“From large-scale road projects to small driveways, MR Roads is changing the game in Australia.”

An uneducated eye would only perceive a road surface as a layer of concrete or asphalt. However, a plethora of tools, methods, and treatments are available that can aid with anything from stopping pavement cracking to reducing noise from traffic to promoting water conservation.

Yes, change can be frightening, but it can also be costly—at least initially. The adoption curve, often known as the S curve, is a predictable pattern that many inventions follow. Although new technology is challenging to market to the people in charge of making the decisions, there are appeals for creativity and other ways of thinking. Even if innovation has many potential advantages, there is still some risk involved, which is why conservative authorities aren’t quite ready to commit to it yet.

According to IBIS World (2022), the Australian road and bridge building market is worth $2.9 billion. The difficulties facing any organization, whether commercial or public, involved in road construction are greater than ever, with experts stating that the industry is operating at capacity owing to a lack of workers and materials. However, current problems call for modern answers, and the MR Roads team is excellent at providing them.

In such circumstances, it is essential to look for road construction services from a business that innovates the best with these circumstances. MR Roads makes completing ambitious projects seem routine. The team you can depend on to deliver projects on time and on budget is what makes your success appear and feel smooth. The best partner for any project, including building infrastructure and driveways.

The genesis of MR Roads

The combination of process and relentless dedication to meeting project targets regardless of the challenge has set the stage for a company to explode onto the construction scene. An industry giant in the making.

Like most great ideas, MR Roads started with a conversation between Daniel and James at a coffee shop just over a year ago. Daniel had been running Operations for Boral Ltd., and James had Platinum Tippers, a successful asphalt cartage and labour hire business. Both had spent their careers in asphalt prior to building their own businesses, and knew at that point that joining forces was the critical next step towards growth.

The pair began with $100,000 worth of plant, equipment and working capital — modest by industry standards — and in the first 12 months experienced growth well beyond expectations. Daniel and James were able to leverage and tap into their industry networks; use their size as an advantage to be quick, nimble and cost-effective; and show their clients better ways of doing things by putting in the effort to go that extra mile. Fast forward 12 months and MR Roads now works with some of Australia’s largest companies on major infrastructure projects and is on track to almost double the first year’s $13 million revenue by mid-2024.

When asked about the professional values guiding MR Roads, James said “The key for us in this industry is relationships and collaboration. By working together, we can achieve more and deliver better results. People want to work with us because they can see we genuinely care about them and want to help them achieve a successful project completion.”

 MR Roads’ values are very much centered on honesty, integrity and transparency - the essential pillars of long-term business relationships. James says “If something’s not right or isn’t going to work, we’ll be upfront about that, which our clients appreciate because they know we’ve got their best interests at heart.”

In addition, safety is paramount for MR Roads. Minimizing risk and preventing accidents is high on the company’s agenda. James adds “It’s just a non-negotiable. At the end of the day everyone wants to go home to their families, so ensuring we’re at the forefront of safety procedures and technology is really critical to us.”

MR Roads is most passionate about continuous improvement - which for the team means innovating, educating and optimizing across all aspects of the business and service delivery. As business leaders, Daniel and James are always on the hunt for new ways to innovate and better serve their clients, meeting the industry’s evolving needs and staying at the forefront of the road construction sector.

Philosophy, services, and talent — the hallmarks of MR Roads

The MR Roads’ promise is relentless client focus. This client-first philosophy has become the company’s point of difference against established competitors in the market and has helped them achieve exponential growth.

‘Relentless’ came from Daniel’s childhood nickname during his time competing as an elite junior athlete. It’s an attitude and identity that he, now as an entrepreneur and founder, carries with him every day.

When talking about MR Roads’ philosophy, James said, “We see construction contracting as a commodity. There are so many technically competent competitors to complete works from a basic operational level. MR Roads had to have a point of difference. This is what ‘Relentless Client Focus’ became.”

MR Roads changes the way road construction bids are submitted and quotes are accepted. The team starts with a client exploratory discussion to evaluate what success looks like. This conversation is critical to kick-starting each project and ensuring the team understands exactly what clients want and need. Submitting the price or tender is last in this process and almost becomes a formality.

To complement its ‘Relentless Client Focus’ MR Roads offers a wide range of services that cater to the needs of its clients — from small driveways to large commercial parking lots and everything in between. The team’s expertise and service delivery spans road construction, road maintenance, asphalt paving and truck cartage.

