Wellam Constructions is a multigenerational earthmoving and construction business that has been working with Bisinella for close to 30 years. 

Mark Wellam, one of the company directors and a third-generation descendant of the family business his grandfather started in 1940, began working with Bisinella when he stepped into project management and tendering work 25 years ago. 

“We won a contract to do an estate called Blackbird Estate. It was the first time Wellam Constructions ever won a million-dollar project, which back then would have been a quarter of our turnover for the year,” Mark explains. 

“I remember my uncle was thrilled to bits when he got the phone call that we had won that job because he wanted to work for Bisinella.” 

Mark says Bisinella’s values are closely tied with how Wellam Constructions does business. “We have the same values, and we instil those values and teach that down to the new people in our business,” he says. 

“We’ve recently introduced junior directors that have worked their way through the business and the values we instil in them are in line with Bisinella – like do the right thing, be honest, and pay people on time, which are conducive to maintaining relationships.” 

Over the years, Mark has seen that Richard and his father Lino would always stop to ask, ‘What is the right thing to do?’ “They want to do the right thing, and that permeates through their whole family and that’s something we try to do as well,” Mark says. 

The relationship has been consistent and strong with continuity of work over the years. “The highlight for me has been the relationship. They’re such quality people – the whole family – and it’s fun when we get to catch up and see them,” Mark says. 

“If the phone rings I know they’re always going to be reasonable, they’re personable, and they care for us beyond a commercial relationship.” 

He adds that all directors at Wellam Constructions are “local guys” who grew up in the area and went to school together. “We love to work for the local developers, with quality people with a good reputation,” Mark says. 

“All the directors at Wellam Constructions value the relationship and know how lucky we are to have it.” 

Mark says that Richard will always think to reach out and check in. “There have been times that Lino or Richard have rang me, it might be in the middle of COVID or when work is slow, to see if we’re alright, and to sing out if we don’t have enough work,” he says. 

“It happened about 10 years ago when we had a quiet period, and they were willing to bring some projects forward to help us. That’s just amazing comfort to know you are working for a developer that is willing to look after their contractors in those sorts of times.” 

Mark and the Wellam Constructions team has seen Geelong grow over the years as the estates have become bigger, such as when they worked on the Grand Lakes Estate at Lara with more than 800 lots. 

“We’ve had to adapt and grow do a greater volume of work and the methodology of construction has changed,” Mark says. 

Now working at Lara Lakes, Mark says there is plenty of work coming through with Bisinella. “Nowadays things have been pretty good in Geelong and there has been plenty of work for a long time,” he says.

For more information about Wellam Constructions visit: https://www.wellam.com.au/