COBOD

PROJECT DIRECTED BY Jamie Waite

WRITTEN BY Laura Watling

CONPRO

Building a Greater Ghana

CONPRO Limited is one of Ghana’s leading construction consultancy firms with a drive to better society.

Established in 2004 by Richard Quaynor, the CEO aims to pass on his entrepreneurial experience to the young people of Ghana, enabling them with the tools to grow both the country and themselves.

With 73 staff based in offices in Kumasi (where the business was established) and Ghana’s capital, Accra, CONPRO Limited offers a network of construction professionals for construction and infrastructure projects.

The CEO speaks with Business Enquirer’s Laura Watling about the impact CONPRO is making to build a greater Ghana.

CONPRO

Richard considers his business as an opportunity to equip the youth of Ghana to build a better life. “I have always believed in working with young people. They are the biggest part of our population in Ghana so there is a pool of people we can educate with the required industry skills,” explained Richard.

In 2021, Conpro sponsored 12 of its staff in Building Services, an area in which the business needed to develop. This also enabled the local university to establish a Building Services programme which can be continued.

“Not only did we upskill our own staff, this also assisted the government to establish the university programme which will help to build the construction sector in Ghana,” Richard shared.

The business continues to train its staff in areas it considers to have a weakness. “I also consider it important to support young Ghanaians in developing entrepreneurial skills. If these employees go on to run their own businesses I never see them as competitors. They become a network of CONPROs which can better our infrastructure and society,” he said.

Building Better Education

Conpro’s client list includes Ghana National Petroleum Company and Ghana’s Ministry of Education.

The latter allows CONPRO to play a key role in the construction of educational institutions in Ghana.

In 2017, the Ghanaian government started the role out of a nationwide free senior school policy. As such, the pupil numbers increased astronomically, calling for the demand of more infrastructure in the schools.

“In partnership with the Ministry of Education we have embarked on an emergency schools project to fulfil the demand,” said Richard, “we have been upgrading the master plans for the secondary schools free of charge. Not only does this bring value for the client, it also improves the work we do, bringing it in line with modern demands”.

It is important that these schools offer the best, to encourage the pupils to go.

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In addition, the business is engaged in a government-funded project to build state-of-the-art STEM schools in each district of Ghana. So far, the projects have been initiated in 11 districts.

“It is important that these schools offer the best, to encourage the pupils to go,” Richard explained.

Furthering its work in the education sector, CONPRO Limited has undertaken engineering and technical works at the former University of Education, Winneba (Kumasi campus). Currently known as Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, CONPRO Limited have been designing the university’s infrastructure.

Richard Quaynor, CEO, CONPRO

Construction Feature

Construction Feature

CONPRO

LEEDing the way

Its work for GNPC has enabled CONPRO Limited to better its experience in the sustainable sphere.

Currently it is undertaking three flagship projects with the petroleum company - its research and technical centre and corporate head office, both in Accra, and an operational office. “The research and technical centre and operational centre are both Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects, which is giving us the opportunity to develop our experience and knowledge in sustainable builds,” Richard said, “we can then take this experience and implement it into other projects”.

Richard highlighted that sustainable practices can be difficult to implement in Africa, as a lot of the sustainability programmes are geared towards developed countries.

“Our challenges become our opportunities,” explained Richard, “we have a lot of natural resources we can work with in Africa, for example the sun. By positioning builds in a certain direction we can benefit from solar or reduce the use of A/C by designing for cross ventilation”.

Builds can also be made more cost effective by using bricks, which don’t need to be plastered and painted.

“Again, this gives us an opportunity to upskill people in Ghana, teaching artisanal constructors how to work with bricks,” Richard shared.

Seeking the Opportunities

Of course, CONPRO Limited has faced the same recent challenges as virtually any construction company the world over, namely Covid and the conflict in Ukraine. Once again, however, CONPRO has sought opportunity out of these challenges.

Like the rest of the world, Covid caused lockdowns in Ghana, meaning many of CONPRO’s staff needed to adapt to working from home. “We trained our team to work remotely, and as such our project management skills improved. We now have a hybrid working system with a successful and effective project management system,” explained Richard.

Likewise, delays in supply chains have reinforced to CONPRO the importance of countries being self-sufficient. “For 12 years we have had a 300 ha teak plantation, we have always believed in sustainability and self-sufficiency,” said Richard.

With the current global economy teetering on a precipice, Richard is aware that CONPRO must be galvanised to think differently. “If the government’s budget is affected, infrastructure projects will reduce. We are positioning ourselves to be able to expand into the private sector,” he said.

CONPRO

The Next Generation of CONPRO

Looking at the next 12-18 months, Richard sees exciting but challenging times for both himself and CONPRO.

“I have always said it’s important to exit the stage when the applause is loudest,” explained Richard, “and so in January 2023 I will take a step back from the business”.

Although it’s time for Richard to enjoy some well-deserved relaxation, he still intends to keep a hand in with the business on a consultancy basis.

“It’s time for the next generation to take the lead with CONPRO. I hope that the 12 people we sponsored last year will go on to educate another 12 people and so on. A network of “mini CONPROs” can then be developed,” he said.

Richard’s unique education has helped him to develop his leadership style and ethos on life.

Having completed his degree in Ghana, Richard went on to study his master in civil engineering in Ukraine.

“I gained my social philosophy from my time in the Ukraine when it was part of the Soviet Union. I believe in providing for society’s disadvantaged and yet also understand the importance of giving opportunities and incentives to work hard,” Richard explained.

After his time in Ukraine, Richard returned to Ghana, working as a district engineer and then as a civil engineer on EU projects.

“I worked on five simple but instrumental projects,” he said, “these were for schools and medical centres. They changed the lives of people in the region both socially and economically. This taught me to always think about the impact on the end-user”.

Africa is Ready

When speaking to Business Enquirer, Richard had a very clear message: “Africa is ready”.

“Africa needs to be looked at differently. We have one of the biggest opportunities for solar energy and agriculture, but we need partnerships for these to take off,” said Richard, “investments need to come to Africa and stay in Africa, and consider how opportunities can benefit the disadvantaged. Let our people utilise the skills they are developing by working for businesses like CONPRO Limited”.

www.conprolimited.com

Construction Feature

Africa needs to be looked at differently. We have one of the biggest opportunities for solar energy and agriculture, but we need partnerships for these to take off. “

PROJECT DIRECTED BY Jordan Boswell

Henrik Lund-Nielsen CEO, COBOD

WRITTEN BY Laura Watling

COBOD

Testing of a newly constructed printer in COBOD’s Copenhagen HQ

Disrupting Construction to Better the World

COBOD is the Danish-born brainchild of experienced CEO, leader and entrepreneur, Henrik Lund-Nielsen. Mr Lund-Nielsen describes his career journey as a story of two parts, spending half of his career as a hired CEO and the other half as a CEO of his own companies.

Mr Lund-Nielsen showed his entrepreneurial ambition as a teenager, launching his first business at 18, which he sold years later to fund his MBA in San Diego.

Could 3D printing be the solution to the World’s affordable construction and housing crisis? Founder and CEO Henrik Lund-Nielson and his business, COBOD, certainly think so. Business Enquirer was given the opportunity to find out more about the technology on the precipice of disrupting the construction industry.

Having forged a successful management career in large multinationals, such as Scandinavian Tobacco (British-American Tobacco) and Faber (part of the Velux Group), Mr Lund-Nielsen decided to take his ambitions solo in 2002.

“I started with businesses in the emerging mobile internet industry and then developed an interest in green business models,” shared Mr Lund-Nielsen.