About.
From its humble beginnings, SoilWicks professional vertical wick drain specialists has grown to position itself as one of the leading installers of prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) operating throughout Australia. With a strong industry presence, we boasts a wide range of repeat clientele including many of Australia’s leading construction contractors. Versatile and with a “can do” attitude, SoilWicks has built a reputation for delivering quality service safely and ahead of schedule. This reputation has been built through having a thorough understanding of its Clients’ needs and working hard to make sure these needs are met or exceeded. By developing an excellent working relationship with its clientele, SoilWicks consistently achieves project outcomes that benefit all parties involved.
Our Group.
All of SoilWicks vertical wick drain specialists employees are provided with in‐house and external training and development programs. This ensures that employees are continually kept up to date with the requirements for their respective roles as well as providing the opportunity for career progression where the opportunity permits.
By fostering a culture of teamwork and cooperation, combined with an understanding management style, the company has developed a high performing, cohesive and loyal team culture. This is evident by the fact that many of the company’s employees have more than 8 years of continual service with the company.
A family owned and operated business , Soilwicks professional vertical wick drain specialists takes pride in all of the 20 permeant employees it has had the opportunity to foster.
People Development & Teamwork
SoilWicks professional vertical wick drain specialists recognises that its main asset is its people. For this reason, the company invests heavily in the development and retention of its employees.
Heath And Safety
SoilWicks is fully committed to the risk management process. So far as reasonably practicable, the company must provide a hazard free workplace. Everyone has the right to be safe at work and to return home to their family and friends as healthy as when they started the day. The community also has the right to expect that the company will care for public health and safety as well.
Enviromental Management
Quality
One of SoilWicks’ primary aims is to differentiate ourselves from our competitors through quality. We strive to provide products and services that meet or exceed our customers’ expectations.
History.
The company was established
Greg Ryan co-founded SoilWicks in 2000 after recognising an opportunity for a versatile, privately owned contractor to enter the market for prefabricated vertical drain (PVD) installation. The company introduced two PVD Installation Rigs with the capacity to Install to a maximum depth of 22m at 1.50m per second. Our first contract was secured on the Gold Coast working for Leighton Contractors on a canal housing development.
The company expanded
There was a need to provide the industry with a Rig that could Install to a greater depth with much more force than our original machines. With a design in mind we engaged the fabricator of Units 1 and 2 to build Unit 3, a Rig that could Install to a depth of 30m with 35tonnes of force, while still maintaining an Installation speed of 2.50m per second. Soilwicks secured a contract with Menard to Install for their Vacuum Consolidation Pads on the Early works of the Ballina Bypass and a reclamation project at the Port of Brisbane.
Bring innovation and design to the industry
Realising our clients needed improvements to production rates without compromising safety we moved our existing Rigs through our workshop and adopted some changes we had learnt from our years of experience in the field. With this new technology in place we built Unit 4 which was capable of Installing to a depth of 40m with 30 tonnes of force and an Installation speed of 3.00m per second. Three large contracts were secured, the Ballina Bypass with Leightons and another section at the Port of Brisbane with Menard. In 2009 Greg acquired 100% ownership.
Offer new service to the industry
With the input of our experienced staff we decided to manufacture new PVD Installation Machines in house. Units 5 and 6 were built. Both high production Rigs, but more importantly they were fitted out with our new recording system which recorded the GPS location, date, time, PVD number, and a pressure reading at any depth interval nominated until each PVD is terminated. This innovation was a huge benefit to the reporting requirements of our clients. Soilwicks professional vertical wick drain specialists was appointed head contractor on a project with the Port of Brisbane.
6.8 Million Wick jobs completed ahead of schedule
With the prospect of being involved in the largest PVD Installation job ever carried out in Australia we moved into a new premises and built our latest two Installation Machines, Units 7 and 8 both with the capacity to install to a depth of 45m. Fortunately, in early 2014 we were lucky enough to be awarded the New Parallel Runway Project at the Brisbane Airport by the head contractor Jan De Nul. We entered into a JV with Menard Bachy and successfully Installed 6.8 million meters 3 weeks ahead of schedule.
Expanding operations internationally
Greg and the staff at Soilwicks professional vertical wick drain specialists are continually striving to innovate while actively seeking opportunities in Australia and overseas.
