Interview: Michael Kaluza – Project Director at Lineaire Projects

Petrol Stations look completely different to what they did even 5 years ago. Michael Kaluza, Project Director at Linéaire Projects is at the forefront of the design and construction of petrol stations in Australia. In this Q&A Michael shares some great insights into the fuel industry from the perspective of someone who works extensively in building new fuel retail outlets.

Tell us a bit about yourself, where are you based, how long have you been in project management, how did Linéaire Projects come about?

I have been working in the building and construction industry for more than 18 years, with roles in Local Government (Council) and senior positions in national project management consultancy firms.

Linéaire Projects is a specialist advisory and client-side project management company with a big company foundation that provides boutique delivery to its clients. Our vision is to ‘simplify complex projects’ to enable our clients to achieve and exceed their ambitions.

Linéaire Projects came about by us wanting to provide high quality, personalised and tailored services delivered by highly experienced personnel. So we started Linéaire Projects to utilise our extensive experience and expert knowledge to deliver excellent and tailored services for our clients and build long terms relationships along the way. Our driver is high-quality service, not fees! We are very proud that the majority of our current clients have been with us from the beginning and we are an integral part of their team and business strategy.

Our head office is based in Sydney, with our team currently managing projects throughout Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.

You have been working in the fuel industry for a while now, what type of projects have you been working on?

We have proudly forged a reputation as an expert in the design and delivery of petroleum and fuel related developments. This experience is also supported by our large-scale programme experience delivering multiple projects concurrently across a large geographical area.

In collaboration with our clients and trusted consultant teams, we can manage all aspects of the project throughout its lifecycle. This includes:

  • Preparation of project brief
  • Programme development
  • Development of budget
  • Design phase management
  • Co-ordination of all necessary statutory approvals
  • Tender and contract management
  • Construction delivery phase
  • Post completion and commissioning activities

We have the ability to work on large, complex projects down to managing cosmetic upgrade/refurbishments projects. Some of the activities/projects we manage for our clients includes:

  • Greenfield developments
  • Major upgrades and refurbishments to existing sites
  • New/replacement fuel infrastructure systems
  • Remediation and clean-up works
  • Vapour Recovery (VR) implementation
  • Internal fitout and cosmetic upgrades
  • Signage replacement and refresh
  • Forecourt upgrade and compliance
  • Unmanned refuelling stations

Why would a service station operator use a project manager?

The construction, redevelopment or upgrade of any service station is a complex project that requires expert knowledge. Projects are generally completed in a live and operating environment and have numerous ‘moving parts’ to manage and coordinate.

We manage and coordinate Authority approvals, understand the legislative requirements that need to be satisfied, work with and liaise with all stakeholders and we have local and regional specialists (both consultant and contractor teams) that we work in partnership with to deliver the best client and project solution.

We strive to maximise site development opportunities, decrease any operating down time and allow the site to be reopened as soon as possible. Our aim is to take the headaches away from our clients and allow them to focus on what they need to, rather than managing construction works.

With the industry shifting and increase in customer expectations, we also look to future proof each site for our clients.

When you visit a service station what are some of the simple, low-cost improvements you see could be done to improve the business?

Presentation is key I believe. No customer really wants to buy fuel and food from a run down, tired looking service station. My key belief is that service stations should (as much as possible) be; modern, clean and inviting.

We feel there are some easy/low-cost items of work that can be carried out which will have the best ‘bang for buck’ and make the biggest impression on customers.

Examples include:

  • New signage/graphics/decals to the forecourt and convenience store
  • Cosmetic upgrades, eg:
    • Refurbishing the convenience store (new painting, new flooring, new joinery, amenities/toilets etc)
    • Having a clean forecourt area, including new line marking, painting the canopy and landscaping
  • Always maintaining full levels of food and retail stock in shelves and displays

We work with clients to understand what they want to do, develop a scope and budget for the works and then proceed to manage and coordinate the works.

The layout, design and product offerings of service stations are changing rapidly. What are your predictions for how a service station will look like in 10 years from now?

I think there are two key factors that are driving and dictating the future of service stations:

  1. Food and Amenity
  2. Electric cars & Green Initiatives

Increasingly we are seeing that service stations are turning into ‘cafes that sell fuel’. Customers are now happy to fill up their cars with fuel, but then sit down, buy a coffee, order a meal and spend time in the service station. This was not common practice even a few years ago. This will now only continue and increase in terms of the offering at each service station. As such service stations need to grow and adapt to this expectation from its customers.

Secondly, with the rise of electric vehicles and ‘green’ initiatives over the next few decades, I believe service stations will need to offer other services rather than just fuel or electric charging facilities. Our team look at service stations being “Multi-Use” sites heading into the future. I think service station owners and operators should start looking at trying to or planning to incorporate other uses into their sites. For example, increasing the blend of fuel, food and retail on offer. Potentially looking at newsagency, postal and banking services or facilities to provide that convivence to its customers. For larger sites (Service Centres) or regional sites, the incorporation of laundry services or co-working spaces may have a demand.

We are very proud to be considered experts in the fuel and energy industry and work very hard to be at its forefront and offer this experience and knowledge to our clients.

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