EXCO Solutions | Our Projects

Strategy

Business Growth & Diversification

Calibre Group is a diversified professional services, construction and maintenance specialist providing a broad scope of engineering, consulting, construction, project delivery and management services across multiple industry sectors and geographies. EXCO Solutions’ Managing Director Paul Mathews was accountable for driving research, articulation, and implementation of business wide strategic planning to focus on sustainable growth in Calibre’s construction division. He also managed the business development function including planning, targeted initiatives, and monitoring performance against aligned targets. He created structure and process around these business functions, ultimately enabling operational leaders to take ownership of them. This eliminated the risk of intellectual capital loss often found in single point of contact business development roles.
Key achievements including securing major capital works programs in the utility sector, market entry in the rail sector, mapping a multi-year weighted pipeline of forward-works, aligning strategy across multiple business units, and exceeding performance KPI’s. This occurred during a period of change in business ownership and privatisation.
“I'd strongly recommend Exco Solutions. Exco has been a huge value add on recent engagements. Working with Paul is always a pleasure, and he is gifted technically while looking at everything through a strategy lens.” David O’Connor, Chairman, Calibre Group.

Board of Directors | Strategy

Business Transformation

TADSA is a not-for-profit organisation that creates or modifies assistive technology devices creating bespoke solutions for the aged and people with disabilities. For decades the organisation had relied on annual lump-sum funding from the government to support its operations, however with the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme this form of funding ceased, and was replaced by a new client-funded model. With limited capital, this presented the organisation with a critical survival scenario. In addition to his broad responsibilities as a non-executive director and deputy chairman, EXCO Solutions’ Managing Director Paul Mathews took the lead on the development and implementation of a business transformation strategy. Central to the strategy was the transition to a small-business style model, which required the introduction of new business management processes to drive accountability for the organisation’s objectives. Another area of focus was the attraction and retention of new volunteers and staff with finance and marketing skills to help with the execution of the strategy.
Within two years of implementing the EXCO Solutions’ strategy delivery model, the organisation had successfully transitioned to a self-supporting organisation and had strengthened their balance sheet.

Strategy

Business Growth

Based in Brisbane since 2010, ElectusPeople has helped businesses and their hiring managers to attract productive and engaged employees for full time, part-time and temporary employment. With an ambition to grow and diversify the business significantly Electus engaged EXCO Solutions to assist with the development of a five-year strategic plan. Some of the key strategic policies developed were associated with the development of scalable systems and processes to support the growth, and sub-strategies to attract and retain staff and maintain the already strong culture within the workforce. Execution of the plan commenced in 2022, and already the business in on track to achieving key short-term targets.
"EXCO Solutions helped me elevate my focus from operations of the business to a higher level where I could see the big picture across the whole operating environment of the sector. With this insight I could establish clearly what we needed to do to guide the business towards our future success" Fiona Hackett, Principal ElectusPeople.

Strategy

Business Growth & Diversification

Diona offer a true turn-key solution covering all aspects of design and construction in the utility and infrastructure sectors. In 2015 they began a structured approach to strategic planning, to focus on growth to achieve the earn-out targets associated with their acquisition by the Calibre Group; EXCO Solutions’ Managing Director Paul Mathews held a key role to develop and champion the execution of the strategy plan with the management team. Aligned with this strategy, he spear-headed geographical diversification by establishing Diona’s business in Victoria with a robust 2-year forward pipeline of work on long-term panel contracts in the gas and water sectors with blue-chip clients. He also reached into the New Zealand market to determine the feasibility of an international expansion, but ultimately recommended against this venture. In parallel, he continued to be responsible for all P&L and operational management across South Australia and Victoria and acted as Chair of the Senior Management Team.
His contribution in this role was verified by the business exceeding all earn-out targets, and the business units under his control significantly exceeding company margin benchmarks. He embedded a legacy of high performance and added diversity into the skill base by onboarding new State Managers in South Australia and Victoria as part of his succession planning.

