Tonkin acquires Farr Engineers to strengthen presence in South East Queensland

8 March 2022

Gerry Doyle, CEO of Tonkin announced today that as part of its growth strategy in South East Queensland the company has signed an agreement to acquire Farr Engineers.

Based in Brisbane, Farr Engineers has provided civil and structural engineering services for projects in northern NSW and across Queensland for more than 20 years. The acquisition will double the size of Tonkin’s workforce in South East Queensland and will strengthen the structural and civil expertise and offerings that can be provided to existing and future clients of both companies.

The acquisition represents yet another significant step in the growth of Tonkin and will build on the success and growth that has been experienced since Tonkin commenced operating in the structural engineering space in the eastern states through the acquisition of TLB engineers in Sydney in 2018. 

“This acquisition is an exciting opportunity to grow our business within one of the fastest growing markets in Australia. Farr Engineers is a well-established business with a reputation for technical excellence and working with their clients to deliver value-for-money solutions. We are confident that their values align with ours and are sure that the team will deliver the same quality service that our Tonkin clients have come to expect." Gerry Doyle said.

Tonkin’s Adelaide-based Chief Operating Officer, Olivia Oliver, visited the new team members in Brisbane this week. “It has been a pleasure to get to know our new team members. They are a highly-skilled group of engineers and drafters who will complement our team and deliver exceptional results. We look forward to fostering relationships with Farr’s clients, and continuing to be involved in projects that benefit local communities and the Queensland economy”, Olivia said.

Farr Engineers Director, Andrew Farr, remarked “We are looking forward to joining with Tonkin and offering both a greater range of engineering services and providing these services across a wider geographical area. This also provides an opportunity for our people to learn and further develop their skills by accessing the national reach of Tonkin’s teams and projects.”

With Tonkin’s head office located in Frome Street in Adelaide, the acquisition of Farr Engineers builds on the company’s expansion in the Sunshine State, which included the opening of a new office in Brisbane in 2019 and in Maroochydore in 2021.

In recent years, the Adelaide-born company has embarked on a strong, sustained growth journey, forming a creative and progressive national team across eight offices around Australia.

Left to right 
Tom Oliver – Leader - Queensland Structural, Tonkin, Olivia Oliver – Chief Operating Officer, Tonkin, Andrew Farr – Director, Farr Engineers, Jonas Hniopek – Senior Structural Drafter, Farr Engineers, Truong Nguyen – Senior Engineer, Farr Engineers.

About Tonkin

Tonkin is a leading provider of engineering, environmental and related services to private and public organisations. With more than 190 staff located in offices in South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria we work with our clients to deliver projects that improve the communities within which we work.