Complex construction partner Mainka

COMPLEX CONSTRUCTION PARTNER

German construction specialist Bauunternehmung August Mainka GmbH is a long-term family-owned company with safety at its core. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to managing director Andreas Mainka about how the company excels in projects with complex requirements.

Established by Josef Mainka in 1895 as a stone-setting and subsurface engineering company, Bauunternehmung August Mainka GmbH is today managed by his grandson Andreas Mainka. With its head office located in Lingen, Germany, the company has expanded considerably across Germany, with further sites in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

Bauunternehmung August Mainka GmbH remains 100 per cent owned by the Mainka family and achieved a €115 million turnover in 2011, even against the backdrop of the economic recession. Managing director Andreas Mainka told Industry Europe why he believes being a strong, family-owned company is key to this continued success. He said, “Being a family-owned company is incredibly different from being a shareholderowned company. We rely on our employees and they rely on us and we like it that way. It means that we are all motivated to be the best we can be – we have a shared identification with our employees that we are all on the same team. We make sure we reward our employees fairly, keep them informed of any company developments and discuss our mutual goals all together.”

He continued, “But we also accept that this status does not really make a difference to our customers – what is most important to them is that we continually achieve the results they demand from their complex projects. That said, we do feel that our ongoing commitment to decency and fairness as an employer strengthens our ability to perform at the highest level.”

All about safety

Delivering turnkey construction projects, concrete and civil engineering, asphalt road construction, subsurface works and pipeline engineering, Mainka’s promise is “We work safe or not at all”. The vast majority of its projects are conducted under some sort of challenging environment – indeed, Mainka is often chosen by clients precisely for its long-term experience in dealing with complex conditions.

Mr Mainka said, “We specialise in industrial construction projects where the complexity of the location, situation or product involved places extra demand on the plant. This could be related to safety, health, environment, cooperation with other parties or schedules. Consequently, around 90 per cent of our projects come from the chemical, power or special logistics industries.”

Mainka’s ‘top of the line safety approach’ is clearly an important differentiator, particularly as it has proven its capabilities time and time again over its nearly 120-year history. Having built a strong reputation for delivering exceptional safety on complex projects, the company continues to perform well, with a strong order book. Its ‘safe or not at all’ promise stems from the fact that it only takes on projects where it knows that it can add value by implementing long-term experience in safety-led execution.

Mr Mainka continued, “I am proud to say that worries about occupational safety are not an issue at our plants. Our total safety record gives comfort to our clients as they know that Mainka projects are 100 per cent reliable. From a technical point of view, we are able to use our skills and experience in completing turnkey projects as diverse as chemical plants

that require specific hazardous zones, turnkey jobs with numerous other contractors on site, revamps of existing production facilities… all very different yet all needing our expertise to work to the best potential.”

Continued growth expected

The Mainka approach and promise is wholeheartedly embraced by employees. The company has grown from 160 employees 10 years ago to more than 500 today, with each carefully recruited and trained to fit the company’s ethos. It expects to continue growing in the coming years too, particularly as it is seeing a strong increase in orders from its domestic German market.

Mainka is committed to offering turnkey solutions in the fields of industrial construction where its understanding of complex projects is appropriate. Mr Mainka added, “As much as we are known for our ability to complete complex construction engineering projects, we make sure that our clients are kept out of the newspapers! By appointing Mainka they can be assured that there are no problems with their plants or facilities, so there is no adverse reporting about their businesses. We are a trustworthy partner that builds and maintains their facilities so they can get on with doing what they do best, safe in the knowledge that Mainka has taken care of their plant.”

The high level of safety at Mainka also enables the company to ensure a clear synergy with clients. Many clients turn to Mainka to solve their challenging engineering projects – as Mr Mainka said, “When the going gets tough, people come to Mainka!”

Mr Mainka concluded, “Our exemplary safety record, our ability to complete safetyfocused turnkey projects and our unbeatable experience in construction projects that are subject to complex conditions makes Mainka the first choice partner.” n