Vernice

What Vernice does

Vernice Pty Ltd is a family-owned civil construction contractor and heavy machinery wet hire operator headquartered in Toodyay, Western Australia, established in 1972 by Vernon and Janice Ferguson (the company name is a portmanteau of the founders' names). The business is now in its third generation of family ownership, with directors Michael and Stephen Ferguson leading a team that includes five third-generation family members across operational and managerial roles and the longest-standing non-family employee (Dean Lee, since 1995).

The company's core offering comprises two integrated revenue streams: (1) end-to-end civil construction services spanning agricultural construction, airstrip construction, bulk earthworks, dam construction, mining and quarry materials supply, renewable energy construction (notably wind and solar farms), road construction, subdivision construction, and heavy haulage transport; and (2) wet hire of a fleet of over 160 plant and equipment items — articulated dump trucks (20–40t), dozers (Cat D7R–D10R, Komatsu D375), excavators (1.5–45t), graders (John Deere, Caterpillar), loaders, rollers, scrapers, skid steers, water carts (15,000–40,000L), prime movers (Mack, Western Star), and tipper trailers. All wet hire engagements include qualified operators, and short- and long-term hire options are available.

Vernice monetizes through quote-based, project-specific pricing across Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory, delivered from multiple Perth-area hubs. The customer base spans local shires (Toodyay, Dowerin, Victoria Plains, Northam), Main Roads WA, mining operators (Chalice Mining, CBH Group), tier-one construction firms (Lendlease, Catcon, Decmil, ServiceStream), and renewable energy developers (Vestas). The company holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications, has completed over 2,000 projects at a run-rate of approximately 40 per year, and has no disclosed external investors, subsidiaries, or parent company.

Name

Vernice

Legal name

Vernice Pty Ltd

Website

https://vernice.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vernice is a third-generation, family-owned civil construction contractor and wet hire equipment operator based in Toodyay, Western Australia, serving mining, agriculture, government, renewable energy, and construction clients across WA, SA, and the NT with a fleet of 160+ plant items.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Construction Services

NAICS

Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237990), Site Preparation Contractors (23891)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Works General Contracting (IMAFAAAG)

Keywords

• Civil construction services
• Heavy machinery wet hire
• Earthmoving equipment rental
• Subdivision construction services
• Mining civil contractors

Headquarters

HQ city

Toodyay

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Civil Construction Services: Providing professional civil construction services including agricultural work, airstrip construction, civil excavation and earthmoving, bulk earthworks, dam construction, mining and materials, renewable energy construction, road construction, subdivision construction, and transport services across Western Australia, South Australia, and Northern Territory.
2. Wet Hire Equipment Rental: Heavy machinery wet hire (equipment with operators) including articulated dump trucks (20t, 30t, 40t), dozers (D7R, D8T, D9R, D10R, D375), excavators (1.5t to 45t), graders, loaders, rollers, scrapers, skid steers, water carts (15,000L to 40,000L), prime movers, side tipper trailers, end tipper trailers, and end tipper trucks. Short and long-term hire options available.
3. Quarry Materials Supply: Supply of sand (5mm screened, 14mm screened, fill sand, river sand, coarse white sand) and aggregates (75mm-200mm rocks, 26mm-75mm gravel) from local quarries. Also provides mine rehabilitation services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Vernice is a family-owned civil construction contractor providing professional civil construction services and wet hire heavy machinery (equipment with qualified operators) across Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory. The company delivers earthworks, road construction, dam construction, mining services, renewable energy construction, agricultural works, airstrip construction, subdivision construction, and heavy haulage transport from multiple Perth-area hubs using a fleet of 160+ plant and equipment items.

