Hon Jim Sutton Speech Notes
5pm, 30 January 2002
Chairman Basil Logan, Chief executive Kevin Thompson and Opus staff, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I am
delighted to be here this evening to present Opus International Consultants with a Trade New Zealand Export Award
Opus has won this Export Award for boosting annual exports from $9.5 million in 1999 to almost $29 million last year.
This large jump in earnings is largely the result of your winning several long-term road asset management contracts in
the UK, Australia and Malaysia. Those long-term contracts have enabled Opus to open permanent offices in those countries
and to expand its businesses into other areas.
It's a tremendous achievement and one that both you and New Zealand can be extremely proud of, given the tough
competitive international environment you operate in.
With a staff of 1200 around the world - including some 30 offices in New Zealand - Opus is one of New Zealand's largest
multi disciplinary consultancies, providing engineering, planning and architecture services.
Opus' international business now accounts for about 25% of annual turnover - achieved by a dedicated team lead by David
Bunting in the Wellington office.
A privately owned company, Opus has an interesting history - it evolved out of a State Owned Enterprise which had in
turned evolved out of the Ministry of Works & Development - one of the icons of New Zealand Government Departments.
New Zealand is now recognised internationally for its world class expertise in highway and road asset management - being
the first country to deregulate this business - and Opus is the New Zealand market leader in this sector.
Your company is successfully leveraging off those two key success factors to build its international business.
Opus is capitalising on a growing awareness around the world of the need for highway authorities to sustain the immense
value of their asset by investing in managed maintenance. Your company has targeted markets where maintenance of roading
systems is contracted out to the private sector - with its major markets to date being the UK, Malaysia and Australia.
You are about to turn your focus to the United States also, where after years of neglect the Americans look set to
invest heavily in a maintenance programme to upgrade their deteriorating highway system.
Given the size of that market, that presents a huge opportunity for Opus and we look forward to following your results
in the USA over the next 3-4 years
Opus is also winning large contracts in rail consultancy - just this month, you havesecured a 7-year contract with UK
partners to manage the upgrade of stations on the Piccadilly Line of the London Underground
You designed and managed projects on the underground railway system from downtown Hong Kong to the region's new airport
And in New Zealand, you've won the contract to design the underground station for Auckland's high profile Britomart
complex
Opus prides itself on being innovative and is continually striving for ways to enhance the delivery of its core services
to clients
Your philosophy is that today's innovation is tomorrow's expectation - which is a keen reminder of the need to keep on
evolving and improving in order to remain competitive
Opus is a prime example of the knowledge economy in action
You are exporting Kiwi knowledge - winning international work on your excellent credentials as a business savvy,
well-managed enterprise with a depth of qualified staff to rival those of larger countries
As well as work in developed countries, such qualities are also winning Opus Asian Development Bank and World Bank
contracts to provide road asset management in developing countries
Because of your history from government department through corporatisation and privatisation, those agencies also
contract Opus to provide institutional reform advice in tandem with its core services - the icing on the cake for this
very smart and successful operator
It now gives me great pleasure to present the Trade New Zealand Export Award to Kevin Thompson, ceo of Opus
International Consultants
And a certificate of appreciation to Linda Roony of Opus' International Team in Wellington for her outstanding
contribution to the company's export success.
Ends./
Office of Hon Jim Sutton