Future Roads Rising Star Award nominee Willem de Bod has helped set the standard for New Zealand pavement design and construction.
Six years after moving to New Zealand, de Bod launched Rolco NZ to provide roller compacted concrete (RCC) for councils and heavy industry.
The business, which now employs 15 full-time staff, recently celebrated its second anniversary. In that time, it has laid more than 60,000 square metres of RCC pavement for a range of clients including Tauranga City Council, Hamilton City Council, Port Marlborough, wood processor Sequal and numerous other industrial sites.
Willem’s background since arriving in NZ in 2016 has been in civil contracting and pavement engineering. After initially working as a project manager, he joined Port Taranaki as its civil engineer. He then joined iNFORCE as a pavement engineer, specialising in the design of fibre-reinforced concrete slabs and pavements.
After gaining experience with contractors, clients, and consultants, Willem established his own pavement design consultancy, focusing primarily on ports and industrial clients.
The story behind RCC
During the design phase for a new log yard for Port Marlborough, the challenges associated with traditional asphalt pavement led Willem to explore alternatives. His research suggested that RCC was a more suitable option based on better durability and cost-effectiveness.
Willem proposed RCC to his client but finding a contractor willing to take ownership of the risk associated with the challenge of constructing RCC pavements proved difficult. With encouragement from Port Marlborough, Willem took on the task himself and Rolco was born.
Willem extensively researched and promoted the use of RCC in New Zealand. He went to the US to visit multiple RCC sites, he attended concrete training events, and participated in workshops.
His hands-on approach included several visits to the US and Australia for training and to acquire specialised equipment not available in New Zealand.
With a small, dedicated team of four and a second-hand paver from Australia, Willem conducted several trials and test sites before successfully paving the log yard at Port Marlborough.
The successful completion of the RCC project for Port Marlborough not only solidified Rolco’s reputation, but also opened doors to further opportunities with major clients like Uzabus and Bakels Edible Oils and others.
Through the introduction of roller compacted concrete, Willem has set a new standard for pavement design and construction in New Zealand.
Leadership
Willem's leadership fosters an environment where teamwork is important, and everyone feels valued. He also knows how to work hard and when things need to be taken seriously.
Continuous learning is also important to help everyone in the company contribute to its success and he spends a lot of time building relationships and networks with other roading professionals.
Willem personally trained his team to make sure they had the skills needed to build roller compacted concrete pavements and specialised training in Australia has been offered.
He has also invested in his team in other ways. As well as providing career paths, he has supported individuals financially through mental health issues and hardship. He has also advocated for and encouraged employees who want to study and train further in work-related fields.
The roading industry Rising Star Award is for the standout person aged under 40 in the New Zealand roading sector, defined by their achievements during their career to-date. It is awarded annually at the Future Roads conference dinner. There are four finalists for 2024. See more here.