Woollam Constructions is 140 years old and built many of Queensland’s iconic buildings

Woollam Constructions has been in business for 140 years, creating some of Queensland’s most famous buildings along the way. This is how they’ve survived.

Craig Percival, the managing director of Woollam Constructions at the Breakfast Creek Hotel which was built by the company in 1886.

They may fly under the radar but Queensland’s oldest private builder Woollam Constructions has been behind many of the state’s most iconic buildings over its 140-year history.

The family company founded was by Scottish migrant Thomas Woollam in 1884 in suburban Clayfield in Brisbane’s inner north.

Two years later the fledgling business started construction of the renowned Breakfast Creek Hotel in Brisbane and the Bank of New South Wales in Rockhampton.

Managing director Craig Percival said Woollam took great pride in its history.

“We’re very proud of our work constructing and rebuilding Queensland icons but that hasn’t been our focus,” he said from the company’s East Brisbane headquarters.

“Our approach is always to deliver the best project we can. We don’t have the profile of some other builders but Woollam has always flown under the radar because our focus has been on relationships and quality work.

“That has enabled us to withstand wars, pandemics, the Great Depression and other economic cycles and to play a role in helping to construct modern Queensland.”

Woollam turns over between $220m and $260m a year and employs about 200 staff across its three businesses.

It has long had a construction arm and in 2016 established Woollam Services as a separate maintenance business to ensure not only the longevity of their constructions but with a view to ensuring sustainability as a key aspect to every Woollam development.

The company has a national presence through Woollam Services while its construction arm is focused on Queensland and northern NSW. It launched its development business Woollam Developments in 2020.

1. Breakfast Creek Hotel in the 1893 floods.

Woollam has been behind the construction of hospitals, schools and universities; regional airports to sports stadiums and showgrounds; art galleries and car parks around the state.

Most of its work is commercial and while it has completed some retirement living and aged care projects, government contracts take up to 40 per cent of the company’s workload.

In recent years the company played a role in the construction of the Stockman’s Hall of Fame in Longreach, the Rockhampton Museum of Art and Queensland’s only children’s hospice Hummingbird House in Brisbane.

It has been particularly focused on the regions and Mr Percival said they remain very important to Woollam.

“We’ve always been there for regional communities and that’s been vital to our longevity. We haven’t just serviced the regions when the construction industry has been booming,” he said.

“We see ourselves as being part of the communities in which we’ve been granted opportunities to create crucial infrastructure.”

Australian Stockmans Hall of Fame, Outback Heritage Centre, Longreach.

Mr Percival also celebrated his 35th anniversary with the family company this year having started as a cadet at Woollam in 1989, being mentored by Tom and Keith Woollam.

He is a director of the company along with former managing director George Bogiatzis, who also started as a cadet. Mr Bogiatzis took over from Grant Woollam who is a fifth generation with the company.

Mr Percival, Mr Bogiatzis and Mr Woollam are co-owners of the business.

He said the last few years have been tough for the business and the construction sector in general.

“George and I have been in the business for 40 and 35 years respectively and both of us has never seen it as tough,” he said.

“We stick to our lane, stick to what we know and even then we were exposed to the price escalations.

“The insurance work business (with Woollam Services) certainly helped but there’s no hiding it, it was tough. essentially we try and stick to our clients and what we know which minimised our exposure, although we certainly had projects where we lost money.

“We had two years where we had small losses and but did make a small profit ($1m) last year and we’re expecting that to improve. Our work book looks good and we want to continue to grow that insurance work space.”

Mr Percival said most builders were seeking consistency particularly those who have been around for a while.

“You want to find that consistent revenue and consistent margins you aren’t looking for those jobs where you are not going to make a heap one day or one where you can potentially lose a heap,” he said.

Hummingbird House at Chermside in Brisbane’s outer northern suburbs.

Mr Percival said Woollam remained a generational family company.

Sixth generation Dakoda Woollam has just finished his carpentry apprenticeship with the company and Mr Percival’s children Josh and Stephanie work in the business with Josh running the Mackay arm of Woollam.

Mr Bogiatzis’ nephew Emmanuel Macindoe is a Woollam project manager in Townsville and his niece Annie Macindoe is in corporate affairs.

The Mackay arm of Woollam was established by Gus Brodel. His son Mark (now retired) was a Woollam employee and grandson Wade Brodel is based in Rockhampton with the company.

Mr Percival said they played the long game.

“We’d like to be seen as traditional builders with the trades and apprentices,” he said.

“We also have many relationships with clients that have lasted generations, as we continually demonstrate our commitment to all projects, many of which may be considered small for other builders but we see as vital to that local community.

“The industry continues to change and our history of adjusting to fluctuating times over the years has us ready to continue to grow the Woollam name and to help shape the state for many decades to come.”