchesThe HelenastoneWith the paving season welland truly underway, Blokpave hasadded yet another unique productto their rapidly expanding collection.The Helenastone large format pavers.The Helenastone is a stylishlarge format paver that adds atouch of class to any application,from poolside entertainment tocreating an impressive courtyard.Manufactured in a 400mm x400mm x 60mm format TheHelenastone is available inStonewash and CharacterCollections and it comes in a wideselection of colours includingGrey, Limestone, Maple andNatural Earth.For more information on TheHelenastone, or any other pavingproduct, please contact a RetailSales Consultant on 1300 360 344.The new look Elements Restaurant, Lounge and Sushi Bar.Summer treats at ElementsElements Restaurant, Lounge and Sushi Bar has unveiled its freshnew look and an unbeatable summer menu.The re-vamped layout of the restaurant sees patrons enjoy the ambienceof more open space, while retaining the features that madeElements a popular venue for weekday lunches.The restaurant still offers its great lunchtime deal of 2 courses and aglass of wine for just $20, and customers can still sip their espressos orlattes in armchair comfort while enjoying the restaurant’s elegant ambience.Proprietor Andreas Supper is expecting a busy Christmas season,thanks to the new summer menu. “It’s full of nice fresh flavours, createdfrom the freshest products” he said.Andreas also expects Elements’ catering service to be a popularchoice for office Christmas parties. “Our sushi platters and cocktail partymenu are firm favourites and, of course, everything is freshly made onour premises.”Elements can be contacted on 9226 5166.For your contribution to the next BGC Bulletin pleasecontact Wendy Carey on 08 9261 1840