After two decades working with the ‘big engineering corporates’ Mark Hausfeld took a leap in 2020 and established his own company, Civil IQ, from the comfort of his lounge room.
Tell us about yourself and Civil IQ.
After twenty years of working with the ‘big engineering corporates’ I gained experience and opportunity working on some of the nations’ largest infrastructure projects. I wouldn’t be the engineer I am today without that experience under my belt. However, the more senior I became, the more removed I was from the coalface of project work, which is what I love most about civil design and engineering.
So, in 2020, during the peak of COVID, I was ready to jump ship. I needed to try something new. I started Civil IQ from scratch out of our loungeroom in Pallarenda. I called all my contacts and mustered up my first project. I gave it a lot of love. I was back ‘on the tools’, drafting, designing, modelling, and reporting again.
Soon after that, though collaboration and partnerships, I was able to secure a couple of significant regional project wins. This meant Civil IQ had upped its game and it was time to look for office space and staff to support a growing workload.
Fast forward to today, and we are going from strength to strength. I think the key to our success has been an unwavering commitment to strong relationships and delivering high-quality, sustainable outcomes.
Based out of the old Queens Hotel on the strand, Civil IQ is a civil engineering design and project management consultancy. To date we have worked on a diverse range of civil design projects across Townsville and regional North Queensland. Our portfolio predominantly includes aquaculture, agriculture, defence, space, mining, transport, natural resources and renewables.
I attribute our success and continued growth to strong partnerships and collaboration with like-minded businesses within the region and industry. We are lucky to have a dedicated and talented team and we are looking to grow in the coming years.
What has been the most challenging aspect of starting/owning Civil IQ?
Just over four years ago I leaped into the abyss and started my own business, and I can tell you the learning curve was steep. As a confident, experienced, certified civil engineer with over 20 years’ experience, I suddenly found myself in unchartered waters.
As a business owner, I am across every element of the day-to-day business management from IT and legal, to insurance and recruitment, from admin and marketing to coffee top ups and toilet paper.
It’s not just managing clients and deliverables, it’s keeping an eye on the horizon, managing risk, and ensuring employees are happy, secure, and inspired. I face fresh challenges every day and I am always open to new ideas and new ways of doing things.
I absolutely love it and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
My alter-ego is DJ Lemario (…long story) and I used to host a radio show on WOW FM through the early 2000’s called ‘The Riff’. I have always had a mad passion for music and this was an incredible opportunity for me to play whatever I wanted to whoever would listen (sometimes that may have been nobody).
I keep my stash of records at the office and if you catch me there on a weekend or an evening, you will likely hear some Mr Bungle or Herbie Hancock blaring through the old Queens Hotel.
What is the best piece of career or business advice you have ever received?
Before I started my own gig, I sought advice from friends, family, colleagues and even ex-bosses. Most importantly, I sought advice from a few close contacts who have started their own businesses and been successful. Their advice was ‘back yourself’; if you are good at what you do, and you love it, the rest will fall into place.
Of course, there will always be better timing; I could have waited for more money, more security, and less COVID. From my experience, if you are prepared to get in the trenches and learn along the way, you will have nothing holding you back and only one direction to move … Forward.
Going forward, what is next on the cards for Civil IQ?
We moved the family to Townsville in 2011 to escape the Sydney rat-race. Who knew that just over a decade on our region would be sitting on the precipice of some of the biggest projects and industrial growth in the nation. It is exciting times up here and we are proud to be a part of it.
Finding good people, good at what they do, available exactly when you need them is always a challenge in the regions. But I think more and more people are looking to Townsville as the capital of the North and considering a move because our opportunity and lifestyle is second to none. So, I think the talent pool will grow.
We have recently added geotechnical services to our civil design suite, which has expanded our service offering. So far, the uptake has been phenomenal.
Of course, we are always on the hunt for talented people to join our team at our awesome little Strand office in the historic Queen’s Hotel. We rented space to account for growth while giving us room to stretch our legs and enjoy the best view Townsville can offer.
Onward and upward for Civil IQ in 2024.
Main image – Mark Hausfeld
Images Credits – All images supplied.
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