Irish Australian Business Awards Peoples Choice 2019

Civil Infrastructure Group was founded in early 2016 to provide a specialist subcontracting services in the construction of reinforced and post tensioned concrete structures. Our focus on engineering support with an emphasis on site safety results in our ability to provide high quality innovative solutions achieving best for project outcomes.

Although we are a young company our founding partners have in excess of 100 years industry experience ranging from Engineering & Design, tendering through to project delivery and with founding members originating from both Irish and Australian soil their experience comes from both sides of the world. Through our previous networks, we have already gained a foothold with many of Melbourne’s major Tier 1 & Tier 2 contractors.

Our Form/Reo/Pour, Piling and Steel Fabrication capacity offers clients the opportunity to combine extensive scope of works into single subcontract packages resulting in reduced subcontractor interface, increased management efficiency and program simplification.

We believe that the success of Civil Infrastructure Group will be built on building lasting relationships with both our clients and our staff. Our goal is to be the premier construction contractor in the industry so that the best people want to work for us and our clients want to work with us.

Our emphasis is on providing engineering input into every phase of the project. We self perform the vast majority of our work so that we can reduce project costs and maintain and develop the necessary skills at both management and site level. Our extensive team of highly qualified and experienced engineers allows us to deliver smart solutions and is a key point of difference with our competitors. This will enhance both the quality and safety of our operations.

Civil Infrastructure Group aims to make Australia and in particular Victoria a better and safer place for Australians through the work we do on some of Victoria’s major road, rail and electrical plant projects in both metropolitan and regional Victoria

As a start up company back in 2016, Civil Infrastructure Group has grown from strength to strength, now consisting of a group of 6 separate companies that work in conjunction with each other to deliver the highest quality services to our customers 

I had a passion for Carpentry & Joinery & excelled in a management position in my sector for a market leading company in Sydney. From there I saw the opportunity to use my skills & ability to start my own gig in Carpentry & Joinery based in Sydney.

We started 2 years ago 23.06.17 with high hopes and hearts fully committed to starting our own business, we forecasted a small crew with 4-6 carpenters in year 1 and we would have been happy with that though we grew to a team of 20+ skilled carpenters in no time.  Contracts kept coming in and we worked the hard yards in the office 6am to midnight/2am everyday to Project Manager & deliver concurring detailed project for Sydney builders & developers. Year 1 we turned 2.3M.
 

Year 2 we have currently got a team of 50+ Carpenters based in Sydney & recently made the move to break out in Vic (Melbourne) Based on our current workload & Average turnover per month we are forcasting turning 5.5M in year 2. We have an office with CA, Estimator & Accounts setup in Alexandria & Hardwood Workshop based in Banksmeadow.

Our vision is to become leaders in our sector within the next 5 years. My team is the key, i have invested heavily in my team, without them guys we wouldn't be were we are today. So collectively we would all love this award for North South SME (Paul Morgan).

I am an Irish born director of the business originally coming form Cork. I migrated here in 2005. I have managed to grow the business from scratch to a team several persons at this stage and have a long track record of success in fighting the Australian Government through the courts over many years.

Coming from a different country and moving into an establishment industry and challenging the government on every level is something which is synonymous with the history or Ireland and the track record of success with the Irish diaspora.

I am Irish and have been in Australia for 38 years. During that time I have had good jobs/careers. Jumping into real estate 10 years ago was a big leap of faith as it turned out it is my most successful career move and it’s my own business grown from the ground up.

My role is Principal of Harbourline Real Estate. Harbourline started in 2011 and has grown from one property under management to an agency that sold 17 properties in 2018/19 and has 115 properties under management.

Harbourline Real Estate is a multi award winning independent agency specialising in residential sales and property management on the Lower North Shore.

In 2019 we were delighted to be a finalist for the Australian Small Business Champion awards and in 2018 a finalist for SME of the Year in the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce business awards.

We won Ratemyagent's Agency of the Year award for Greenwich 3 years in a row and Agent of the Year Award for Greenwich in 2017 and 2016.

In 2017 we were delighted to be a finalist for Small Real Estate Agency in REINSW Awards for Excellence.

In 2016 and again in 2017 Harbourline received the prestigious North Shore Local Business Award for Outstanding Real Estate Agency.

Now recognised in the industry as one of the premier sales agents in Sydney. I was featured on the front cover of the Real Estate Institutes Journal magazine titled “Know what you stand for”.
 

