FEATURE - FORGING AHEAD

Over the last three years, during which it delivered its Recovery
& Growth strategy, the Group restored financial stability,
returned to profitability and resumed the dividend payment.

In looking towards the future, the board and executives
conducted detailed analysis to identify the market sectors,
project value chain segments and geographies that in the
long-term will present the greatest opportunity to the Group to
unlock value by applying its core competencies of engineering
and construction. These target markets are specifically in the
oil and gas, mining, energy and industrial sectors. It also is the
Group’s strategic intent to expand into value chain segments
that will deliver greater value, growth and returns through
offering more complete project solutions to clients.

“Our aim is to position Murray & Roberts as a leading diversified
international project engineering, procurement and construction
group by 2020. By delineating our businesses within the construct of the operating platforms, we established a focused organisation with clarity regarding core functions, objectives and
responsibilities,” explains Group Chief Executive, Henry Laas.

The strategy sets the direction for the Group, but a sustainable
future is dependent on successful implementation and
operational excellence. We cannot achieve operational
excellence without trained, skilled and motivated employees
and the support from our communities. In this regard, it is
important to recognise the Group’s achievements and some
highlights are shared in this article.

“We have established a focused organisation with clarity regarding core functions, objectives and responsibilities.” Henry Laas, Group Chief Executive

PERSUIT OF ZERO HARM


The safety of our employees will always remain a top priority and the Group’s Lost Time Injury (LTI) and total injury rates continue to improve. Some examples of our latest safety achievements are highlighted on page 16.

These projects’ safety performances were world-class when
compared to peers in their respective markets and demonstrate a maturing health and safety culture in the Group. Achieving these milestones demonstrates that injury free production is possible and we are committed to further improve on the gains that have been made in the Group’s safety performance in the year ahead.

 



 

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

During FY2014, Murray & Roberts invested a total of R260 million globally on training and development. This equates to 2,7% of payroll which is above the global benchmark of 2%. Murray & Roberts’ commitment to training and skills development in South Africa is mirrored throughout its operations around the world, where it provides a wide range of training, learning and career development opportunities for its people.

Given the high demand for technical skills within the Group, technical training constitutes one of the largest aspects of its training and development interventions. Crucially, technical training also promotes operational excellence and a safe working environment wherever the Group operates.


INVESTING IN AND SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITIES

Murray & Roberts has a long track record of being a good corporate citizen. For more than 50 years, the Group has engaged in social upliftment activities aimed at redressing inequalities of the past while simultaneously supporting the developmental objectives needed to sustain economic growth in the future.

In FY2014, the Group invested R24,9 million in community development in South Africa, R14 million of which was spent on its Corporate Social Investment programme.

The Group approaches community development as a critical business imperative that is rooted in understanding and addressingthe needs of its local communities and the country’s national development priorities. There are currently four programmes that make up Murray & Roberts’ South African community development strategy. These focus on education and community skills development as a means to unlock communities’ potential for sustainable development.

INNOVATION IN CONCRETE TECHNOLOGY

Murray & Roberts Construction was recently named runner-up in the Nedbank Capital Sustainable Business Awards’ Infrastructure and Renewable Energy category for its innovative approach to sustainable building technologies at Transnet’s City Deep Container Terminal in Johannesburg. A key client stipulation was to recycle more than
10 000 m2 of the original surface concrete in the new build to meet Transnet’s sustainability objectives. Murray & Roberts exceeded this requirement by processing more than 35 000 m2 of the old concrete and almost 65 000 m2 of layer works. The Murray & Roberts Concrete Centre of Excellence has pioneered an innovative geopolymer concrete and high volume pulverised flue ash concrete which demonstrates our commitment to sustainable environmental practices. The article on page 15 explores this technology further.

FORGING AHEAD

The Group is proud of its progress and achievements. In the year ahead, it will focus on consolidating and building on the foundations of growth it achieved during the Recovery & Growth strategy.

The operating environment remains a challenging one, not only for Murray & Roberts but for the entire sector, both in South Africa and further afield. Achieving operational excellence to preserve margins will remain of critical importance in this difficult environment.

The key will be to continue to be agile and strategic enough to adapt to a changing environment, to unlock opportunity for growth in key segments, to use the Group’s global skills and capabilities to pursue new business and to attract, develop and retain the core skills needed to entrench our industry leadership position.