Halikos changes name to DCOH to finalise company split

One of the Territory’s biggest companies has changed its name and announced a huge new contract. Read what’s new.

One of the Northern Territory’s biggest construction companies has revealed a new name and a massive project to launch it into a new era.

The company formerly known as Halikos has rebranded as DCOH (pronounced dee-co), with managing director Shane Dignan announcing the switch at an event at the Novotel Hotel on Thursday evening.

Mr Dignan and his long-time business partner John Halikos split the business last year and Mr Dignan had six months from the end of November to change the company’s name.

Mr Dignan said the new branding reflected the company’s broad operational scope.

“The ‘D’ stands for we’re a development company,” he said.

“We design and develop, it could be Darwin or a myriad of other things.”

He left Dignan off the list.

New branding for the Halikos company.

“Then ‘C’, we’re a construction company, we construct but also community, so we thought that was key.

“We own and operate most of our facilities so it was important the ‘O’ was there and the ‘H’ is hospitality, hotels and holding property.”

The new entity also comes with a fresh tagline, ‘Building Better’, to reflect its forward-looking ethos after the split and rebranding.

“We want to keep growing, we’ve got the next generation of people coming through to our business in all the different divisions. With the team we’ve got here today we’re setting up a really good platform for them to be around for the next 40 or 50 years.”

In other rebrandings Halikos Roofing will become Textum (a play on tectum, which is Latin for roof) and Halikos Hospitality will now be Thyme Hospitality.

Mr Dignan and Mr Halikos ended their 30-year partnership on December 1, 2023.

Under the revised arrangement, Mr Dignan secured Halikos Developments and Construction and the Novotel Hotel Esplanade, Northcrest, Halikos ICT, Halikos Roofing, Solis Real Estate and the company would operate H on Smith, Dbar Restraunt, Frontier Hotel and Punters Bar.

Mr Halikos retained H105 Mitchell Hotel, Crab Claw Island Resort, NT Fastners Berrimah-Coolalinga and Lizards Bar and Restaurant.

Shane Dignan with his family launch DCOH at the Novotel on Thursday.

Mr Dignan used Thursday’s launch to announce DCOH had secured two defence contracts for works at Robertson Barracks.

The company has been awarded two contracts totalling in excess of $300m for separate works projects at Robertson Barracks constructing 402 new rooms for Defence and undertaking a site-wide upgrade of base services.

The company has employed another 10 people to work on the project, which should commence when the company takes possession in June.

“Future plans for our company is really investing in our people,” Mr Dignan said.

“They’re the key people we want to train and we’re embarking on introducing new IT safety and new management systems and working together on a scholarship training program into the future for young Territorians.

“Darwin has a bright future and we’re proud of all the community and infrastructure we’ve put in to date. We have an ethos of employing locals, buying local and investing back into the Territory economy and we’ll continue to do so.”

The company’s current projects include Charles Darwin University’s city campus and Northcrest residential development.