Our beginnings stemmed from a clean-up role under local legend, Kevin Mark. The General Manager of the local smelter gave instruction to the site management team for a large-scale clean-up. These works were undertaken by our small, but skilled team of operators and labourers and soon McMahon Services were asked to undertake demolition and civil works as well.
We started out at the smelter in a small office, just off a site crib room. What we didn’t know, was that this humble start would become the foundation to a 30 year relationship with the Smelters and the Port Pirie community.
Soon McMahon Services had grown in numbers and we had to develop a larger permanent base of operations, which led to the creation of the site shed and office, which is still used today. We then took on the labour and equipment hire contract at the Smelter in 1989, McMahon Services also employed a number of the workers that were on the existing contract, one of whom was Kenny May who is still with McMahon Services today.
The scope of services that we could deliver slowly expanded as we began to take on numerous contracts including Industrial Cleaning, Plumbing, Electrical, Fibre Glassing and Painting and Carpentry.
McMahon Services moved off-site in 1999 to the old betting shop at the International Hotel. This move, almost 10 years after first arriving at the smelter, opened our doors to the local community.
Shortly after moving, McMahon Services purchased and started redevelopment works at 30 Ellen Street – though it would take over 18 months to develop the former Uniting Care facility into a suitable workshop and office area.
Eventually we needed to further expand the premises, securing the adjoining properties, providing greater yard facilities.
McMahon Services has continued to grow and adapt to the changing market of Regional South Australia. Throughout our time, we have also provided many locals with employment opportunities, employing around 120 personnel at our peak and over 180 during Nyrstar shutdowns.
Whilst servicing Nyrstar we have been able to expand and take on a number of maintenance contracts for the Port Pirie Hospital, Regional Council, Centro Plaza and a number of regional real-estate companies.
We also have formed a close working relationship with the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure working on various schools including significant upgrades to the Risdon Park Primary and Solomontown Primary Schools.
McMahon Services have built a strong partnership with SA Water undertaking asbestos removal projects throughout the state ranging from emergency response to asbestos-lagged burst water lines to site remediation of asbestos piping and lagging being stored on SA Water land.
McMahon Services remains committed to the town of Port Pirie and the State’s North. We continue to invest heavily in our local facilities located in the region and have recently built new accommodation facilities that can house 17 employees or subcontractors that travel to Port Pirie to undertake works.
