Laying solid foundation for growth
GOLD Coast engineering firm has been laying the foundations for growth for more than half a century, chalking up a leading role in multiple major projects in the city.
Cozens Regan Group was established in 1968 by Bob Cozens and Harry Fryer.
The Nerang-based company was responsible for the civil engineering work for a number of subdivisions on the Gold Coast, including Burleigh Cove, Highland Park and Crestwood Heights.
It has also worked on iconic projects such as the $25 million Surfers Paradise foreshore redevelopment.
Today the company is headed up by four directors: John Williams, Rod Prove, Adam Gibbons and Brett Wellauer, with the latter two joining in 2000 and 1999, respectively.
The pair, who both studied at Griffith University’s Gold Coast campus, say they joined as junior partners to bulk up the structural engineering side.
“The business was in transition,” Mr Wellauer said. “It was a civil-orientated company. Slowly the structural side has built up.”
Mr Wellauer said the civil side of the business had declined from the 1980s, partly due to a reduction in greenfield development sites, leading to a reduction in work for new roads and sewerage systems.
“Those larger estates had started to dry up so the civil side has shrunk and the structural side has taken its place.”
Mr Wellauer said joining Cozens Regan involved a steep learning curve.
“I was only a year out of university even though I had 10 years experience at another engineering firm – Weathered Howe Engineers,” he said,
“We came here and while Rod was a good engineer, and shared a lot of his knowledge, it was a bit limited with regard to some of the larger projects.
“For us developing into a company that can handle some of the larger projects has been the biggest challenge.”
The jobs then involved large homes and three-storey walk-ups, whereas that has evolved into multimillion-dollar school extensions and redevelopments and multistorey residential towers.
Mr Wellauer said the diverse range of jobs the company tackled had enabled it to weather economic storms.
“We have always had good coverage,” Mr Wellauer said.
“We have not limited ourselves to any particular work. We have done education, commercial residential, both high and low ends, industrial, all that work.
“That has been a key factor, particularly when the GFC struck, as we already had a good foot in the door with the educational side. With the government pumping all that money into that field we did benefit from that. That got us through some difficult times.”
Clients today include Heran Building Group, which has started work on stages two and three of its Bay Grand project in Tweed Heads.
Mr Gibbons said 3D modelling had speeded up the process of structural design.
However, he said, some aspects remained the same.
“Builders still want to see 2D plans.”