adminYoliswa Dube
Jim Ross Goddard, recently announced Businessman of the Year at the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce annual awards ceremony in Bulawayo, is one of Zimbabwe’s major players in the construction industry. We are proud, that amid the difficult business climate in the country, there are leaders among us who strive to support the economy, create employment, as well as grow and sustain communities and place an emphasis on contributing to the overall development of our nation.
Goddard is the founder and director of JR Goddard Contracting (Private) Limited.
JR Goddard Contracting is a company founded on traditional Christian principles and has been at the forefront of the construction industry in Zimbabwe since 1982.
The company currently owns and operates 120 major items of earth moving equipment and boasts of a transport fleet of over 100 vehicles and numerous other items of ancillary equipment.
It has enjoyed major achievements in the field, successfully completing over 200 contracts since its inception.
JR Goddard Contracting is very proud of the reputation it has built over the years. Its impressive work history and solid standing is not only attributed to its presence in industry, but also to its company values and Christian ethics.
The establishment recognises that its employees are the most valued asset. The company currently employs more than 200 salaried members of staff and more than 1,100 waged workers. They remain solidly committed to their employees’ health, safety and well-being. In turn their teams work hard to uphold their company principles of integrity, hard work, honesty, passion and determination.
The team’s efforts and dedication have contributed towards some of the company’s greatest achievements, earning Goddard respect and recognition within the industry.
JR Goddard Contracting specialises in large-scale earthworks and bulk load-and-haul operations across Zimbabwe.
The earthworks company has recognised the potential for growth in this sector and has expanded its scope as the demand for work increases. It is currently involved in several high profile projects around the country.
These include bulk earthwork at Unki Mine, and mining projects at Murowa Diamond Mine, Freda Rebecca Gold Mine and at the Deka Coalfields in Hwange. JR Goddard Contracting has also been active at Ngezi Platinum Mine, Hwange Colliery, Bokai Mine, Sengwa Coalfields, Zimasco Torwood, Rhodesdale and Darwendale Chrome Mines, Maranatha Northridge, Spot and Mashava Chrome Mines, as well as Colleen Bawn and Lafarge Limestone Quarries.
JR Goddard Contracting’s abilities go far beyond just earthworks and bulk mining. They have the equipment, expertise and knowledge to undertake civil construction projects such as heavy reinforced concrete, surfaced and gravel roads, pipeline and sewer laying, masonry and building works.
The company serves as the main bulk earthworks and civil works contractor on a number of mines across Zimbabwe. As a result, JR Goddard has established permanent teams dedicated to civil construction requirements at Zimbabwean mines.
These works include the construction of tailings dams, return water dams, pump stations, reservoirs, leach pads, main and secondary access roads, hard standings, fuel and explosive facilities, raise-bore foundations, conveyor foundations, crusher and screening plant foundations, portal excavation and development, workshops, offices, stores facilities, construction and mining accommodation facilities, sewers and water works.
J R Goddard has developed the skills required to building access and haul roads for the transportation of construction and mining equipment to remote areas and these skills have progressed into the construction of public roads, bridges and culverts.
The most recent projects the company has undertaken includes the construction of a 17km surfaced access road to Unki mine, an 18km road to Mimosa Mine as well as several surfaced roads in and around Turf Village at Ngezi Mine.
The earthworks company has additionally worked on numerous gravel roads on mine and agricultural sites as well as main road bridges at Biri Dam, Dudley Dam, Moodiesville Dam, Masembura, Dora, Sokoswe, Nyadhiri, Mahumi, Mtshabezi and Tuli Rivers.
Most recently, J R Goddard Contracting have become involved with the Group Five reconstruction of the Plumtree to Mutare highway which has included the construction of three state- of- the- art toll plazas at Figtree, Bulawayo and Gweru. These have been constructed to a first world standard and have earned J R Goddard Contracting considerable praise and acclaim.
J R Goddard Contracting has built and been majorly involved in the construction of over 100 dams throughout the country to date. The company’s history so far includes the construction of numerous earth embankment dams within the agricultural and mining sectors. Among these are the construction of the Mbembeswane Dam, Risitu Dam, How Mine Dam, Biri Dam, and Mteri Dam.
J R Goddard Contracting’s experience extends particularly to the construction of masonry dams and weirs. The company has taken on some significant projects in this regard such as the massive Gungwa Weir in Triangle and the Manyame Balancing Dam below Chinhoyi.
As a result, J R Goddard is reputable as the leading masonry contractor in Zimbabwe and has spent years perfecting this construction technique using water-retaining rubble masonry.
The company’s flagship project is a 42 metre high Lucilia-Poort Arch Dam at Unki Mine. It was built with 23,000m3 of masonry and is one of the highest dams of its kind in the world. Most of this expertise was developed under the guidance and direction of the late Engineer Bill Wild and Engineer Richard Frost who designed the many beautiful and elegant masonry arched dams which grace Zimbawean countryside today.
J R Goddard Contracting is also experienced in canal systems. Projects in this category include the Mteri Dam west bank canal, Risitu Dam canal and Safari Dam canal schemes.
The establishment strives to not only create jobs and generate real value, but also to invest in initiatives that foster balanced and sustainable eco-systems and communities that are socially just, politically stable and culturally diverse.
Operations emphasize the safety and health of its people and of the communities impacted by its projects. Conserving natural resources and ensuring necessary measures are taken to reduce the business´ carbon footprint and environmental impact, make perfect sense if they are to remain living and working in these communities.
Also, J R Goddard Contracting embraces the necessary contribution to the socio-economic development of the regions in which it works and accepts that this is fundamental to its success. J R Goddard Contracting promotes increased well-being to a growing number of people, thereby allowing a positive cycle of development across all demographics within the communities in which it operates.
Contact J R Goddard, a proudly Zimbabwean company dedicated to the growth of Africa on website www.jrgzimbabwe.com <http://www.jrgzimbabwe.com/>, telephone +263 (0) 9 79972/3/33/60152 or email [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
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