NEWSWORTHY
BIG BEN CONSTRUCTION
GROWS TURNOVER FIVEFOLD IN FIVE YEARS
CONSTRUCTING THE LARGE-SCALE, ICONIC MALL OF AFRICA
The massive 131,000 m² Mall of Africa is scheduled to open in April 2016. Currently the
largest retail development being built in a single phase in Africa, the expansive retail offering
features a distinctive design and an ideal location in the middle of the 1,73 million square
metre mixed-use Waterfall City development in Midrand, Gauteng. The combination is
destined to create a go-to destination for both local residents and tourists.
The design inspiration for the mall and courts is drawn from the natural and geological
beauty of the African continent. There will be four courts that depict the different climatic
zones on the continent: an oleum court depicting the oil rich West Africa, a great lakes court
depicting East Africa, a crystal court depicting the mineral wealth in South Africa and a sand
court depicting the desert area of North Africa.
GREEN IMPRESSIONS THAT LAST
The saying goes: “first impressions last”,
for more reasons than you may first think.
The first impression you offer is one that will
last in the minds of your clients, but it may
also be the first and last time you have the
opportunity to offer an impression.
Walking into a company that has a green
wall or plants throughout the offices is no
longer just an aesthetic statement, it’s
a wellness statement.
News Watch
Being seen to commit to a greener
environment is the right, first impression to
make. With carbon footprints and green
building being as topical as they are, for all
the right reasons, many companies would
prefer to do business with other companies
that are active in creating a better world. Not
only will they be well aware of the outward
statement it makes about your company
ethos, they will also be all too familiar with
the health benefits that come in tow, which
makes for a healthy and productive
workforce. Productivity in the workplace
translates into more profits that in turn will
attract like-minded clients.
This brings us to the employees that
would inevitably be drawn to work in a
company that exudes wellness. Some
studies have even concluded that people
have taken lower-paying positions in order
to work in places that are more comfortable
and offer a better quality life. When the next
round of interviews take place, why not split
them into two rooms, one with plants and
one without, then take stock of which of the
rooms had the more enthusiastic and
vibrant candidates.
For more information visit the website:
www.ipsa.za.com or join the conversation
on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Interior
PlantscapersAssociation
Big Ben Construction, the construction arm of Rabie Property
Group, has lifted turnover five-fold
in the past 4 years with further
strong growth forecast.
Since 2012, when the turnover of
the company was under R50m,
Big Ben has grown from a niche
residential contractor specialising
in low-rise construction, to a
medium size contractor with a
diversified work portfolio across
commercial,
residential
and
specialist projects. Big Ben has a
growing track record of high rise
construction.
MD, Colin Ridley, says they expect
this upward trend to continue for
the foreseeable future at least as
they already had an order book of
more than R250m for the 2016/2017
financial year.
He said that whilst the bulk of their
work load was for Rabie’s account
at Century City, they were also
undertaking projects for Rabie
elsewhere and for third parties
both inside and outside of
Century City.
“We are currently busy with
Mayfair - a mixed use development
comprising 136 apartments and
3,000m2 of sectional title offices at
Century City as well as Manhattan
Quarter, a residential development
of 63 apartments. “In addition we
are shortly to start work on a 190
unit residential development outside the confines of Century City.”
Ridley says their order book for the
next financial year includes a
9-storey residential apartment
block in Century City.
From left, Petri Wessels, Colin Ridley
and Eddie Cupido on the construction
site of Mayfair mixed-use development
at Century City
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