| 57 CONTRACTING Bellcon DRAINAGE AND EARTHWORKS EXPERTS 021 40 4525 info@hutchcivil.co.nz www.hutchcivil.co.nz I N N O R T H L A N D DR A I NAG E E A R T HWOR K S S I T E S O LU T I ON S T T Nick Walker Bellcon offers clients an end-to-end service, including project commissioning. Value by design Keeping costs down is a priority in the water infrastructure sector, but Bellcon doesn’t focus just on price. They focus on value. It’s a subtle difference with a significant impact. Managing Director David Bell says Bellcon combines technical expertise, practical construction knowledge and an end-to-end service to help clients keep costs down by avoiding delays and redesigns. “It comes down to being technically savvy,” he says. “We look at projects from the start and ask whether there’s a better, more efficient way of doing it. That can save clients a lot of costly redesign work later.” Founded eight years ago, Bellcon has grown from Bell working as a solo project manager and commissioning engineer into a national business employing 30 staff and supported by another 14 specialist contractors. Today, the company delivers water and wastewater infrastructure projects across New Zealand, with major work ongoing in Auckland, Palmerston North, South Taranaki and Northland. Bellcon offers clients an end-to-end service, including project commissioning. Its in-house team includes civil, structural, mechanical and process engineers who can take a project from concept design through construction, commissioning and handover. “A lot of companies don’t offer commissioning as a service. We’ve got a dedicated commissioning team that can support multiple sites, and because we’ve been involved from the start, we understand exactly what the client needs,” Bell says. “A client can come to us with a water or wastewater problem and we’ll take it from concept to completion.” That integrated approach creates significant efficiencies. Bellcon recently completed a 10 month programme in just six months by rethinking how the work was delivered. “Honestly, we just knew we could do it that fast,” David says. “Because we’re owner-operated, there aren’t layers of management slowing decisions down. I’m involved from the tender stage and still manage projects where needed, so there aren’t silos.” The company’s collaborative approach has also helped build long-term relationships with clients, councils, consultants and suppliers. “We don’t run big egos. We work well with consultants because everyone is trying to achieve the same outcome.” That philosophy has helped Bellcon secure repeat work, including successive water treatment plant projects in the Palmerston North region following the successful completion of the Ashhurst Water Treatment Plant upgrade. Innovation is another area of focus. Bellcon has established its own research and development programme and is currently developing a proprietary solution to address common wastewater compliance challenges faced by asset owners. “It’s about finding practical solutions to industry problems,” Bell says. He believes the company’s biggest strength remains its people and their ability to deal with others. “Our relationships with clients, and how we communicate, are what win work for us. We understand construction because we’ve come from the ground up, and we know what it takes to get projects over the line.”
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