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In a move to tackle one of civil construction’s biggest waste streams, the founders behind Brisbane-based MR Roads are on track to open a new state-of-the-art $20 million facility to produce 30 per cent recycled asphalt for major projects in Queensland from the rural town of Maryborough.
MR Roads was founded in 2021 by long-time construction mates Daniel Mikus and James Rolph, who set out to build a company that could handle everything from suburban driveways to massive projects, such as the 10.2km Cross River Rail tunnel under the Brisbane River and CBD.
The two founders won the Specialist Services category of both the Brisbane Young Entrepreneur Awards and the Australian Young Entrepreneur Awards in 2024. Nominations for the 2025 edition of the initiative open tomorrow, 1 July via the following link.
At the time of writing, the duo is in the final stages of its development application (DA) with Fraser Coast Regional Council to greenlight the 10,000 sqm facility, which is expected to employ around 50 full-time staff.
Speaking to Business News Australia, Mikus and Rolph shared how the new site is part of their long-term plan to stay ahead in the industry and support large-scale projects across a 200km radius.
“James and I feel it's a strategic play to get into these rural areas. We're quite lucky in Australia as we've got high per capita GDP with population bound to increase, and these rural areas - they're about to boom. We're trying to get in early. We've got 15 other site locations mapped and ready - and a few actually underway in process - this is our first,” Mikus said.
“We're trying to stay ahead of the game. It's a very niche industry and it's important to stay ahead. If we stand in one spot, you miss the boat…we're looking further than just in front of us and looking where these areas might populate in the years to come. We’re not just thinking six months…we’re thinking five to 10 years ahead,” Rolph added.
The plant will be equipped with remote-operated machinery and designed to produce asphalt containing up to 30 per cent recycled bitumen. Although the technology exists to manufacture asphalt using 100 per cent recycled material, the company is currently limited by government specifications.
To cut transport costs and improve efficiency, Mikus and Rolph will operate their own logistics company to streamline asphalt delivery to clients. MR Roads has secured major new contracts for large-scale, federally funded infrastructure projects, though details remain under wraps while agreements are finalised.
When asked how funding for the project was secured, Mikus explained that it came from a combination of working with NAB and internal bootstrapping.
“It's a variety of really good relationships with our main bank, which is NAB – so funding through those channels and internal bootstrapping. We're trying to bring investors on, which we're always interested in - but we need to make sure that it is a good fit. That it's not just a capital injection, because you only sell equity once,” he said.
“There has to be another value add - whether it's advice, seat on the board, or something that adds value far beyond capital.”
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