Project delivery company WorleyParsons is collaborating with small- and medium-sized black-owned enterprises to jointly deliver services in the mining, water, energy and infrastructure sectors, says WorleyParsons RSA, CEO Denver Dreyer.

“As part of our unwavering commitment to transformation, we are leading this agenda in engineering across all sectors in South Africa and are partnering with sustainable, empowered businesses that are capable of growing with us,” says Dreyer.

“We do not consider transformation a ‘numbers game’ in terms of BBE points. It is imperative for long-term success as our traditional markets are changing. Service providers have to adjust their business models to reflect the transformation agenda or else be at risk of becoming obsolete.

“The partnerships that we are creating are mutually beneficial. We will evaluate the strengths that each party brings to the table and identify where we can help each other. These enterprises will benefit from skills transfer and gain an understanding of how to successfully deliver bigger projects with our support, while we do our part to transform the engineering sector in South Africa.

“We are entering into agreements with suitable companies as equals for the benefit of both parties. Transformation is the right thing to do for our country, but on an enterprise level, it will also secure a better future for all the people engaged in our organisation, regardless of who they are. Through our transformation partnerships, we will be able to land bigger projects alongside those partners, which will benefit everyone in our employ,” says Dreyer.

WorleyParsons has already entered into an agreement with the ISF Group, a 100% black-owned emerging EPCM company that supplies specialised services in the energy, water, ICT, transportation and construction sectors.

“ISF is proud to be associated with WorleyParsons through a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at fostering a working relationship whereby both parties will utilise each other’s strengths to pursue and potentially to implement projects, to bolster each party’s business potential, to complement strategic intent, especially in business marketing, promotion and development, and, importantly, for ISF to engage with an established leader in the professional services, including engineering, procurement support and construction management services to the global resources, energy sectors and complex process industries. ISF views this collaboration as an opportunity to firmly establish a 100% South African-owned EPCM company,” says CEO of the ISF Group, Ian Sandile Funeka.

“ISF’s engagements with WorleyParsons in the hydrocarbons, railway, energy and general infrastructure industries have brought much needed impetus for the growth of our business. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with WP wherein ISF’s growth is able to impact positively on our business and on a social level in the communities where we operate,” says Funeka.