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James L Williams

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Mechanical services and air conditioning contractors

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Industry Construction & Engineering
Founded Melbourne, Australia, 1875
Head office Melbourne, Australia
Website Australia www.jlwilliams.com.au [1]
Website Middle East www.jlw.ae [2]
Twitter JLWilliamsAus [3]


About James L Williams

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James L Williams is Australia’s longest established Mechanical Services Contractor. Since 1875 James L Williams has created environmentally insightful design solutions for the mechanical and air conditioning services industry.

The success of the company is both a legacy of and a tribute to the energies and visions of its founder. His vision and commitment have been continued, enlarged and reinvigorated by successive generations of Williams’ in an unbroken line of family management spanning over 135 years.

Originally based in Melbourne, James L. Williams now operates out of Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Perth, Dubai and opening in 2012, a new office in Riyadh. More than 400 staff members from all over the globe make up the James L Williams family.

History

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Portrait of James Lambert Williams, c. 1875

1875
James Lambert Williams started the company at 20 Errol St Melbourne in 1875 at the tender age of 23, with his young family living upstairs. The focus for the business was service to the building trade with general plumbing, hot water installations, gas fitting and electric installations being advertised.

1880s
The land boom made many fortunes and was a great time for the business. James L. Williams thrived and by 1885 the expanding business moved to a larger premises at 212 (later 612) Queensberry St North Melbourne.

1892 to 1900
A time of innovation, during this period the small plumbing team at James L. Williams invented and patented skylights and latrine systems with an automatic flush, they also began working with electric bells and alarm systems.

James L Williams patented skylight, 1892
James L Williams patented latrine, 1900

1926
James L. Williams was formed into a limited liability company only three months before James's passing. The business was left to his son George.

1940s
Many of the company’s employees were called to war, including Alfred, George's youngest son. Alfred returned home at the end of the war and took over running the office only to find that he and his brother Ralph would be swept up in the 20th century's newest and exciting technology...air conditioning.

1947
Like his father, George worked until his death in August 1947. Alf was to find him slumped at his desk one afternoon after suffering a massive stroke. Ralph and Alf carried the business forward together.

1948
JLW won their biggest contract to date, Footscray District Hospital. Designed by W E Bassett and Partners, this hospital was to be Melbourne's first fully air conditioned building and was the beginning of many brilliant hospital projects.

1950s
The 1950s saw a number of jobs won in Sydney, partnering with a local company, and in 1955 JLW completed their first air conditioned city building, Norwich Union Insurance, Queen St. From 1956 to 1959 James L Williams gained work with General Motors at the Holden plant at Fishermens Bend and with the Kodak plant in East Coburg.

1960s
Ralph's son Kent joined the company as the fourth generation of Williams'.

1970s
Allen Williams, son of Alfred, joined the company as an apprentice. Two years later he would be project supervisor. Alfred retired in 1977 and Kent became Chairman and Managing Director.

1982
An office and workshop was set up in Brisbane, with Len Deverall as the State Manager, considerably growing as business in Queensland expanded. Len was to later be the first non-family member of staff to earn the position of Director (retiring in 1999), his son Gary would later do the same. Further branches in Mt Isa and then Sydney in 1989 followed not long after.

1980 - 2000
The next 20 years saw JLW complete a string of iconic Melbourne projects; Rialto, Hyatt-on-Collins, Shell House, 101 Collins St, ANZ World Headquarters and Crown Casino central energy plant room and water-features. In New South Wales business boomed with a number of regional hospital projects; Port Macquarie, Maitland and Hawkesbury followed by major Sydney projects; Elarosa (Horizons), 400 George St, No.1 Martin Place (Westin Hotel and GPO redevelopment) and King Street Wharf.

1993 - 1995
Kent stood down as Managing Director. Negotiations began for Allen to purchase the shares from Kent side of the family.

Allen Williams became Managing Director and is continuing to take the company forward today.

2002
JLW formed an alliance with GJ Walker – a Melbourne-based design and manufacture specialist of air handling systems. This seemed a logical step as JLW had manufactured air handling equipment for them for 25 years. These days, GJ Walker manufacture partly with partner Pitts & Walker and with China's great manufacturer, Efatar [4].

2007
JLW goes international, venturing into the Middle East market with partner Michael Boufahat. Today James L. Williams Middle East [5] is a thriving business unit with 200 employees.

2000s
This decade has seen enormous growth in green energy efficient buildings, and once again JLW has led the way with iconic projects and engineering feats as seen in Australia's first 6-star green rated building Council House 2, Melbourne Convention Centre and Latrobe's Bioscience Facility.

Today
The success of the company to date, is both a legacy of and a tribute to the energies and vision of its founder. His vision and his commitment have been continued, enlarged and reinvigorated by successive generations of Williams' in an unbroken line of family management spanning over 136 years.

