COMPANY INTERVIEW
GIBB
Richard Vries
Group CEO, GIBB Richard Vries, Group CEO, GIBB
GIBB has been independently rated as a market leader in the consulting engineering industry. The firm has been operating since 1923, with the South African chapter of GIBB starting in 1956. The firm delivers world-class solutions across a diverse range of markets and has the technical know-how to achieve the best results for clients. GIBB is a 100 percent African-owned firm with 67 percent black ownership. They have a reliable network spanning the African continent. In-depth consulting, design and management approach allows for a good working relationship between clients and the firm to fully meet the needs and outcomes required on any project. This is underpinned by GIBB’s ISO 9001 quality system which has been independently certified for since 1999. The markets GIBB operates in are: • Transportation • Freight and logistics • Power and energy • Water • Sanitation • Housing and community Infrastructure • Property developments • Geotechnical and tunnelling • Natural and built environment • Mining infrastructure • Health infrastructure • Education facilities • Housing and community infrastructure • Property developments in retail, hospitality, commercial, and residential What do you see as the three key challenges for South African business? Consulting engineering, and construction as a whole, needs to improve its image. Government’s
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responsibility regarding social delivery has got to do with providing infrastructure and unless you get people to see engineering and construction as a positive contributor to society, it will struggle to progress.
“In-depth consulting, design, and management approach allows for a good working relationship between clients and the firm...” The second problem is the principle of value over cost. This is linked directly to the image aspect of the industry: people viewing consulting engineering purely as a cost. Engineers (if procured on their value proposition rather than fees only can substantially reduce the lifestyle costs on asset. The third challenge is cyclical spending patterns. If you want to get the best resources you should be able to plan at least five years ahead. The industry was extremely buoyant before the World Cup. It attracted resources from all over the world. After the big spending cycle, the industry had to look outside South Africa resulting from the reduced utilisation of human resources. And this is not just from consulting engineers’ point of view – manufacturers and contractors were equally effected.