Australian construction software company HammerTech is expanding its global footprint, opening offices in the UK and Ireland and increasing its presence in New Zealand.
Launching in 2015 as a startup, HammerTech already has a significant imprint on the Australian construction landscape with 85% of the top 100 builders in Australia using its digital platform to consolidate safety and site management solutions and processes into a paperless system.
Expansion in 2018 saw HammerTech enter the US market with its first client, DPR, still firmly entrenched in the HammerTech community today.
More than 3 million construction workers and more than 400 construction contractors use its platform, supporting $100 billion in annual construction volume across more than 15,000 projects since inception. Last year, it was identified by LaunchVic as a potential unicorn (a reference to a company hitting a $1 billion valuation). With a strong trajectory 51% revenue growth rate year-on-year, 94% retention rate, headcount increases have followed with almost 100 employees now across Australia, North America, Canada, UK, Ireland and New Zealand.
Company Co-founder and CEO Ben Leach says that further global expansion was a logical next step built on its success in the Australian and US market.
"We were already making inroads in New Zealand but Covid slowed that momentum as we were unable to enter the country. We are excited that we can continue our investment in New Zealand to support growth in this market," he says.
HammerTech entered the New Zealand market in 2020 and is undergoing significant expansion with leading construction companies such as Mansons TCLM, LT McGuinness and Icon Construction using its platform.
"The increase in workplace injuries and accidents on construction sites is concerning. Our mission of helping make sites safer has focused on developing solutions that solve real problems," says Leach.
"We seek to enable those in the field with technology that helps them do their tasks without being anchored in the office and is designed to improve site collaboration and communication by involving subcontractors.
"The inherent benefit is the creation of real-time data analytics. Insights to such data helps teams with better decision making and ultimately improves safety performance and culture."
New Zealand WorkSafe statistics show injuries resulting in more than a week away from work in the construction sector totalled 5,880 in 2022 (up from 5,826 in 2021). There were 12 fatalities in 2022 and 12 in 2021.
After spending the past four years with HammerTech in Australia, Patrick Godfrey has been appointed Head of Sales for the UK and Ireland. Its known that health and safety within construction has plateaued over the past decade. But things need to change as its still one of the most dangerous environments to work in.
HammerTech is embedding health and safety across all staff from contractors and subcontractors to head office staff, making everyone accountable and safety a number one priority.
Leach says as the company beds down its UK operations, the focus on Australia, the US and Canada wont waiver as HammerTech continues to innovate and support safety in construction through technology across all these regions.