We have been specialising in the Digital Marketing industry since 2002 and launched Amire in 2013. After leading teams with the worlds’ largest media agency (WPP) the founders’ goal was to provide an equal level of excellence and value across our entire client portfolio (as opposed to tiering the quality and value depending on how much clients invested, which is prevalent within our industry). The Irish and American heritage of the two founders shaped the business name “Amire”.

We have created new technology and processes to increase automation of administrative tasks such as reporting, campaign tracking and KPI alerts. This has reduced the amount of time spent on important day-to-day administrative tasks, therefore allowing us to focus on our main priority, which is driving more sales to our clients’ websites and social media platforms.

We have a strong CSR (corporate social responsibility) program which includes providing pro bono digital marketing services to NFP’s and monitoring our carbon footprint through our recycling program through our lighting, electronics, paper and even battery disposal. We are currently working with Oz Harvest (who collect excess food and provide it to those in need) to provide pro bono Google marketing services to help their cause. We have also provided pro bono services to NFP’s such as The Shepherd Centre, The Fred Hollows Foundation and Amnesty International.

Given our heritage we have recently been in discussions with the Irish Echo to provide pro bono Facebook services to help them celebrate their 30th anniversary. We have also provided discounted Facebook services to support Taste Ireland over the busy Christmas period.

Amire are extremely proud of our sustainable contribution to our industry and community. We have taken on 15 interns with the commitment to helping them land their first digital role either with Amire or another agency. We have employed 5 and assisted the remaining 10 land roles within 2 months of finishing their internship.

Ascend was established not just as a business to generate revenue and earn profits. Keith established Ascend out of genuine passion that he has for the construction industry. With a vision of always wanting to be a builder, Keith at a young age got his trade as a carpenter and was lucky to work for a builder that took Keith under his wing and thought him everything he knows, including that business is not always about money but can be a lot more.

So, Ascend was set up for primarily three reasons; Passion, Family and Giving Back
 

After landing in Australia back in 2012, we felt that there was so much opportunity for us to eventually create our own business but wanting to learn the ropes of the construction industry in a new country, Keith went to work under a well respected building company and here again he had a great mentor. Although Keith was working full time throughout the day, had three young children, he went back to college in order to be able to get both his commercial and residential licenses. Keith’s passion for the industry is across both so he always wanted to hold both licenses so Ascend could work in both spaces and was willing to put in the hard yards to get it done.

It paid off, and in 2017 with both licenses, Keith made the first steps to set up Ascend.

Urban Rest Apartments is an executive accommodation provider that is disrupting the traditional serviced apartment model. By taking on a combination of lease to sub-lease and third party management, with a strict quality overlay, we are able to offer a much wider range of property locations to our clients, combining convenience, quality and competitive pricing.

Having established a national footprint and servicing some of the largest corporates in the country, we are on track to become one of the leading players in the field thanks to our combination of a focus on quality and innovative technology solutions.

I think that we would be a worthy winner of an Irish Australian Business Award because we epitomise the Irish spirit of thinking big and punching above our weight, taking on industry giants and having a large amount of success in a short amount of time. 

With Jason O’Connell originally hailing from Westport in Ireland, Paul Nevin from Belfast in Northern Ireland and both beginning their financial planning careers there, it truly does give Imperius the all-island experience to provide Irish citizens resident in Australia. Prior to coming to Australia this year, Jason has been involved in advising the Irish community in various offshore jurisdictions for the last 16 years. Paul has been involved in offshore advice for the last 4 years before arriving in Australia this year as well.

With Paul based on the West Coast in Perth and Jason based on the East Coast in Sydney, using modern tele-conferencing technology, gives Imperius Wealth true coast to coast coverage of Australia. As it’s also likely that both their offices in Dublin and Belfast will need to participate in the often complex pension transfer process, this can again be facilitated using this technology. We have a lot of client satisfaction through the knowledge that they can deal with both locally qualified dual regulated and authorised Australian advisors with the local office presence in the respective jurisdiction of transfer. We also have the locally based legal and taxation specialists that we can refer clients to should that area of advice be required in either Ireland, Northern Ireland or Australia. This adds an extra layer of professionalism to the pension service provided by Imperius.
 

We are confident that this makes Imperius totally unique from a financial planning basis and different to all other expat focused firms. Cross border planning is a complex field of advice, is in our blood and something we are very passionate about. Our goal to help the Irish and British expatriate communities protect themselves and their families wealth from unnecessary taxation, costly mistakes and maverick unregulated offshore advisers, located in exotic, unregulated territories known to target Australian based expatriates. We're here to help and our door is always open. Jason is also a founding (2009) and current board member of the Federation of European Independent financial advisers (FEIFA) which is the largest trade association for cross border financial planners in the world. The effort that has been put in from an education, time and financial perspective to deliver this holistic advice package we feel makes us a worthy winner of an Irish Australian Business Award.