Core business

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James L Williams’ core business is in the design, installation, commissioning and servicing of a wide variety of buildings from office and commercial, to hospitals, PC2 and PC3 cleanrooms to mining and industrial sites. Some flagship projects include the Rialto, ANZ Headquarters and 101 Collins Street.

Increasingly James L Williams chooses projects that require sustainable design and have worked on leading 6-star green energy rated buildings such as Council House 2, the Melbourne Convention Centre, Pixel and LaTrobe University’s Centre for AgriBioscience, which includes the largest PC3 area in Australia.

Years of experience have provided James L Williams with an intimate knowledge of the industry. This experience has enabled the establishment of invaluable relationships with many of the industry’s most influential and key businesses.

James L Williams’ working operations are divided into three main business units:

1. Major projects

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James L Williams’ Major Projects division will help clients to design conditions in their building that are effective, energy efficient and that are delivered in a timely and cost effective manner. A full range of services from price, design, supply, installation and completion of major mechanical services.

Fields of expertise include:

  • trigen and cogen
  • pipe fabrication and installation
  • dust extraction and industrial air ventilation systems
  • medical and specialist gases reticulation
  • chiller and boiler installation and replacements
  • refrigeration and cool rooms
  • clean room air conditioning
  • testing, balancing and commissioning to N.E.B.B. standards
  • geothermal ground loop technology
  • cogeneration and thermal storage
  • water features
  • PC2 and PC3 installations and laboratories
  • 4, 5, and 6 star energy rated buildings
  • chilled beam technology.


2. Specialised projects

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James L Williams’ Specialised Projects division was formed in 1985 to supplement the major projects construction team. Over the past 26 years the Specialised Projects division has successfully completed thousands of small-to-medium and highly specialised air-conditioning projects, with quality and care, and within the specified timelines and budgets.

The Specialised Projects division can provide:

  • value-added engineering design
  • fitout works
  • retrofit works
  • chiller replacements
  • new installation projects
  • green star expertise.


Working with the Specialised Projects team enables a dual benefit of working one-on-one with a dedicated project team, while also being able to access the resources from the drafting, engineering and construction divisions.


3. Service and maintenance

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Tailored service and maintenance programs and solutions based on client’s bespoke needs and financial freedoms. Not everyone fits a ‘common’ mould, so James L Williams created a boutique service that is prompt, cost-effective and client focused.

Proactive preventative maintenance programs
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A tailored maintenance strategy and a schedule of follow up visits and reports is created to minimise any unforeseen breakdowns and allows for flexible equipment repair with less disruption to tenants.

Breakdowns
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Breakdowns occur at the most inconvenient of times, James L Williams direct service phone line ensures you have an immediate response. Clients can track the progress of their job via a service call tracking function.

System upgrades
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James L Williams can help clients upgrade or refurbish HVAC and mechanical services systems, with help in the planning, budgeting, design, construction, manufacture and installation. There are a range of innovative options that boost energy efficiency, add value to buildings to reduce long-term costs.

These three units enable clients to work with James L Williams through the life cycle of their project.

Safety

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James L Williams’ commitment to quality is demonstrated through the following accreditations:

Safety Accreditation
Occupational Health and Safety Management system AS/NZ 4801:2001
British Occupational Health and Safety Management system BS 18001:2007
Quality Management System ISO 9001:2008
Environmental Management systems standard ISO 14001:2004
Zero harm at work Member


Staff are pro-active in risk identification and implementation of safety standards. In 2011, James L Williams recorded an incredible 70 per cent reduction in lost time injuries from the previous year. This means that James L Williams staff return home to their families safe and uninjured, in turn saving clients money, construction time and ensuring peace of mind.

Environment

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Responsible for many flagship green projects, including Melbourne’s CH2 building – the first 6-star green rated office building in Australia. James L Williams continue to align with projects that require sophisticated levels of sustainable design.

Services offered include assisting in the review of the operation and efficiency of machinery, to achieve benefits in:

  • a reduction in operating costs
  • preservation of natural resources
  • the opportunity to improve commercial outcomes.

James L Williams, high efficiency energy rated buildings:

Building Location Greenstar rating
Pixel Building 10 Carlton, Victoria 6 star
AgriBioscience 11 Bundoora, Victoria 6 star
Council House 2 12 Melbourne, Victoria 6 star
King St Wharf Sydney, NSW 5 star
Civic Tower (Masonic Centre) Sydney, NSW 5 star
Rhodes Commercial Building 3 Sydney, NSW 5 star


Strategic alliances

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Alliances have been developed with some of the industry’s key suppliers:

  • GJ Walker [6]
  • Efatar - China [7]
  • Pitts & Walker Engineering
  • Roo & Oz Sheetmetal Pty Ltd [8]
  • Holaday Parks Inc, USA [9]


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1. Pixel Building - [10]
2. LaTrobe University Centre for AgriBioscience - [11]
3. Council House 2: [12]