Working with local businesses on the Bunbury Outer Ring Road project

• Members of the South West Gateway Alliance (SWGA) team recently visited Steve from Bunbury Geotechnical to find out more about his experience working on the Bunbury Outer Ring Road (BORR) project.

Steve is a long-time Bunbury local, moving to the area when he was just four years old. Steve worked in the geotechnical space for several years, and after identifying a gap in the Bunbury market, he opened Bunbury Geotechnical in 2020.

Steve was a successful tenderer for geotechnical works on BORR and has seen rapid growth in his business, which has allowed him to hire more staff, diversify his business, network within the community, and build strong relationships.

Since then, Steve has hired 10 new local team members, including several Aboriginal team members, and is helping grow their careers by enrolling them into traineeships as they work towards a Certificate IV or a Diploma in Laboratory Operations Technology.

Charmaine is a Lab Technician who started working with Bunbury Geotechnical in July 2021. “Steve is awesome, you can go to him for anything, he is very approachable,” she said.

Charmaine is currently working towards her Certificate IV in Laboratory Operations and is committed to working with the business, hoping to take on a supervisory role in the future.

Steve is a regular helper in the local community and sponsors a range of local sporting groups, as well as taking on softball coaching roles. “I want to stay locally based in WA, so I can continue to help the region,” Steve said.

As his business continues to grow, Steve is focused on sustainability, business diversification, self-sufficiency and investing in his business and the community.

With spend targets of $300 million with local business and $20 million with Aboriginal business, SWGA is committed to working with local businesses to grow industry sustainability in the region.