We will continue to grow the business mainly through contacts garnered through membership of the Chamber and attendance at the various networking events held throughout the year and as the business grows we will onboard new advisers, hopefully suitable dual-qualified, so that we can provide more coverage on the ground, for the various major capital cities outside our current bases of Perth and Sydney.

Imperius planners can be summed up as Strategists, wealth planners, project managers, risk assessors, voice of reason, critical friend, coaches and sounding boards - the right financial planner can become one of the more important people in your life.

Cosmic started 3 years ago with 2 people, an idea and less than $5000 dollars in the bank, fast forward 2 years of trading as of August this year , Cosmic group now has 60+ full-time employees and 7 million dollar turnover 18/19 financial year and a projected turnover of 12 million from 19/20. With upcoming projects figures employee numbers are projected to be at around 100 in the next 12 months.

Cosmic Group provide full scope, large scale wind turbine installation packages in the wind industry. Matt Crossan, 27, from Co.Donegal and Ivor Hatton, 32, of Co.Wexford both are owners of Cosmic wind services (www.cosmicwind.com). Cosmic wind provide experienced wind turbine installation technicians and full installation packages to our clients. We are working towards becoming a leader in turbine installation and are already recognised as a realible and efficent company in the industry.
 

We are currently finishing a project in Bulgana outside Melbourne where we have split the full installation package with Windhoist Australia. This project is two weeks from completion and is ahead of schedule. We have experienced a great deal of growth in the company since we started due to our own personal drive, hard working employees, and a great deal of knowledge in the industry.

We also have Cosmic Crane Services (www.cosmiccranes.com) where we relocate and operate these large scale 750ton cranes needed to build the turbines. Cosmic Cranes consists of experienced heavy Crane Operators and Riggers.

Cosmic is also in negotiations to work internationally in the next 6 months after being approached by companies in a multitude of countries.


Cosmic group provides a structured and systematic approach to identifying, assessing and managing risk. It builds in process for regularly updating and reviewing the companies associated risks based on new developments/workfronts or actions taken.

Comic services group also employs a fulltime Health and Safety Manager who manages risk from a Health and safety aspect in line with AS/NZS ISO 45001:2018.

Today, globally, there are 150 billion bills sent B2B, and 90% of those bills are still processed manually, starting with a piece of paper. The cost to businesses to process those bills is more than $2 trillion. That’s more than the GDP of Australia and Ireland combined, and 7-times more than businesses spend on social media advertising globally.

Before my brother Chris and I founded Lightyear, we were running hospitality businesses in Sydney, and we were drowning in paper. 34,000 supplier bills was costing us more than $400k to process annually. So, initially, we set out to find a solution to go paperless, and to automate our Accounts Payable process. But, as we contacted all the leading ‘paperless’ Accounts Payable automation solutions to enquire what their process looked like, we were dumbfounded. Each of their sales-pitches, and process workflows started like this - ‘So, first, you get your paper bills, and then...’  
 

Wait, what!? The world’s leading solutions for automating Accounts Payable, and going paperless, required you to start with paper? Each of them was trying to make the process of dealing with paper bills faster. Each of them was using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to ‘extract’ the data from the bills - scanning the document to interpret the shapes and shadows to recognise words and numbers. Well, that’s just like me trying to read without my glasses on.

But, incredibly, as we asked other business owners what they would like from an automated Accounts Payable solution, they all suggested something similar - they were looking for a better way of handling paper. Businesses had all become conditioned to a paper bill being the start of the Accounts Payable process. They were looking for faster horses. Henry was turning in his grave.

Old thinking. Old tech. There had to be a better way.

If you start with paper, you end up with rubbish. So, first, we needed to develop technology to avoid the need for paper, and scanning. And that’s what we did.

Lightyear’s proprietary technology allows businesses to receive their supplier bills by email (just their supplier’s normal bill - nothing fancy) before extracting the data with 100% accuracy in REAL-TIME. That bill (and the data) then gets presented to the person/s whose job it is to approve them, before being exported to accounting software.

No paper. No signatures. No data-entry. No filing cabinets. Everything automated, and available in the Lightyear cloud.

But this is just the beginning. Our mission is to “Help businesses thrive in the global economy by delivering innovative tools that streamline process and payments, digitise data, provide insights and connect businesses in the Lightyear Cloud”.

The journey has just begun.