A S F E A T U R E D I N A U S T R A L I A N C O N S T R U C T I O N F O C U S

SLATTER PROJECTS

ENTHUSIASTIC AND

EXPERIENCED

2 SLATTER PROJECTS

Written by Robert Hoshowsky

At the youthful age of 39, Mark Slatter has already dedi-cated over half his life to learning about and working in the nation’s construction industry. The Owner and Man-aging Director of WA-based Slatter Projects Pty Ltd (trad-ing as Slatter Constructions), Mr Slatter’s positive, go-getter attitude has taken him on a journey throughout a diverse range of projects, including schools, hospitals, hotels, offices, refurbishments, aquatic centres, mixed-use developments, retirement villages, and a great deal more. Along with acquiring a rich skill set during this time spent working for others, Mr Slatter also realised which types of projects he enjoys best.

“I definitely prefer commercial work,” he says. “There is always a lot of variation. Years ago, I became a little bit bored in residential, as it was always the same thing over and over again. With one-off commercial projects, there are a unique set of challenges every single time.”

Formed in 2010, Slatter Projects is the culmination of Mark’s many years in the construction industry. The com-pany – a registered builder with considerable combined experience in commercial and residential construction – represents a carefully planned and logical progres-sion for him, having begun his career with prominent homebuilder J-Corp in 1992 as a Trainee Scheduler. In time, Mark moved on to work as an Estimator for Dale Alcock Homes, ‘WA’s Most Awarded Home Builder’ with over 14,000 homes built in Perth and the South West. As his skills increased so did his ambition, and he worked for a number of other companies, includ-ing commercial builder Devaugh as a Contract adminis-trator, and later at BGC Construction and Perth-based Merit Projects as a Project Manager, and completing his Building Registration diploma.

Having gained considerable experience in many sectors of the industry over the years, Mark, along with a business partner, created Niche Construction WA Pty Ltd in May of 2004. Serving as Managing Director for Niche Construc-tion, Mark and his company received considerable praise in the industry for the high quality of commercial work they produced, and won several awards from the pres-tigious Master Builders Association (MBA), including Best New Builder. In 2009 – the same year he sold his shares in Niche Construction to the company’s other owner – Mark was praised for his cumulative body of work and achieve-ments with Niche, and received a 40 Under 40 award. The honour, designed to celebrate the depth of business tal-ent in Western Australia, is presented annually to 40 of WA’s pre-eminent leaders under the age of 40, and show-cases the determination, commercial drive, and philan-thropic pursuits of these young men and women.

Formed in 2010, Slatter Projects is the cul-mination of Owner and Managing Director Mark Slatter’s many years in the construction industry. Mr Slatter’s work has taken him on a journey throughout a diverse range of projects, including schools, hospitals, hotels, offices, refurbishments, aquatic centres, mixed-use developments, retirement villages, and a great deal more…

SLATTER PROJECTS

ENTHUSIASTIC AND EXPERIENCED

FO

CU

S O

N:

SL

AT

TE

R P

RO

JE

CT

S

3 SLATTER PROJECTS AS FEATURED IN AUSTRALIAN CONSTRUCTION FOCUS

Slatter Projects is Created

Not one to sit idle, Mark immediately formed his own company in 2010 along with four office staff, two supervisors, ten carpenters and labourers, and a number of trusted and reliable subcontractors. Mark’s experience as Managing Director reflects his depth of experience in all aspects of strategic planning, systems implementation, business devel-opment, project management, contract administra-tion, estimating, and financial management. In just two years, Slatter Projects has successfully taken on about 20 projects, ranging from work for banks to a wide range of government jobs.

“Our capability today suits projects from $100,000 to $10 million, and we usually work on six or seven projects at one time,” says Mark. “We had a turno-ver of two and a half million dollars in the first year and are on track to turn over $20 million in the sec-ond year, so it is a massive step-up in growth. We’ll keep growing – though not at that speed – and will consolidate for the next couple of years.”

For Mark, it is vital that the company maintains its professional but personal approach to busi-

ness, an approach which has gained the company a large amount of repeat business with well-known clients like the Netherlands-based Rabobank group. One of the world’s 25 largest financial institutions (based on tier one capital), Rabobank dates back to 1898, and has offices in Australia. To date, Slatter has taken on three refurb projects for Rabobank.