Project Management

ECI Underground Transmission Cable

An Australian resources company, with a focus on development projects in the natural resources and renewable energy sectors required a detailed design and budget for construction of an extra-high voltage transmission cable. They engaged a national civil engineering contractor to undertake the ECI (Early Contractor Involvement) process, and EXCO Solutions was engaged as a subconsultant because of their experience on this specialist field. EXCO provided advice across all aspects of the work, focusing on balancing the difficult site constraints and civil engineering construction challenges with achieving the electrical performance requirements. This included providing detailed commentary on the cable route alignment and joint bay positions, thermal performance of native and backfill materials, cross-sectional dimensions of the cable trench, trenchless construction across major roads and waterways, and cable hauling and jointing. A strategic approach was taken towards reduction of overall construction costs through the management of risk.
Several significant innovations and initiatives were put forward to the end user for consideration. This included alternative high performance thermal materials, alternative conduit type and configuration, and construction techniques to navigate across major obstructions along the route. All initiatives had elements that reduced impact on the community and environment, and on hazards facing workers during construction.

Project Management

National Capital Works Program

APA is a leading energy infrastructure business that own and/or operate a $21B portfolio of gas, electricity, solar and wind assets around Australia. EXCO Solutions’ Managing Director Paul Mathews led Diona’s diversification into network construction and renewal in the gas sector in his role as Program Manager on the APA Group’s National Capital Works Program. By investing in training and development of his team, he reshaped Diona’s resource capability from delivery in the electricity and water sectors to the gas sector. His key responsibilities on the program included managing recruitment and training, technical team development, project tendering, budget, planning, risk management, delivery, and quality control.
Within two years he took Diona from being a ‘new-starter’ in the gas sector in South Australia to a contractor of choice for the APA Group, entrusted to deliver the most complex projects on their Program. This ultimately facilitated Diona’s expansion into the Victorian market.

Project Management

275kV Transmission Power Cable

ElectraNet own and manage South Australia's high voltage transmission network which transports electricity over long distances from traditional and renewable generators – both local and interstate. They power people’s lives by providing safe and future-focused energy and infrastructure solutions. EXCO Solutions’ Managing Director, Paul Mathews was engaged as the Senior Project Manager on the project responsible for civil engineering design and construction of the 18kms underground cable through the Adelaide metropolitan area. He was responsible for the management of a multi-disciplinary team assembled from around the country and tasked with delivery in a variety of specialist areas including thermal resistivity assessment, design of thermal backfill, trenchless construction, extra-high voltage cable installation and jointing, and structural bridge design and construction.
This project was delivered on budget and schedule with zero lost time injuries, earning ElectraNet the AIPM Award for Engineering in 2012.

Project Management

Capital Works Program

SA Water is a government business enterprise wholly owned by the Government of South Australia. They manage, maintain and operate assets worth $13 billion, providing water and wastewater services to a population of approximately 1.5 million people across the State. From 2020 to 2024, in conjunction with their private sector delivery partners they will deliver a Capital Works Program valued at $1.6B. EXCO Solutions' Managing Director, Paul Mathews recognised in 2015 that the the local business unit he was running was heavily concentrated in the gas sector. So began a strategy to position the business to becoming a major partner of SA Water's for their 2020 program. Although his business unit had transferable expertise, the barriers to entry were very high because the work was locked down within a framework unwilling to open up to potential new competitors. Paul identified that he could build a local capability and reputation in the water sector by delivering quality work through developer funded works (outside the Capital Works Framework). Being aware that SA Water were likely to want to see Tier 1 businesses within the competing consortia for the 2020 Program, he began to establish trusted relationships with various players in the market. In 2020 the McConnell Dowell Diona Joint Venture was born, and selected as one of three major frame work partners for the 2020 delivery program, ultimately sealing a strategy that had been five years in the making.
Paul went on to establish the joint venture and the Steering Committee with McConnell Dowell, and assumed responsibility for overseeing governance, finance, and risk. He also became a member of the Program Leadership Group with SA Water overseeing the Northern Region of the state.