Product overview

Vernice is a family-owned civil construction company established in 1972, offering a comprehensive suite of services across civil construction and heavy machinery wet hire. The core offering combines civil construction services (agricultural, airstrip, excavation, bulk earthworks, dam construction, mining, renewable energy, road construction, subdivision, and transport) with a large fleet of hireable equipment. The equipment fleet operates on a wet hire basis (with operators) and includes articulated dump trucks (20t-40t), dozers (Caterpillar D7R-D10R, Komatsu D375), excavators (1.5t-45t), graders (John Deere 770GP, Caterpillar 140H/140M/150M), loaders (Komatsu WA series, Caterpillar 966E-980F), rollers (BOMAG, Dynapac, Hamm, Multipac, CAT), scrapers (Caterpillar 615C, 623), skid steers, water carts (15,000L-40,000L), prime movers (Mack, Western Star), side tipper trailers, end tipper trailers, and end tipper trucks. The company services Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory from multiple Perth hubs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil Construction Services Comprehensive civil construction services covering agricultural, airstrip, civil excavation, bulk earthworks, dam construction, mining, renewable energy, road construction, subdivision, and transport works for government, mining, agricultural, construction, and renewable energy clients across Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory.
• Wet Hire Heavy Machinery Rental Wet hire (equipment supplied with qualified operators) of a fleet of 160+ heavy plant and machinery items including articulated dump trucks (20t–40t), dozers (Caterpillar D7R–D10R, Komatsu D375), excavators (1.5t–45t), graders, loaders, rollers, scrapers, skid steers, water carts (15,000L–40,000L), prime movers, side and end tipper trailers, and end tipper trucks. Available for short-term and long-term hire on civil, mining, agricultural, and construction projects.
• Agricultural Construction Services Agricultural land clearing, farm construction, tree removal, dam and weir construction, firebreak construction, fence line services, gravel pushing, contour backfilling, driveway clearing, and stockpiling for farmers and agricultural operations across rural Western Australia.
• Airstrip Construction Services Construction and upgrade of public and private airstrips including runway development, foundation work, surfacing, and aircraft housing for all-weather functionality, for remote property owners, mining companies, and government clients.
• Dam Construction Services Dam construction, repairs, and maintenance services with consideration for depth, erosion potential, overflow channelling, and safety requirements for rural, agricultural, and remote property clients.
• Mining Services and Quarry Materials Supply Mining contractor services including civil excavation, bulk earthworks, mine rehabilitation, plus quarry material supply of sand (5mm screened, 14mm screened, fill sand, river sand, coarse white sand) and aggregates (75–200mm rocks, 26–75mm gravel, untreated raw gravel) from local quarries, for mining companies and construction projects across Western Australia.
• Renewable Energy Construction Services Wind and solar farm civil construction services including foundation digging, site preparation, access roads, excavation, rockbreaking, clean-ups, and transportation for renewable energy developers across Western Australia.
• Road Construction Services Rural and national roadworks, road upgrades, bridge construction, drainage, pavement, resurfacing, and road widening for local shires and state government bodies such as Main Roads Western Australia.
• Subdivision Construction Services Land subdivision services including bulk excavation, drainage, and land subdivision for residential, commercial, and civil projects for property developers.
• Heavy Haulage Transport Services Transport services for mining and construction equipment, agricultural machinery, farming supplies, fuel tanks, and material haulage including heavy haulage, light haulage, oversized transport, and pilot vehicles across Western Australia.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2000 completed projects with 50+ years of operations averaging 40 projects per year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Decmil Group: ASX-listed Western Australian civil contractor focused on resources, renewables, and infrastructure. Directly comparable to Vernice in service mix (civil construction, mining infrastructure, renewable energy civil works) and regional WA footprint.
• BGC Contracting: Western Australia-based civil and mining contractor with extensive plant fleet. Closely comparable in operating geography (WA), service offering (civil, mining, roads, subdivisions), and ownership profile (privately held).
• MACA (Thiess): WA-based mining and civil contractor acquired by Thiess/CIMIC in 2022. Comparable in WA mining/civil services focus and large equipment fleet utilization, though now operating within a much larger corporate group.
• NRW Holdings: Diversified ASX-listed WA-based civil and mining services contractor. Comparable in WA focus, civil/mining service offering, and equipment fleet model, though materially larger and publicly listed.

Broad incumbents

• Fulton Hogan: Large Australasian civil infrastructure contractor focused on roads, utilities, and land development. Comparable in road construction and civil services but with national scale and a broader services portfolio.
• CPB Contractors: Tier-1 Australian civil contractor (CIMIC Group subsidiary) delivering large-scale infrastructure, road, and mining projects. Comparable service offerings but at substantially larger scale, project size, and complexity.
• BMD Group: Privately held Australian civil infrastructure contractor delivering roads, subdivisions, and utilities. Comparable service offering (subdivisions, roads, civil works) but operating nationally with much larger scale than Vernice.
• SRG Global: ASX-listed specialist mining and infrastructure services contractor with civil, drilling, and asset services. Comparable in mining/civil services focus but at greater scale and broader geographic reach.
• John Holland: Major Australian civil contractor (CIMIC Group subsidiary) covering rail, road, water, and building infrastructure. Overlaps with Vernice's road and civil construction work but operates nationally and on much larger projects.
• Downer EDI: Major ASX-listed Australian infrastructure services group with civil construction, road maintenance, and utilities. Overlaps with Vernice's services but operates at much greater scale and geographic breadth across Australia and New Zealand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vernice