20th Anniversary of the Power Group

Canal Walk, Century City

Power Construction has just completed its last six projects on the Century City site.The Shopping Centre contracts had been on the go since 1997, when the first earthworks and plant forms for the project was done. The roads, parking, services and paving contracts have all been done as a subcontractor to Murray & Roberts.

The CD Road, a four lane dual carriage access to the centre, off the N1, was done together with Murray & Roberts in consortium.

The canal link, a waterway link between the shopping centre and Ratanga Junction, was also in consortium with Murray & Roberts.

For Power Construction, participation in a “dream project” such as Century City, has been an exciting challenge and one to which the company committed a huge portion of its human and material resources. However, it was the very special relationship between client, consultant and contractor, not the scale of operations, which charaterised this multi-faceted project.
Andre du Preez (MD of the Construction companies in the Group), who has been involved with Century City since Power’s first contract in November 1996, believes the key to the success of the development was the excellent relationship between the major role players.

“A large proportion of our work followed a pattern which demanded enormous flexibility and the capacity to take on ad hoc additional works and design changes without sacrificing delivery dates or quality of finish. It also demanded the ability to plan, programme and schedule for fast track delivery and the willingness to work seven days a week if necessary.”

The cape-based Power Group of Companies is a dynamic conglomerate that provides a comprehensive range of civil engineering, blacktop and asphalt paving, manufacturing and township development services. Through its unique synergy of complementary in-house services and a commitment of the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), the Group has achieved unequalled cost efficiency in supplying South Africa’s most vital needs – potable water, paved roads and affordable housing in fully-serviced townships.
Launched in 1983 by Executive Chairman of the Group, Graham Power, the Power Group now employs more than 1400 people and spans the Western, Southern and Eastern Cape with Power Developments headed by MD Stefan Bothma and Andre du Preez as MD of the construction companies in the group.
Civil Engineering arms include Power Construction (West) and Blitz Asphalt, based in Cape Town, Power Construction (East), operating from Port Elizabeth and Power Construction (South), with offices in Knysna. Other divisions within the Power Group include Power Developments, AV Mouldings and Derby Material (suppliers of quarry products and ready-mix materials). The Group has also equal partnerships with emerging companies such as Hughmic Construction and Sibakhulu Construction.
The Power Group’s achievements have been acknowledged in several prestigious national and international awards, such as the recent Professional Marketing Review Golden Arrow Award to Power West Cape as the highest rated construction company in the Western Cape. Other accolades include the Johannesburg Afrikaanse Sakekamer Junior Businessman of the Year Award to Graham Power in 1989; the 1997 Internal Africa Award which was presented to Power Construction in Tunis; and the Institute of Housing for South Africa (IHSA) award to Power Developments as South Africa’s Developer of the Year in 1998. In 1993 Graham Power was also awarded the SA Institution of Civil Engineers Award for Meritous Service for assistance rendered to small and emerging contractors in their efforts to build financial and management independence.

R30 million Century City access contract at Halfway Mark

Construction of the R30 million road and bridge system to provide improved access to the new super-regional Century City shopping centre in Cape Town, is at the halfway mark.

The project, a joint venture awarded to Power Construction West and Murray and Roberts Consortium, commenced on 12 January 2000 and is due for completion in September.
When complete, a new 4,5 km road will run parallel to the North of the N1 and extend from the Sable Road bridge on-ramp to the Wingfield interchange at the N7 and include an intersection with on and off ramps providing direct access tot he new shopping centre via a striking steel viaduct over the Century City ring road and canal.
Apart from being visually very impressive, the overall project has presented a couple of interesting challenges. One involved the strictly quality-controlled and therefore time-consuming static compaction of a portion of road passing close to the Summergreens housing development. The other was the careful emplacement of a management plan to safeguard a core flora conservation area on the site.
The contract has to date caused almost no disruption to normally heavy daily traffic flow on the N1.

Hughmic Construction – the Power of Collaboration
A one-of-a-kind partnering of nimble, entrepreneurial contractor skills and solid, big company backing has set a valuable example to the construction industry: success can indeed become reality when opportunities are created for those who have the drive and vision to get ahead.
Hughmic Construction was formed in 1997 as an Empowerment Joint Venture, one of the pioneering enterprises of its kind in the industry. Armed with their years of construction experience and now newly equipped with the support of an established industry player, Channo Hughes and Abel Michel became 51% partners, with Power Construction West Cape holding the balance of shares.
As an independent, autonomous contractor, the new company was able to enjoy operational free rein, while availing itself of finance, plant, buying power, project management guidance and construction expertise from the Power Group.
This seamless access to the resources and encouragement provided by Power has fostered a confident, determined group of people who seem to be going places in no uncertain terms. Contracts and projects are tackled with youthful enthusiasm and seen through with the deliberate exertion and undertaking of seasoned industry experts.
And, while customer satisfaction and individual pride in a job well done may be the day-to-day drivers of their success, the ideal of empowerment and community upliftment takes pride of place in the broader sense of service. Through team spirit and sheer hard work, the company has secured contracts for the construction of various prestigious and exciting projects. These have resulted in long-term job opportunities and the acquisition of new and relevant proficiencies, with obvious sustainable benefits to the communities in which Hughmic is active.
Mentoring is a further important part of the process of social upliftment; skills filter back into the communities and stimulate the thirst for knowledge. This culminates in a more confident, better-equipped workforce.
Hughmic Construction operates according to the following values with the Power Group:

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  Absolute reliability – every task completed on time, to budget and to benchmark standards.
  
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  Quality – we take pride in producing durable, aesthetically pleasing work that is an asset to the community and the environment.
  
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  Teamwork – by allowing every member a meaningful part in the process, we develop the full potential of our personnel fostering competency, confidence and self-worth, qualities that find their way back into the communities from where we draw our people.
  
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  Professionalism – in our appearance and quality work, in our swift and timeous service, in our integrity and in our long-term customer relationships that we value so highly.
  
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  Commitment to business ethics – we continuously focus on ethical issues and believe that ethical behaviour will give us an inner peace and a better quality of life and will contribute towards our long term survival and growth.