Burns Bridge Australia
Success built on relationships

The relationship between the Burns Bridge Group and Saward Dawson goes back to when Burns Bridge commenced operations in 1986. Phil Burns and Tony Bridge had started providing project management services to a few clients. At that time, Saward Dawson was located in Box Hill and Burns Bridge rented some of our surplus office space but quickly outgrew it.

A significant milestone

From those small beginnings, Burns Bridge recently celebrated their 20th birthday. This significant milestone was a good time to stop and reflect on the journey that has seen them grow into a specialist project management group. They now service a wide range of clients in Australia, Asia, and the Pacific region, with offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Singapore and have recently commenced operations in the Gulf States. Burns Bridge now employs around 80 people.

Saward Dawson has maintained an active involvement. From their inception 20 years ago, we have assisted them with income tax, business structuring, strategic planning and project analysis, consulting and auditing services. Managing Director Wes Gault reflects on our association, “As a measure of the strength of the relationship, Bruce Saward meets regularly with our Board. A real understanding has developed between the organisations. We value their insightful guidance and advice.”

Services to industry

The Burns Bridge Group’s main activities are in the provision of project and construction management and advisory services. Much of their work involves them addressing their clients’ property infrastructure needs. However, their suite of services is far broader than assisting with the construction of buildings. They are leaders in project feasibility, optimisation of property holdings, planning flexible accommodation solutions for business, property rationalisation and managing large scale social infrastructure.

Blue chip clients

Burns Bridge specialises in distribution and warehousing, health and aged care facilities, and the pharmaceutical, retail and industrial sectors. They have an extensive list of household names as major clients.

Coca Cola Amatil (CCA) manufactures over 250 different leading brands, selling over 29 million cases of products each year. CCA commissioned Burns Bridge to develop and implement a new logistics/distribution strategy including the development of new national automated warehouses. Burns Bridge had previously delivered a Polyethylene Terepthalalate (PET) manufacturing warehouse facility for CCA in Moorabbin.

Coles Myer Limited is Australia’s largest retailer with over 2,500 stores through its food and beverage, general merchandise, fuel and convenience store network. They appointed Burns Bridge to work closely with an internal team of supply chain specialists to re-engineer their distribution centre network. This major engineering initiative in logistics flow and goods supply to retail points, transformed the Coles Myer food and liquor distribution network.

Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute is a 365-bed acute cancer public hospital that integrates research laboratories and teaching facilities. In the early 1990s, Burns Bridge managed the conversion of the old St Andrew’s Hospital in East Melbourne into a prize winning cancer treatment facility. Last year, they were invited back to work with Peter Mac on the development of master plans and a feasibility study to greatly expand the facilities of this world-renowned organisation.

Wes attributes their success to several key factors. “We have built excellent relationships with key clients and marketplace stakeholders, specialising in chosen industries. Our attitude is to put our clients before ourselves. We have a great breadth of skills and knowledge and people of the highest calibre. This has all been due to careful planning in response to our clients’ needs. And of course, we value and trust our business advisors such as Saward Dawson.”

Published : 10 November 2006