Major inroads into China an exciting time for Beca

Paul White. Photo / Supplied

Paul White fizzes as he talks about the eight-day sojourn he spends for Beca each month in China: "I get the Air NZ flight straight into Shanghai. Spend a couple of days there for the monthly management meeting. Bounce up to Qingdao - where we're working on the 240m Fortune Tower, equivalent to 60 storeys. Then bounce over to Beijing and back home through Shanghai.

"You just go those eight days full on. You come out of there so invigorated by the opportunity, energy and responsiveness of our team.

"They never say 'No'."

As international managing director for Beca, White is the global face for a long-standing Kiwi firm now spread across three major hubs - Singapore, Melbourne and Auckland.

In China, the scale and diversity of the projects means there are tremendous growth opportunities. White expects Beca's 100-strong China team, spread between Shanghai and Beijing, will likely double as it gears up to meet demand. "Right now we're servicing the building industry - more into the niche of sustainable building and green building designs ... where developers are looking for differentiators.

He adds that the food and beverage industry has been a good part of Beca's business since it went up to China with Lion Nathan in the 1990s when it built a ground-breaking brewery in Suzhou on the outskirts of Shanghai.

Beca has teamed up with Chinese players to support the delivery of projects ranging from cold storage facilities, food processing factories and, stand-alone dairy farms.

"More recently, our biggest volume of work in the region is providing specialist buildings and building services advice to large developers and hotel chains such as Wanda."

One advantage of doing business in China is the opportunity to work with large Chinese contractors and institutes. "We learn how to team better with the Chinese contractors and developers and consultants as they look to other ventures outside." This could lead to Beca's involvement in alliances with Chinese players in third countries.

The firm's staff are predominantly Chinese. But White brings in the "gurus" sometimes. While there is much energy amongst the emerging young professionals, it is a challenge to attract and retain them."We're comfortable with hiring talent out of the universities and bringing them on the journey with Beca. They get the opportunity to travel and a lot of these talented individuals like the idea of a global resume."

One early project was the Capital Tower - Beijing's first Grade A office development - where two identical 35 storey skyscrapers were erected in one of the most exclusive locations of the CBD district of JianGuoMenWai DaJie, across from the China World Trade Centre. Beca's since worked to turn it into a green building helping provide a better working environment for the building users, with improved air quality, visibility and interior surroundings.

Spread across Beca's 2500-strong employee owned company, the China business is relatively small. "But what is relevant is the potential for growth. The fact that we could more than double work and resources in China in a short term is significant, whereas we wouldn't dare say that in New Zealand."