Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon’s (WBHO’s) Australian subsidiary, Probuild, has been named the most active construction company in the country by the Australian Housing Industry Association Construction 100 Report.

Probuild has jumped from fifth place last year to top spot, in terms of work procured.

It was named ahead of local Australian companies such as Lendlease, Multiplex, John Holland and CPB Contractors.

Probuild is based in Melbourne, Victoria.

“We entered the Australian market in 2000 after acquiring an interest in Probuild,” says WBHO CEO Louwtjie Nel. “With our support, Probuild has developed into a tier-one contractor with consistent, yet controlled growth throughout the period. It now contributes 60% of our revenue.”

Probuild is one of Australia’s largest building construction companies, with a national pipeline of projects of more than R30-billion and a yearly turnover of more than R18-billion.

The company works across the commercial, educational, industrial, residential, retail, entertainment and sports and leisure sectors.

Nel notes that WBHO’s strategy to diversify internationally has paid dividends, especially now that the Australian market is growing more than 3% a year – this while South Africa is “hardly growing at all”.

Probuild has made the most of the recent apartment boom in Melbourne and Sydney, as well as the demand for construction of mixed-used developments, including luxury hotels.

The company has built a number of structures from the West to the East Coast of Australia.

Three such projects are under way at present.

In Melbourne, the central business district’s tallest residential apartment tower, Aurora Melbourne Central, will comprise 941 residential and 250 serviced apartments.

The R4-billion, 92-level tower will feature resident amenities and communal areas on three levels.

What makes Aurora unique is its direct access to Melbourne Central railway station and one of the best shopping precincts in Melbourne.

The tower is scheduled to be completed in the second half of 2019.

In Sydney, also due for completion in 2019, the 235 m, R3.5-billion Greenland Centre skyscraper will be the tallest residential tower in Sydney’s central business district.

It will house 479 apartments and penthouse residences on 67 levels. The building will also include retail tenancies, carparks and a creative hub as part of Sydney’s public domain works.

In the third project, located in Perth, WBHO’s Probuild is working with the Far East Consortium to deliver The Towers and Ritz Carlton at Elizabeth Quay, on the Swan River.

The R5-billion project is to be the centre piece of Perth’s waterside precinct.

The design includes a hotel tower and a separate residential apartment tower, both of which sit over a common podium and basement car parking.

The six-star Ritz Carlton hotel will include 205 rooms and exclusive suites. A total of 379 residential apartments will ensure a diversity of price points for prospective buyers.

Looking ahead, WBHO expects the residential sector in Australia to slow down.

Other sectors are, however, expected to pick up on the back of large infrastructure spend in Australia.