The Rise of Parklane Construction Limited

Although only a few years old, Parklane Construction Limited is now playing in the big league.

Parklane Construction Limited is a reputable civil contractor based in Nairobi. Although established only a few years ago, the company has quickly established itself as one of the top players in the industry. It is already registered by the National Construction Authority (NCA) as NCA1 which is the highest category by the government regulator. This classification qualifies Parklane to undertake construction works of unlimited value.

The fast rise of Parklane can largely be attributed to the leadership of Mr Ghanshyam Patel. Mr Patel, who holds a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering from Gujrat University, is an immensely experienced professional with at least 25 years working in the construction industry in Kenya. He is therefore conversant with virtually every aspect of construction, including a deep understanding of contracts, government regulations, labour laws and customer relations. He is also adept at engaging other professionals in order to realize his goals.

Prior to establishing Parklane, Mr Patel was a project manager at NK Brothers, another contractor playing in the top league. During his more than 20 years with the company, Mr Patel was responsible for the day to day running of projects, with particular emphasis on workmanship and materials control. It was also his duty to ensure the growth of the company by attracting new clients while retaining old ones. His other duties included cultivating the company’s reputation in the industry, leading and motivating the management team, developing business plans, liaising with government departments and keeping control of expenditure among many other major responsibilities.

Among the projects Mr Patel successfully handled while with NK Brothers include NHIF Building, Teachers Service Commission Headquarters and Commercial Bank of Africa, all of which are major landmarks in the Upper Hill area of Nairobi. Other include Ngara Civil Servants Housing, NHC Langata, Bishop Gate and Awori Centre.

It was therefore no surprise that when Parklane Construction Limited was established, it almost instantly began enjoying a steady flow of jobs. Mr Patel’s reputation and his numerous contacts with other professionals such as architects, quantity surveyors and engineers came in handy for the young firm.

The consultants he has had a chance to work have clear faith in him as demonstrated by their testimonials. Tectura international’s Dr Reuben Mutiso says: “He is dependable and honest. We unreservedly recommend him”. “We find Mr Ghanshyam to be competent, sincere and effective”, says another architectural firm, Harbans Singh Associates.

Some completed projects

Parklane has therefore been able to establish itself as a formidable contactor and has bagged multiple multi-million Ksh projects since inception. These include Relocation Units and Safety Infrastructure for R.A.P. Project at Kibera (worth Ksh 580,000,000), office block in Nakuru for Gilani’s Supermarket (Ksh 347,000,000) and factory and godowns in Thika for African Spirits (more than Ksh 295,000,000. Others are extensions to Premier Academy in Nairobi and interior works at Delta Corner in Nairobi.

Some ongoing projects

The company is currently engaged in one of its largest projects so far – the construction of BATUK Units at Nanyuki for the British Army. This contract is worth more than 1.2 billion shillings and construction works are expected to take at least 104 weeks from November last year.

Another large ongoing project is the Airmac Hotel at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The contract sum is more than Ksh 622 million.

Other large projects underway include a community centre in Loresho, a mixed use development for Henkel Kenya, Avenue Healthcare Hospital and a pharmaceutical plant, all running into hundreds of millions in Kenya shillings.