Devco Project & Construction Management

Building Exceptional Quality

Established in 1988 by Romando Nascarella and Paul Launech, Devco Project & Construction Management has built an enviable track record over 27 years of operation demonstrating construction expertise across many market sectors and building types.

Based in Williamstown, Devco operates within the metropolitan and greater metropolitan areas and has delivered many iconic projects across the Melbourne landscape for a range of clients and award winning architects. Devco’s completed projects include commercial medium-rise residential, factory/office developments, automotive showrooms/workshops, retail, public and private education, libraries, community and aged care facilities.

Over the years Devco has developed lasting relationships with its clients and consultants. In fact, Devco’s reputation has given the company a steady supply of repeat business. Its recent foray into the aged care market is also a result of the strong reputation with established clients and consultants for whom Devco has successfully completed projects. The rapport that has been built with clients, consultants, project managers and award-winning architects is a major contributor to Devco’s success.

Devco’s directors, Romando Nascarella and Paul Launech, and Business Development Manager, Peter Helfer, plan to gradually target projects of increased value and size to maintain the steady growth rate that the company has enjoyed over the years.

“We have developed a strong presence in the education and local government sectors. Devco has completed over forty educational projects including laboratories, specialist learning spaces, trade training facilities, library buildings, early learning centres, performing arts facilities and sporting complexes.

Also they have undertaken over twenty community/civic projects, which have included library buildings, community centres/hubs, sporting facilities, and community childcare centres. “We have worked with many local government and community organisations enabling our teams to develop familiarity with the need for extensive stakeholder engagement/management as well as accommodate the nuances of various user groups and elected officials”.

Devco’s projects range in value from $5 to $30 million with 10 to 15 projects under various stages of construction at any time. Projects currently under construction include a $20 million 120-bed extension to the Wyndham Lodge aged care facility in Werribee for Baptcare, Newport Youth Library and Seniors Centre for the Hobson’s Bay City Council, the Monbulk Soccer Centre for the Yarra Ranges Council, Community Centre and Performing Arts Space for the Brimbank City Council, performing arts facilities for the Lilydale Secondary College, new building for a special needs school at Laverton and the redevelopment of the BMW showroom and service centre in South Yarra.

Devco enjoys an impeccable reputation with their sub-contractors and suppliers. Part of their success is through the support and loyalty of subcontractors. The Devco management explains, “We have subcontractors who work with us and who understand our expectations and our requirements of quality. We have set criteria that we use to engage contractors, to ensure that our standard of work and safety is maintained at the highest level throughout projects.”

Many projects completed by Devco have won a number of awards commencing with the iconic Mill Park Library winning an engineering excellence award in 2003.

Devco was also the first building contractor to deliver a 5 Star GreenStar certified “as built” education building using the Education Pilot resulting in the project being awarded both State and National Sustainability Awards. The project was the Williamstown High School, Bayview Campus, which received the Premiers Sustainability Award in 2007 and the National Interior Design Sustainable Design Award in 2008. (Architects: Spowers Architects).

In 2008 the Camberwell Girls Grammar School Early Learning Centre built by Devco, designed by Hayball Architects won the CEFPI award for the best new school.

The Mount Waverley Secondary College completed by Devco in 2011 won the CEFPI Victorian Chapter Education Facilities award in 2011, the CEFPI Australasia Region Facilities Award in 2012 and the CEFPI International Award in 2012 School Planning and Architecture Award as the Project of Distinction (Architects: Clarke Hopkins Clarke).

The awards won by the Architects whose designs Devco has constructed is validation of the strong processes the company employs and its rigid adherence to principles of excellence throughout the construction process to deliver of the built form that maintains the integrity of the design. “The architect’s success in winning awards helps to promote our brand awareness and reputation.”

Over the years Devco has gained critical skills in working with Architects, Project Managers, State and Local Governments, Institutions and the corporate sector. Its well-developed systems and procedures provide great comfort and confidence to their clients. “We bank on our reputation and people who have had a previous experience with us throughout the construction process. As a result of our integrity in business, project performance and built quality we create the opportunity for repeat business.

“The challenge in this day and age is that everyone wants to lower costs and we are trying to position ourselves as an organisation who provide a good quality at a competitive price – Value for Money. Our management systems provide us with the operational framework and efficiencies to deliver projects on time and on budget.”

The promoter-directors of Devco believe that their company has achieved steady growth over the years due to the dedication and single-mindedness of its employees towards producing excellent work. “We operate with a culture of dignity, respect, consideration and commitment. Our approach to projects is based on having a partnership with clients, consultants and stakeholders.

“As far as our own workforce is concerned we have a strong history of employee retention with many of our staff members having been part of Devco for over 20 years. Devco has a loyal and skilled workforce of over 60 employees and enjoys a strong organisational culture that enables all our staff to be part of a dedicated team. We love to say that we work in a family type of environment. When we employ someone it should be mutually beneficial and we base our decision on the premise that it should be a long term relationship.”

The Devco management is very positive about the company’s prospects, “Our future is very bright because we have a good team, good relationships with clients and consultants and have the capability to deliver quality projects at exceptional value for our clients. It does take time to get a good team together and going forward I am very optimistic about the outlook. We want to keep the company growing and would like to increase our turnover steadily over the years by providing quality construction services to our clients.”

Devco is a great Australian success story of Romando Nascarella and Paul Launech who started a construction company almost three decades ago with one project and through persistence, skill and hard work developed a strong business based on the traditional values of quality and service.