BESIX WATPAC PROFILE
THE BUILDERS CHOICE Besix Watpac profile
Rising star of complex construction It’s one year since the official launch of a rebranded player in the Australian and New Zealand construction markets and already BESIX Watpac is proving its name change runs much deeper than a new logo. Crafted from nearly four decades of Australian building history under the Watpac banner and more than a century of mega project experience from global parent company BESIX, the new BESIX Watpac has established itself as an engineering-led, multidisciplinary contractor with an appetite for complex projects. Prior to the rebranding, Watpac had a strong reputation as a builder with expertise in hospitals and stadiums, but BESIX Watpac CEO, Jean-Pol Bouharmont set about broadening the new brand’s capability across sectors. “I’m really happy that today BESIX Watpac is seen as an engineering-led, multi-disciplinary construction contractor that will partner with clients to add value by optimising their design, derisking their projects and going the extra mile to deliver excellence,” Jean-Pol said. Jean-Pol’s influence on the business has been profound due to his remarkable career with BESIX and a wide variety of major projects in the Middle East and
Europe. These include the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the remarkable Dubai Canal and its three iconic pedestrian bridges and one of the world’s most advanced hospitals, the Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi. Central to BESIX Watpac’s engineering focus was the development of its in-house engineering capability which is now an important hub in the global BESIX Engineering Department. With teams based in Brussels, Dubai and Brisbane, the 160 person-strong Engineering Department provides expertise across the board including design optimisation and delivery
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methodology. (See video) This engineering focus, combined with the BESIX expertise in transport infrastructure, heavy industrial projects and marine infrastructure, has guided the BESIX Watpac strategic focus toward a range of sectors in which complexity is the key challenge. These include defence infrastructure, secure facilities and data centres, stadiums, hospitals and laboratories, transport facilities, marine projects and bridges, and complex commercial buildings. This strategic shift has already delivered results with the Brisbane City Council recently awarding a BESIX Watpac-led team the
contract to deliver the spectacular new Kangaroo Point Green Bridge in the heart of Brisbane. “This is the first iconic bridge project for BESIX Watpac here in Australia and in a magnificent CBD location – it’s hard to imagine a better way to showcase that we are the contractor who can deliver these types of projects,” Jean-Pol said. In a long list of recent project wins, Sydney Metro awarded BESIX Watpac the contract to deliver Barangaroo Station in the Sydney CBD, Christchurch City Council engaged the BESIX Watpac-led Kotui team to deliver the Canterbury Multi-Use Arena and the company was appointed as Managing Contractor for the upgrade of the HMAS Cairns naval base. There are many other projects ongoing in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia and more prospects in the pipeline for which the company has been shortlisted. Brisbane’s success in securing the 2032 Olympic Games will add to the growth potential for BESIX Watpac and plays to its strength in delivering stadiums and major venues. The company has already delivered most of the major stadiums in Queensland and it will be well placed to bid for the
