Equal Assurance are proud to be working with DM Civil…once again…!!
Since 1976, DM Civil has been providing tailored, sustainable civil contracting solutions to many of Australia’s leading companies. As civil contractors based in Perth, Western Australia, core principles based on diversity, motivation, and commitment, underpin the way they work and are at the heart of everything they do. A hands-on approach and an ability to ”get the job done” has earned them the loyalty of their clients and the respect of their peers.
Whilst DM Civil has only been certified by Equal Assurance since 2018, our journey together actually began a long time ago. Rewind to the early 1990s. It was a time when quality assurance was beginning to get real traction in the construction industry around the world, and no less in Western Australia. The local standards were moving from AS 2990 to AS 3902 and beyond.
At a meeting convened by the Civil Contractors Federation of Western Australia, there sat all the industry mid-tier contractors which, like DM Civil, continue for the most part to this day. And presenting on this new management technical called “quality assurance” was Leon Michailidis, now Lead Auditor at Equal Assurance but previously with another reputable certification body. On the other side of the table was Reg Toohey, a founding partner of DM Civil and already a legend in the local construction industry. The two quickly formed a kinship that was to play out positively as DM Civil proceeded down the path of certification.
As the story goes, Leon had just completed his documentation side of the audit (when paperwork literally meant lots of paper) with Reg, and it was time for the two to take a walk around the depot. Focusing on “product identification and traceability”, Leon noticed a pile of sand, with a sign placed above it, identifying the product, curiously, as “Sand.”. Turning to Reg, Leon asked: “Do you really sign-post your sand in this way?”. A nervous moment of silence ensued, after which Reg and all around him burst out laughing! “No we do not! We have been so nervous about the audit we have identified absolutely everything in the yard. Actually, if you go around the corner, you will probably find a pile of rubbish with a sign-post saying “Rubbish.”!
The audit ended on a positive note, with Leon making a recommendation for certification and Reg shedding a small but noticeable tear of joy in the pride of his business and most importantly of his people.
We have all learned so much since then. Fast forward nearly 30 years and here we are again. Only now we have Gary deVries as Lead Auditor working with Stephen Hall as current Managing Director of DM Civil, certifying to ISO 9001, ISO 45001 and ISO 14001. And though the people may have changed, the comradery and mutual respect continues. But no more labelled sand!
We look forward to our continuing relationship with DM Civil.