Getting back to business
NSW
TOBCO was founded by Sam Turnbull and Glen O’Brien in 2012.
After long careers in large- scale civil contracting, Mr Turnbull and Mr O’Brien became frustrated with corporate red tape and branched out to form their own company.
They wanted to get back to what it was all about – actually constructing things.
With a ‘ can- do’ attitude and a passion for construction and machinery, TOBCO secured a place in 2016 as Australia’s third fastest growing company with revenue growth of over 200pc.
Again in 2018 it was listed in the top 100 and it boasted a FY2019 revenue of more than $ 27m.
The business is expanding while consolidating its position in the industry.
Which industry?
Initially, TOBCO brought civil engineering expertise in co- ordinating projects to the electrical industry.
As TOBCO grew, it managed to employ specialists in cable jointing and overhead line to work alongside heavy vehicle truck and crane drivers as well as digger operators.
While these operations would normally be carried out by subcontractors, TOBCO believes that it is better for the client to keep it in- house.
In NSW, TOBCO is accredited under the Accredited Service Provider ( ASP) scheme with the NSW Department of Energy and Resources.
This allows the company to work on the distribution network both as a level 1 and 2 provider.
TOBCO can install substations and overhead lines, as well as underground connections, street lighting, traffic signals ( TOBCO also has pre- qualification to install traffic signals in NSW with the RMS) and maintenance of power and lighting networks.
Currently TOBCO has maintenance contracts in Sydney for maintaining the LED networks at Sydney’s Olympic Park and in North Sydney CBD.
The combination of skills and understanding in power gave TOBCO a natural avenue into the renewable energy sector.
Having the capability to self- perform all civil works in conjunction with power infrastructure connections meant TOBCO was suited to large scale utility work such as solar farms and wind farms.
Currently TOBCO is working in Western NSW near Balranald on the large 347MW Limondale solar farm, where it is installing more than 120km of trenching and over 900,000m of cabling, including the jointing and terminations of all AC/ DC and LV cables.
The TOBCO team on- site are working tirelessly to install all of this before April 2020, utilising the large T755 Vermeer trencher, four CASEIH tractors ( pulling cable trailers), large rotary Agri- world 300mm trencher and several graders and excavators – all owned and operated by TOBCO.
In addition to the standard civil and electrical works, TOBCO engineers have been able to utilise their skills and curiosities to get involved in other areas of the industry.
Battery energy storage systems are just one of these.
Having installed several small and medium scale solar and battery storage systems ( 60- 100kW), TOBCO – through its subsidiary company OTG Energy – recently installed a larger 1.3MW rooftop solar system in Melbourne in the industrial area of Dandenong.
OTG Energy/ TOBCO now have experience in delivering a range of solar systems and battery storage, but more importantly is the knowledge of the system connections.
These can be quite complex to those not familiar with connecting to a monopoly distributors network.
Another unique project TOBCO are working on that combines the civil and electrical skills is a project in Sydney Harbour where the team have taken Fort Denison off the grid, and have installed a solar/ BESS along with backup generator as part of a large wharf development.
Currently the team is installing a sub- marine cable across the harbour to reconnect the island.
As a civil business
TOBCO has also been delivering bridges to regional NSW through the timber bridge replacement program.
So far more than 10 bridges have been delivered and several more are expected to be completed in coming months.
Some smaller but equally important civil projects include retaining wall rehabilitation in and around Sydney’s foreshore as well as road widening, carparks and stormwater drainage have all been delivered recently by TOBCO, all handled in- house by TOBCO’s own plant and equipment and people.
Complex electrical cable pulls are no problem with TOBCO’s cable drum jinkers and winches working alongside the 40 tonne crane trucks, lifter- borers and EWPs.
TOBCO has just completed installation of more than 10km of HV feeder cable for Ausgrid and Lend Lease in the Homebush area of Sydney. This included several months of trench excavations and joint bays – working alongside live traffic and then the subsequent cable pulls of the insulated conductor into the 150mm conduits, all concrete encased in Thermally Stabilised Backfill ( TSB) material.
With the ever- increasing challenges of supplying reliable power to a growing population and demand, TOBCO has assembled a team that does not just talk about how to build infrastructure – it physically does it.
For enquiries about pricing and partnering on the next power project, from substations to transmission and distribution as well as bridge building and road works please, do not hesitate to contact the team at TOBCO.