Construction and Engineering


Construction and Engineering news and insights for Australia’s small and medium business owners and entrepreneurs. Read the latest construction and engineering news, trends and features and entrepreneur interviews about the construction and engineering industry.

Or search for construction and engineering on SmartCompany.


News


Builders welcome proposal for students studying trade to be offered HECS-style Govt loan
Madeleine Heffernan A Federal Government plan to offer HECS-style loans to students studying a trade or technical skill has been welcomed by building groups. | Monday, 23 January 2012

Tools chain Glenfords placed in voluntary administration
Patrick Stafford The shocking year for Australian corporate collapses has continued, with discount tools chain Glenfords now up for sale after being placed in voluntary administration last week. | Thursday, 15 December 2011

Construction group Candetti Constructions placed in administration
Patrick Stafford South Australian construction firm Candetti Constructions has been placed in administration as the industry continues to suffer a downturn. | Tuesday, 13 December 2011

Dramatic slump in building approval figures highlight argument for assistance, industry says
Patrick Stafford The Government could be pressured into providing assistance to the housing market if building approvals continue to fall and the European debt crisis has a negative effect on lending, experts have warned. | Thursday, 1 December 2011

Engineering firm collapses into administration as contract disputes restrict cashflow
Patrick Stafford An engineering company has collapsed into administration after falling into legal issues with building contractor John Holland over a number of projects underway in a defence base in Queensland. | Monday, 21 November 2011

New South Wales builder Cosmopolitan Construction in liquidation
Patrick Stafford The downturn in the construction industry has claimed yet another victim, with NSW-based housing firm Cosmopolitan Constructions entering voluntary liquidation. | Sunday, 6 November 2011

Union recruitment firm collapses into liquidation
Patrick Stafford A firm designed to recruit members for unions has been placed in liquidation with more than $4 million in debt. | Thursday, 27 October 2011

Commercial, industrial and multi-unit construction soars as Leighton Holdings tops list of 100 biggest construction groups
James Thomson New HIA figures reveal the mining sector might be fuelling Australia's latest construction boom, but commercial, industrial and multi-unit construction also rebounded strongly in 2010-11. | Wednesday, 12 October 2011

Employers warned over drug and alcohol testing plans after Fair Work decision
Patrick Stafford Businesses wanting to screen their employees with drug and alcohol tests must make sure all procedures are written into company policy and adhere to state and federal laws, otherwise any results may not be relevant in any dismissal case. | Tuesday, 11 October 2011

Insolvencies hit second-highest level in history in August
Madeleine Heffernan ASIC figures reveal the number of corporate insolvencies reached their second-highest level in August since records started in the late 1980s. | Monday, 10 October 2011

Trends


Groupon makes a loss in first quarter
Patrick Stafford Group buying giant Groupon has made a loss in its first quarter trading as a publically listed company. | Wednesday, 8 February 2012

Google hires Apple executive for new project
Patrick Stafford Search giant Google has hired a former Apple executive for a new project, a new report from VentureBeat claims. | Monday, 6 February 2012

Features


Your sector-by-sector guide to 2012
Madeleine Heffernan The only certainty is uncertainty: chances are the Australian economy is headed for another topsy-turvy year. | Tuesday, 17 January 2012

Building solid foundations
IBISWorld A strong demand for home ownership is helping increase residential building market revenue. | Tuesday, 22 November 2011

On solid ground
Robert Bryant, IBISWorld An increased demand for minerals is driving revenue growth for mining service firms. | Tuesday, 14 June 2011

How I became too reliant on one client – and recovered
Patrick Stafford Aqualogical's Doug Neufeld explains how he introduced a policy limiting the effect any one client would have on overall revenue. | Thursday, 26 May 2011

Safe as houses
Robert Bryant, IBISWorld While rocky in the short-term, solid foundations allow the residential building industry to rebuild. | Tuesday, 8 February 2011

New inquiry targets sham contracting
Terry Hayes SMEs who use contractors need to carefully watch a new inquiry into so-called sham contracting. | Wednesday, 19 January 2011

Engineering more business
Patrick Stafford The engineering sector has powered through a volatile period, with companies evolving to offer a broad range of services. | Tuesday, 24 August 2010

How I used my military experience to grow my business
Patrick Stafford Co-founder of Point Project Management, Brendan Bilston places a high emphasis on military-like precision to get things done. | Thursday, 5 August 2010

Call for carpet?
Robert Bryant, IBISWorld The carpet manufacturing industry's revival will be dependent on the state of the domestic housing and commercial building markets. | Tuesday, 13 July 2010

Survival of the fittest
Patrick Stafford The SmartCompany Dun & Bradstreet Industry Growth List for the construction industry reveals companies are suffering from cancelled projects and higher competition, but strong players have survived and they are eyeing a recovery. | Tuesday, 28 July 2009

Entrepreneur Zone


Les Katz
Patrick Stafford News imageLift Shop founder Les Katz had plenty of start-up problems, but is now finding his feet. | Thursday, 15 October 2009

Recruiter rides the outsourcing wave
Amanda Gome Andrew Banks heads the winning HR firm Talent2, and has built a highly successful and lucrative career from making canny calls on recruitment trends. He tells AMANDA GOME about his strategies and predictions. | Tuesday, 14 October 2008

Aussie’s strong growth plan
Amanda Gome John Symond’s Aussie Home Loans has continued to grow despite ructions in the mortgage market. His advice? Don’t be a victim, especially as circumstances change and customer needs evolve. He tells AMANDA GOME how he positioned Aussie as an organisation th | Monday, 29 September 2008

Digital directions
Amanda Gome John O’Neill, the chair of online strategy and digital agency Komosion, talks to AMANDA GOME about shaking the status quo in the face of the changing online space. | Thursday, 18 September 2008

A start-up with style
Amanda Gome The brainchild behind Swap My Style is 29-year-old Shaughla Ahmad, who has brought like-minded fashionistas a new concept that combines clothes, champagne and canapes with a night out. She tells AMANDA GOME how it all came about. | Tuesday, 16 September 2008

Aussie’s strong growth plan
Amanda Gome John Symond’s Aussie Home Loans has continued to grow despite ructions in the mortgage market. His advice? Don’t be a victim, especially as circumstances change and customer needs evolve. He tells AMANDA GOME how he positioned Aussie as an organisation th | Tuesday, 2 September 2008

Digital directions
Amanda Gome John O’Neill, the chair of online strategy and digital agency Komosion, talks to AMANDA GOME about shaking the status quo in the face of the changing online space. | Tuesday, 26 August 2008

Life after Destra, and the digital future
Amanda Gome Dominic Carosa, 33, was until two months ago, the founder and chief executive of digital media and entertainment company Destra Corporation. He talks to AMANDA GOME about life after Destra, the lessons he learnt, his new plans and how the digital world is | Monday, 23 June 2008

Building online traffic with Vroom
Jacqui Walker The founders of fast growth online car hire business Vroom Vroom Vroom, Peter Thornhill and Richard Eastes, tell JACQUI WALKER how they built traffic with search engine marketing, created an innovative culture, and are planning global expansion. | Tuesday, 18 March 2008

Online job giant SEEKs to adapt
Amanda Gome Seek founder Paul Bassat speaks to AMANDA GOME about the direction his business must take to continue on its enviable growth path. | Tuesday, 19 February 2008
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