In addition to road construction, the company offers road maintenance services to ensure that roads are safe and well-maintained. Maintenance services include regular inspections, pothole repairs, and road resurfacing.

MR Roads’ asphalt paving services are also an important part of the business. The company uses high-quality materials and state-of-the-art equipment to ensure that the jobs delivered are durable and long-lasting.

When asked about how the company philosophy and team culture have aided in the rapid growth of MR Roads, James said, “The team at MR Roads has been like a family from day one. I started Platinum Tippers 5 years ago and grew the team with old-fashioned integrity and honour. I truly love coming to work every day. The culture we have created is second to none, it’s like a second family.”

James’ view is that one of the best parts of the job is seeing the satisfaction the company’s employees get from not just delivering a perfect job, but getting recognised for it.  James believes that’s where MR Roads has an edge on competitors. “We recognise our team’s efforts and reward them regularly, which is really a win-win because we see a much higher staff retention rate as a result.”

Daniel said “The team we’ve built at MR Roads has been absolutely vital to our growth and success. Their hard work, dedication and expertise have helped us build the company into the thriving business it is today.”Daniel added that they were deeply committed to recruiting and training the best talents in the industry, recognising that the quality of their team was what set them apart from the competition.”

Both James and Daniel have built a wealth of experience in complementary, yet completely different skill sets within asphalt contracting. Both founders have brought the knowledge of established construction material company leaders, blended with an innate level of professional drive and focus, giving them an edge that’s rarely seen in the construction space.

MR Roads’ ambition is to take its place among industry giants. Both Daniel and James began their careers working within some of Australia’s largest construction materials companies and between them, their decades of experience gave them an inside view to industry best practice. Daniel and James’ ability to network with major decision makers and learn exactly what clients are craving - their goals and their pain points - is what gives them an edge over their competitors.

Daniel said “It’s surreal to be partnering with some of the largest construction companies in the country when we started our careers being employed by them. The relationships we’ve built with the people in these companies have been a real asset in our first year. We’re looking forward to growing and building on these partnerships as we continue to scale.”

Building for complete market dominance

MR Roads has an ambitious 5-year plan to continue growing its southeast Queensland operations before expanding across borders to build a national presence. The road construction industry is well established, which, to MR Roads, means it is ripe for disruption.

MR Roads will continue discussions with investment heavyweights to further accelerate its place amongst Australia’s construction material producers. With plans for the establishment of its own asphalt facility in the near future, MR Roads looks to do in 3 years what it has taken competitors a decade or more to achieve.

Daniel said, “MR Roads has a detailed road map and aggressive growth trajectory, which has us poised to shake up the old guard overnight. It’s very exciting and we can’t wait for what comes next.”

“With the strength of our networks, our point of difference, our ability to anticipate client needs and exceed their expectations, we hope to achieve the growth our competitors have, but within a fraction of the time,” Daniel concluded.

James added that Brisbane 2032 was on the horizon for MR Roads and that they had already started preparing for the opportunities to come. In the meantime, they’ll be trying, among other things, to scale the firm by adding a new asphalt plant, increasing their workforce and cartage fleet, and entering the civil projects market.

Focused on the future, Daniel and James see the potential for MR Roads to become a household name when it comes to road infrastructure. “We’re primed and ready to position ourselves to become a major contributor to the Australian construction industry and right now the sky’s the limit.”

Establishing a goliath in the road construction sector

Daniel Mikus is the Co-Founder and CEO of MR Roads. Daniel began his career with Boral as a Laboratory Technician (Trainee), working his way up through the ranks to earn a reputation for strategic thinking and innovation. After leaving a management position with Hanson Australia Daniel approached James with a concept that would set them both on a path to help shape the delivery of Australia’s future road infrastructure.

He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the corporate world, having worked on the other side of the client-contractor relationship.

 James Rolph is the Co-Founder and Operational Director of MR Roads. Prior to starting MR Roads, James Rolph was the owner of Platinum Tippers, a single truck carting asphalt business that grew into a respected name in the SEQ asphalt industry.

As MR Roads’ Operational Director, James is responsible for the delivery and execution of works, including maintenance. He takes a unique approach in the way he works with clients. Instant rapport and genuine care give James an unrivaled edge in the client-contractor relationship.

“MR Roads is the culmination of two ambitious road construction veterans who have carved a niche for themselves at the perfect time. With Daniel’s commercial leadership and James’ operational expertise, the pair is set to dominate road construction in the next couple of years.”