In the build-up Sydney Build Expo 2022, we wanted to provide attendees with the opportunity to get know some of our exhibitors! This month's featured exhibitor interview is with the EGM -CEO of DBM Vircon, Mark Campbell, who love going to France.

What is it that your company does exactly? What is your main USP and how do you feel that you stand out from the crowd?

DBM Vircon is a premier construction modeling, detailing and digital engineering company, delivering highly complex global projects with state-of-the-art technology, uncompromising detail and millimetre perfect precision. We help our clients by helping them guarantee or even reduce construction costs and schedules, by ensuring that their design is constructible before any metal is forged or concrete is poured. Our Digital Engineering team can help ensure that construction models are clash free prior to materials being ordered, all the way through to maintaining and continually updating your asset’s Digital Twin for its lifetime. 

Over the coming 12 months what do you have planned in terms of launches or new initiatives?

We are continuing to assertively expand our service offerings (Steel Modeling and Detailing, Concrete and Rebar Modeling and Detailing, Digital Engineering and Industrial Design) across our geographies. Historically, some geographical regions have been more concentrated in certain service offerings – I’m looking to change that and grow our market share for all our services in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and North America. 

What are the biggest opportunities and challenges facing the construction industry this year? 

We are seeing almost unprecedented private and public sector construction in our global markets, sustained by private equity and government infrastructure investment. While it’s already an issue, I believe that labour and materials shortages coupled with the resulting pricing increases are going to be the single biggest challenge we will face collectively. 

Are there any key local or national initiatives, charities or pledges that you feel that government and the industry should get behind to support the construction industry and why? 

The 2021 Australian Infrastructure Plan (https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-09/Exec%20Summary%20%28standalone%29.pdf) is a great place to start – it touches on many of the critical factors facing infrastructure, but those can be applied to construction in general in Australia. The Plan’s focus on building partnerships between government and industry, as well as on technology-led sustainability, planning improvements, and best-practice front end due diligence for projects are all things we can readily apply to any mega-project, regardless of whether it’s publicly or privately funded.  

Who has impressed you most in the industry and why? 

Though it might sound self-serving, the DBM Vircon team has impressed me! I joined the company as CEO in the height of Covid, late 2020. I couldn’t believe how well the team members had adapted to the conditions globally. Most of our people were working on highly complex, very time bound projects, at their kitchen tables and home offices around the world. We had no significant increase in errors, no reduction in productivity, and our people’s engagement stayed high throughout the pandemic.  

What's your biggest achievement/proudest moment (In and out of the industry)? 

It’s always hard to single out any individual moment as I have been very fortunate to have a fantastic and rewarding career with a number of achievements that I am proud of; however I have been in leadership positions from the beginning of my career and I have always gotten enormous satisfaction from helping to nurture and build teams and seeing those team members realise their potential and succeed. 

 What do you do to let off steam?

I enjoy sailing and racing a VXOne sailing boat, trying to keep fit through running and riding and spending time with my family.  

Best place to get dinner? 

I’m a big fan of food cooked over an open fire so restaurants that have an open flame experience are my favourite. 

Karaoke song of choice? 

I’m not a big singer and leave that to my teenage daughter who is always singing a tune around our house. 

Who would play you in a movie? 

It would have to be Tom Cruise in an action movie – I was hooked on the original Top Gun from an early age! 

What would you do if you won the lottery - what are you going to do and where? 

I would help out friends and family, set up a charity for veterans and then buy a boat and sail around the world. 

Favourite country/place to visit? 

It would have to be France as I have had many memorable holidays there, whether it’s skiing in the Alps, sailing around Brittany or spending time in a farmhouse in the various wine regions. 

Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, Mark! Check out the DBM Vircon  and the other companies scheduled to exhibit at Sydney Build Expo 2023.