“With commercial projects,

there are a unique set of

challenges every single time.”

The company also enjoys a successful relationship with another international giant, Liebherr-Australia Pty Ltd. With offices in Adelaide, Brisbane, Mackay, Mt Thorley (Hunter valley), Perth and Sydney, Liebherr-Australia is well-known in the nation’s construction and mining sec-tors for offering support services for a range of crawler cranes, deep foundation machines, earthmoving equip-ment, construction cranes, and mining equipment. Slatter has completed three projects for Libherr-Australia, includ-ing a fit-out and hardstand.

4 SLATTER PROJECTS

Successful Government Contracts

Taking on a number of projects for various levels of government, Slatter Projects already has a reputation for producing high quality work on time and on budg-et. The firm is on tender lists for jobs but, Mark says, upcoming changes regarding how the government se-lects contractors to take on jobs should decidedly work in the company’s favour. “The government is bringing in a qualitative criteria as well, based on experience and previous performance. That’s been good for us, because we have quite a track record now. It has been open tender, but there have been occasions where they put out an expression of interest, and we’ve got on the select list to tender.”

Since the company was formed, it has been responsi-ble for a good number of state government projects. Working for various departments under the auspices of Building Management and Work, Slatter Projects has built office accommodation and internal fit-outs of existing buildings for the Department of Tourism, De-partment of Transport, and is now well into its fourth job for the WA Police.

“Clients get not only our

professionalism, but our

personal attention.”

At present, the company is undertaking a design and construct for Centrelink. Operated by the Australian Government Department of Human Services, Centre-link offers a range of health, social, and welfare pay-ments and services and assistance programs to individ-uals out of work and looking for employment. “For this project, we’ve employed the design team, and are man-aging construction,” says Mark. “Instead of tendering the project, we negotiate with the client directly on a price, and then we bring the designers on board, and we manage that process as well.” Occasionally, clients will approach Slatter with a contract design in hand, and the company will “take it from there.”

In addition to creating a team of designers and subcontrac-tors, Slatter Projects offers other services upon request, such as helping clients with permits and managing the pro-cess to ensure it runs smoothly from start to finish.

Future Plans

In keeping with his company’s progress to date, Owner and Managing Director Mark Slatter is keeping an eye on future expansion. He hopes to take on a dozen jobs

this year, and continue working from the southwest to the midwest. The company is investigating opening an office in Geraldton, the capital of WA’s Midwest and gateway to the Abrolhos Islands. “We have a continu-ity of work in Geraldton, so we are looking at opening up an office there.” One of the projects the company is considering in Geraldton is breathing new life into an eight-storey older office building, converting it into a 37-unit apartment block. If all goes as planned, the project will give the company the “kick off” to creating a new office in Geraldton.

“In the future, we’re going to definitely focus on a fit-out division, and then we’ll branch into all types of commercial, which will include mixed-use types of projects,” says Mark, who would like to see his com-pany as one of the Top 25 builders in WA. With a strong team, including Project Manager Rob Murrell – who worked with Mark at Niche Construction – Site Super-visor Les Billington, Site Supervisor and fit-out special-ist Chris Falla, and the company’s most recent hire Ka-tie Andrews, who facilitates contract administration and tendering – Slatter Projects is well on its way.

“We’re a smaller company, but we have the contacts and experience of a bigger company. In this way, clients get not only our professionalism, but our personal attention.”

FO

CU

S O

N:

SL

AT

TE

R P

RO

JE

CT

S

5 SLATTER PROJECTS AS FEATURED IN AUSTRALIAN CONSTRUCTION FOCUS

“OUR CAPABILITY TODAY SUITS PROJECTS FROM $100,000 TO $10 MILLION, AND WE USUALLY WORK ON SIX OR SEVEN PROJECTS AT ONE TIME.”

SLATTER PROJECTSwww.slatterconstructions.com.au

675 Victoria Street | Abbotsford VIC 3067

Phone: 02 8412 8119 | ABN 93 143 238 126