Smart50 rank: 36
Revenue: $33,577,780
Growth: 51.84%
Founders: Peter Stahlhut, 52 and David Schramm, 41
Based: Queensland
Employees: 550
Industry: Other
Website: www.evolutiontraffic.com.au
Queensland traffic management business Evolution Traffic Control has produced impressive growth results since launching just five years ago.
On the strength of several key contracts with local Queensland councils and a still-booming infrastructure sector, the company recorded revenue of $33.6 million in 2008-09, with average annual growth of 55.84% over the past three years.
But like many rapidly-expanding businesses, growing pains have remained Evolution's biggest challenge.
"Managing growth while still maintaining the same principles and values has been our biggest challenge since starting up," principal Peter Stahlut says. "We learnt quickly that the most valuable asset is its people."
They are also the company's greatest challenge - with the skills shortage raging in the Sunshine State, every business in the infrastructure sector has been in a pitched war for talent.
"The most difficult issue has been recruitment and training of employees to meet the demands of clients and our own standards," Stahlut says. While this has recently eased with the gentle rise in unemployment, Evolution went to the extent of becoming a Registered Training Organisation in order to be able to train its own staff.
While the downturn has not affected the company too severely - government continue to pour cash into infrastructure projects - Stahlut says the company is focusing on training and developing its employees to prepare for the recovery.
Eventually the company hopes to move interstate.
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