Gateway portal leads to spike in contractor interest
Sitzler Pty Ltd has teamed up with ICN to create a Gateway portal for a number of projects across Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia.
Pre Contracts Manager for Sitzler, Jamie Porrovecchio, said working with ICN has led to “a lot of benefits in a short amount of time”.
“ICN is very proactive trying to understand our requirements, and we have very quickly seen a fairly big spike in contractor interest. Our subcontractor coverage is getting a lot wider,” Jamie said.
Established in 1976, Sitzler is one the largest privately-owned construction contractors in Australia.
Its extensive experience includes civil, defence, commercial, industrial, retail and tourist-related construction projects. Sitzler is also a pioneer in remote area construction, particularly in Central Australia.
“We support local at any chance we get, Jamie said, citing the Space Surveillance Telescope Facility, Exmouth, WA as an example. In that town of about 1400 working people, Sitzler has inducted about 400 locals on to the site.
“It’s better for us, better for community and it safeguards the project. Fly-in fly-out rosters come at a heavy cost and heavy staff rotation.”
The company also aim to support local suppliers and subcontractors for every project. It also aims to maximise indigenous opportunities where possible.
“There are a lot of flow-down opportunities for subcontractors and suppliers,” Jamie said.
“We are local to the area as much as possible. In Exmouth, we pretty well captured the entire subcontractor and supplier market in that one project.
“We are loyal to our subcontractors, but always open to commercial opportunities for anybody else as well.”
Over the past couple of decades Sitzler has sought to break down the stereotype that there is not enough capacity in smaller centres, such as Darwin. The company has worked hard to establish joint ventures with larger enterprises and now presents as a viable option for bigger projects.
According to Jamie, Sitzler intends to use Gateway for all future projects. “If we don’t it will be by exception, he said.
Although Sitzler operates across two states as well as the NT, the company ensures that suppliers and contractors who work across state lines will always deal with the same person.
“We are not state-centric,” Jamie said. “We work as one entity across our footprint and feed our people interstate as required.”
Some of Sitzler projects currently open on Gateway are:
This SA project includes the refurbishment works to a number of buildings at the DSTG in Edinburgh, SA to extend the lifespan of the built assets. Works include building repairs, asbestos removal, relaying floor finishes, painting, roofing works, mechanical and electrical services, structural works, concreting and masonry repair.
Explosive Ordnance Logistics Reform Program
This project at RAAF Base Darwin includes building an administration building, small arms building, white phosphorous building, non-explosive ordnance store, ammunition process building, as well as associated roadworks, civil and service infrastructure civil and services infrastructure connections. It also involves demolishing two existing buildings and extension of an existing grass traverse.
For more information on current, upcoming and awarded projects, go to Sitzler’s Gateway portal.