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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
JULY
2017
22
PROJECTS & CONTRACTS
The name, of course, is not new at all, with
the history of the Concor business dating
back nearly 70 years to its establishment
in 1948. The remarkable success of
Concor – initially specialising in concrete
construction and expanding into civil
construction and building – was clearly
evident from its growth; in its last year as a
listed entity on the JSE over 10 years ago,
its turnover was R1,6-billion. In 2006, Concor
was acquired by Murray & Roberts, whose
own heritage in the construction sector
goes back 115 years.
Now, the name Concor lives once
more as a construction brand, and as the
proud mantle for the heritage, skills and
experience that have continued to grow
in the nurturing environment of Murray &
Roberts Infrastructure over the past decade.
Much to look forward to
Concor Infrastructure managing director,
Eric Wisse says there is much to look
forward to as this new chapter opens for the
business and its committed staff.
“Our new ownership will give yet another
boost to our past efforts in developing a
strong and transformed business to serve
South Africa and markets beyond our
borders,” says Wisse. “We have a proven
management team and a depth of skills and
experience in our ranks that positions us
well for growth.”
Equity
Already operating on a strong Level 2 BBBEE
basis before the acquisition by Southern
Palace, Concor Infrastructure has a solid
scorecard position reflecting its historical
commitment to employment equity and
skills development as well as supplier
and enterprise development. He says the
involvement of the new shareholders is
certainly going to create valuable leverage
for the business to apply its expertise in
ever-widening markets.
Wisse says the company aims to confirm
its position as the leading black owned
Tier 1 infrastructure player in South Africa
and sub-Saharan Africa; it is already active
in all nine provinces locally, and regularly
performs contracts in Southern African
Development Community (SADC) countries.
“One highly successful aspect of our
operating model is to follow our established
customers wherever they have work,” he
says. “This approach means that we have
been engaged in projects all over Africa;
we still have registered companies in many
African countries, and are ready to open
more in any countries where we find work.”
Concor Infrastructure is confident that
it will play a growing role in infrastructure
development throughout Africa, especially
where South Africa-based development
finance institutions like the Development
Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) are involved
in the funding.
“The need for and potential impact of
new infrastructure in Africa is enormous,”
says Wisse, “and we stand ready to commit
our considerable resources and expertise to
ensuring world class facilities anywhere in
Africa where we have the opportunity.”
Public infrastructure
He says that Concor Infrastructure has
been an active participant in the arena of
public infrastructure, with its ‘base-load’
work in the transport sector – mainly
focused on national and provincial road
projects. Current projects underway include
contracts from the South African National
Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) and
provincial public works departments in the
North West and Eastern Cape provinces as
well as the toll road concession companies.
“Our flagship road project currently is
on the N2 highway between Mtunzini and
Empangeni in KwaZulu-Natal, where we
are building a new carriageway involving
extensive road works and bridges,” says
Wisse. “In the Eastern Cape, we are busy
with a contract to widen and improve a
section of the R72 between East London
NAME CHANGE, BUT SOLID
FOUNDATION
at SA’s construction icon
There is a ‘new’ name on South Africa’s construction landscape, as
Concor Infrastructure raises its flag over the edifice of Murray & Rob-
erts Infrastructure, following the recent acquisition of the Murray &
Roberts Infrastructure and Building Platform by a consortium led by
the Southern Palace Group.
Eric Wisse, managing director of
Concor Infrastructure.
Construction on the Mlalazi River bridge on
Concor Infrastructure's contract on the N2
highway in KwaZulu-Natal.
“We have continued to build
our experience in this field, and
today stand as the preferred civil
contractor on a number of wind
projects that form part of bid window
4 of the REIPP programme led by the
Department of Energy.”