PEOPLE POWER

PRESIDENT MARK GOULD TELLS HOW QUANTA LINES IS ADDRESSING THE SKILLED LABOUR SHORTAGE IN THE ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION INDUSTRY BY INVESTING IN TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT.

- Jodie Darlington

Australia’s electricity transmission market is on the cusp of a boom, but not just any old boom. According to Quanta Lines President Mark Gould, the next five years are forecast to be a “once-in-a-generation growth spurt”, which presents tremendous opportunities for companies operating in the industry. “The transmission market is at the beginning of a boom period and that’s really exciting,” Mark enthuses. “There are some massive projects on the go.”

Quanta Lines provides services in the construction of transmission and distribution powerlines in the utilities, renewables, mining and residential markets, placing it in a prime position to capitalise on this exponential growth. After starting out in 1994 as NJ Construction, a small business based in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, the business was purchased by North American company Quanta Inc in 2016. Last year, it rebranded as Quanta Lines and moved its headquarters to Melbourne. The company now boasts the largest fleet of specialised equipment in the country and is part of a leading global network of powerline contractors.

In addition to rebranding, a new management team was also appointed in 2019, with Mark at the helm. While Mark was attracted to the idea of joining the company ahead of the industry boom, he was also excited about the prospect of building a brand new team. With more than 30 years of leadership experience across a range of industries, Mark has a proven track record of building high-performing teams, and he clearly thrives on the challenge it presents. “I think my biggest achievement over the past 12 months was building that team, and we’ve managed to rebrand and reposition the business,” he says.