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MINING SERVICES | Kerman Contracting
KERMAN CONTRACTING One of Western Australia’s most experienced industrial construction contractors
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MINING SERVICES | Kerman Contracting
Brian Kerman established Kerman Contracting in 1981 at the sprightly age of 52 having worked across Western Australia’s construction sector for a number of years. The company initially picked up work from Brian’s traditional base around structural mechanical piping, where he undertook minor maintenance and repair work. The business then grew progressively based on strong support from a couple of key customers, notably Wesfarmers. By the early 2000s, Kerman was under the leadership of Brian’s son Chris and had moved into the resources sector after sensing opportunities around non-process infrastructure, following a successful job with mining giant Rio Tinto. Over the ensuing decade, Kerman consolidated its reputation in WA’s resources sector before re-strategising the business around three years ago in a quest to diversify.
“Over the years we have been able to build strong relationships with our clients. We always try to communicate with them and
With such a long history working in WA’s
articulate what our value proposition is, so
industrial services sector, Kerman has a
then they understand what we can offer,”
strong claim to be one of the state’s most
says James Rowdon, business development
experienced design and construction
director at Kerman.
contractors, and what sets Kerman aside from competitors is its commitment to
“Management has always stuck by what it’s
fostering relationships with clients.
said it would do. Everybody is very much
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involved, all the directors are hands-on and
These values are wholly embodied by the
contactable by the clients, so if there are any
people who make up the company, from the
issues they can deal with them directly and
top down to the bottom, and Rowdon is quick
resolve them.
to emphasise that Kerman’s people are its most important asset.
“Kerman has never walked away from a job. We make sure that every job is delivered to
“Our staff feel like part of the family and rest
the quality of the client’s expectations. In
easy knowing that they can be part of the
fact, probably 60-70% of our work is repeat
decision making and part of a team. It’s a very
business,” he reveals.
open place to work and everyone enjoys the
MINING SERVICES | Kerman Contracting
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spoils of success together, along with the
“Then we moved into the iron ore sector
lessons learnt from challenging situations.”
and now we are doing a lot with the new
Mining expertise
commodities such as lithium, graphite, nickel and cobalt which are all centred
Kerman provides fully integrated design
around battery storage and construction.
and construction expertise to a wide array
We have been fortunate to play in multiple
of industrial facilities including non-process
commodities down the years, from gold,
infrastructure, processing plants, bulk
uranium, vanadium and more.”
storage facilities and even accommodation villages. Often this kind of work is conducted
However, mining is not the only sector that
in remote locations, such as mine sites.
Kerman is highly proficient in, following the company’s decision to diversify out of
Therefore, mining is an industry that Kerman
resources in order to reduce exposure to
is very closely aligned with, in terms of its
a single market. For instance, Kerman has
experience and current capabilities. “We
been involved in the agricultural sector from
entered the industry very early on and were
the 1990s and has been able to successfully
doing mineral sands from almost since day
apply its wide-ranging skillset to a number of
one,” says Rowdon.
industrial facilities at agricultural sites.
MINING SERVICES | Kerman Contracting
OUR INDUSTRIAL KNOW-HOW
CASE STUDY: LITHIUM PROCESSING PLANT, KWINANA
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Kerman Contracting recognised the unique ability of Peritas Group to provide competitive design solutions for the non-process infrastructure at the Tianqi Lithium processing plant. Peritas worked with Kerman to develop a competitive design for tender purposes and worked closely with the construction team to deliver the buildings seamlessly. Peritas looks forward to an ongoing association.
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The company is currently working with CBH
But because we had that transferable skillset
Group - Australia’s largest exporter of grain
and identified the need to branch out early
– and was recently handed a significant
enough, we were able to move into other
contract for the design and construction
sectors smoothly,” he says.
of four circular grain storage cells at CBH’s existing Chadwick receival site in Esperance,
Nonetheless, the resources sector remains
WA.
a key area of business for Kerman and with WA’s mining industry beginning to pick
Kerman’s agriculture workbook is currently
up once again, driven by large-scale iron
stacked to the brim with similar jobs and
ore replenishment projects and greater
it has been this diversification that has
investment in ‘new commodity’ projects like
been the company’s saviour in recent years
lithium, Kerman has significantly benefitted
according to Rowdon, particularly as WA’s
from the sector’s resurgence.
mining industry is only just recovering from the downturn which peaked in 2016.
“Because we are quite well known in the resource sector, as soon as those
“If we hadn’t diversified we would have died a
opportunities started popping up again, we
slow death, which would have been a crying
were often contacted early which allowed
shame after over 30 years in the business.
us to secure the work. We’ve definitely
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MINING SERVICES | Kerman Contracting
“Kerman has never walke sure that every job is client’s expectations. In fact
James Rowdon, bu
benefitted from an improved market but the
Furthermore, as part of its diversification
big positive for us is that we weren’t wholly
process Kerman has been able to bring
reliant on the resource sector anyway.”
these health and safety ethos into other
Health and safety Contracting within the resources industry
sectors which are not as robust from a safety perspective as the mining sector, for instance the agricultural sector.
demands an all-encompassing commitment to upholding the highest health and safety
“Our safety processes have been through
standards, and Kerman’s impeccable safety
the rigours of independent audits, we have
record is a testament to its culture of
achieved federal safety accreditation which
looking out for one another. This company
represents our ability to service any job
culture has been fostered through a safety
around the country in a safe manner, being
programme called Save 4 Life.
recognised by the Federal Government. That is a feather in our cap.”
“Save 4 Life is a behaviour-based programme that expects everyone to look after
Kerman also places a lot of emphasis on
themselves but also their mates and all
corporate social responsibility across a
the people around them. This could mean
number of areas, and this permeates down
alerting someone to a potential hazard and
from the company founder and chairman
then explaining the controls in place to stop
Brian Kerman, who is a keen philanthropist
that. We try and instil these safety and design
and has set up a trust which donates
solutions in our staff very early on.”
considerable sums to worthy causes across WA.
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ed away from a job. We make delivered to the quality of the t, probably 60-70% of our work is repeat business” usiness development director
programmes for locals to engage with the local community. We have had projects where we are very close to residential areas and so we have had to have stakeholder engagement to minimise dust and things like that. Its always about keeping the community informed.” The near-term prospects of Kerman Contracting look secure when you take a glance at the firm’s current order books, which includes the design and construct of a ship unloader at the Port of Newcastle. Kerman is also providing structural mechanical piping services to Talison
In terms of employment, local and indigenous Lithium’s crushing circuit down in participation has been a key driver for
Greenbushes, WA and is close to completing
Kerman down the years and continues to do
some non-process infrastructure work for
so even in the company’s business outside
Chinese mining firm Tianqi Lithium at its
of WA. “[Local and indigenous employment]
lithium hydroxide facility in Kwinana, WA.
is part of our license to operate, part of the reason we are in business and why
“In the second half of the financial year we
people want to work for us as well,” explains
will be looking to finish some of this work
Rowdon.
while looking for other jobs and there is quite a pipeline of opportunities showing up as the
“We are currently doing a job in Newcastle
market keeps improving.”
over in New South Wales and there we are sourcing at least 40% of the workforce from the local industry. This is local contractors who are supporting their local communities. “In the past we have donated to sporting organisations and introduced training
b j
Published by Anderson Murray Media Ltd
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