Bronte Howson

FORMER Automotive Holdings Group boss Bronte Howson has become chairman of an innovative industrial technology company that specialises in constructing relocatable prefabricated concrete car parks.

The company, called Parkd, expects to start trading on the stock market in the next four weeks after closing its book last week after only three days open to the public and raising twice the required $6 million required to list.

The Perth company has the former AHG CEO Bronte Howson as non-executive chairman. It includes as directors construction engineer and co-founder of the technology, Peter McUtchen as managing director; and business development manager and co-founder David Thomas.

Parkd has patented technology that allows the rapid, less-expensive and demountable construction of pre-cast lightweight concrete modular systems that are ideal for car parking, though flexible enough for other building needs.

Mr McUtchen told GoAutoNews Premium that the systems are about half the weight of conventional concrete buildings and can be built up to six storeys high.

“It means they can be erected in about one-quarter of the time as traditional building methods and cost as little as 65 per cent dependent on the site and location,” he said.

“Vacant land can be quickly and inexpensively converted into car parking spaces up to six storeys high and provide income for landowners.”

It is expected to first be used at the City Subaru dealership in the near-city Perth suburb of Victoria Park for the construction of a single-level car park with 49 bays.

The plans have already been approved by the relevant shire council who Mr McUtchen said are happy to see the dealership assisting in relieving parking stresses in the local area which is dominated by car dealerships.

The Parkd system involves prefabricating concrete components offsite, transporting them on trucks and then craning them into position where they are bolted together.

Mr McUtchen said the process relies on proven pre-casting technology and allows suppliers – who are contractors and not part of the company – to easily pre-fabricate components to quickly respond to market and scale demands.

“With only three primary elements, the Parkd System is easy to install by contracted builders and designed to be assembled in a variety of configurations. That means our system is easily scalable across Australia,” he said.

He said that the car parks can be deconstructed, relocated and reused in a new location. They also have the flexibility to add and remove levels in response to parking demand over time.

“As a result, the technology has a much lighter carbon footprint than traditionally built static structures,” Mr McUtchen said.

By Neil Dowling