100 International Projects… and counting!

Born from opportunities to deliver secure projects for the Australian Government on home soil and internationally, Manteena has continued to grow and evolve. It started in 2008 with Manteena being engaged to complete 13 secure construction projects across 12 international countries. From New Zealand to Lebanon, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, the Manteena team were set to be deployed internationally!

The demand for projects of this nature saw Manteena Security established in 2010 to continue to specialise in the delivery of physical security and secure sovereign capability. This resulted in the core capabilities expanding from delivering physical security in support of Australia’s national security, to also include technically difficult and complex logistical projects. With this, the pathway for international projects, especially in remote areas of the Pacific, was paved.

Fast forward 14 years and Manteena has reached the milestone of 100 international projects across 36 countries and 4 continents.

The milestone of 100 international projects has not been a small or easy one to achieve. It has taken 14 years and the hard work of an incredible number of team members from project administrators and managers, to site supervisors and directors. On the milestone, Andrew Kemp (General Manager) says, “I started Manteena Security in 2010 to deliver complex projects for the Australian Government, both in Australia and overseas. To reach the impressive milestones of 100 projects over that time is testament to the hard work of our teams, and the trust that our clients have placed in our capability.”

Our work on Christmas Island and Samoa remain some of our team’s favourite projects.

“The construction industry can be a hard and all-consuming career, but working with a great team to deliver a difficult project is also exceptionally rewarding. I feel especially fortunate to have the opportunity to deliver projects like an Australian Embassy in the Middle East, a Defence facility in the Indian Ocean or a hospital in the Pacific, and that continues to fuel my passion for this industry.

There have been many highlights and amazing experiences from delivering our 100 international projects, but a clear standout was managing the design and construction of the Samoa Parliament in the Pacific.  Jointly funded by DFAT and the Government of Samoa, this project delivered one of the most technically advanced buildings in the Pacific yet was still designed for climate resilience, simplicity of use and low WOL costs.  It is a flagship for the Pacific Australian AID program in terms of quality and also building capacity within the local construction Industry,” says Peita de Boer (Business Development Director).

Charlotte Cooper (Project Manager) had the opportunity to work on Christmas Island on several projects, including throughout Covid. On the opportunity to work internationally and immerse herself in the community on the Island for almost a year, Charlotte says, “I love to travel so getting the chance to work internationally was always a dream of mine, I just never knew it would be with construction until I came to Manteena. I had the privilege of moving to the remote and beautifully diverse Christmas Island with my partner, where we became a part of the wonderful community. We were fortunate enough to make lasting friendships, all while the rest of the world was in and out of Covid lockdowns. It’s such a fantastic place with unique experiences like the Red Crab Migration which we were so lucky to see and very interesting to work around. I’ll remember that time for the rest of my life.”

The international opportunities Manteena Security provide are a unique drawcard for new employees looking for bigger opportunities within the construction industry. Maurice Flynn (Operations Manager), highlights this as a key reason he joined the team in late 2021 – “having recently joined the team, I was drawn to Manteena based on their impressive reputation and unique capability they have developed as builders delivering these types of projects. I look forward to continuing this and being part of the 200 project milestone!”

From bolstering Australia’s national security, to supporting Australia’s global strategic footprint, Manteena Security are proud to have played a part in the safety and security of Australia, and are looking forward to continuing to work in this space across the globe and well into the future.