Connecting Clients: EI Australia 

EI Australia is one of Australia’s most established multidisciplinary engineering firms – 30 years old, 250-plus staff, and operating from offices in Sydney, Wollongong, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Melbourne. We sat down with Ben Aggar, who leads project management and business development at EI Australia, to talk about how the business has grown, what makes it different, and where it is headed next.

Can you give us a brief overview of EI Australia and how the business has evolved?

EI Australia started 30 years ago as a one-man environmental consultancy. By 1994 it had become a two-person operation, and it has grown steadily from there. Around 20 years ago the business expanded into geotechnical engineering, then roughly a decade ago a structural team came on board, followed by civil. Today each discipline feeds the others – a genuinely integrated model, not a collection of separate practices under one roof.

The firm now employs more than 250 staff across offices in Sydney, Wollongong, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne and New Zealand, covering environmental engineering, geotechnical, structural, civil, hazardous materials assessment and dewatering services. EI Australia is ISO 9001, 14001 and 4801 certified, and in 2025 was Highly Commended at the NCE Awards for international engineering excellence.

Who are your typical clients and what does the core work look like?

The client list spans developers, builders and contractors across the full spectrum – from high-rise towers and mixed-use developments to terrace and townhouse projects. EI Australia has built long-term partnerships with major developers including Deicorp and Sekisui House, trusted across multiple project pipelines. Beyond residential, the team is regularly engaged on infrastructure – water and sewer, airport works, road and civil.

“Our bread and butter is residential development – apartment buildings, mixed-use buildings with basements.”

For EI Australia, the measure of success is delivering results that earn the next job – a philosophy that has built a client base driven almost entirely by repeat business and referrals.

What sets EI Australia apart?

Ben points to two things: accessibility and accountability.

“Our clients have direct contact to the people that are running the projects. And the people that are running the projects are given the ability to make decisions on the spot.”

In a market where many competitors funnel client contact through a 1300 number and a 24-to-48-hour callback window, EI Australia’s project managers carry their mobile numbers in their email signatures and are expected to respond – not escalate and wait. It matters most for contractors, where every hour counts.

“You’ve got 10 machines on a site with a workforce of 20 people who are literally waiting for a decision to be made by an engineer sitting in an office. Time is money – that’s a lot of money sitting there doing nothing while they’re waiting for an answer.”

The integrated multidisciplinary model strengthens this further. Rather than managing separate environmental, geotech and structural consultants, clients work with one team that already communicates internally – no gaps, no conflicting advice, no handover delays.

How can EI Australia play an integral part for businesses across the infrastructure industry?

“We’re seeing higher, bigger buildings with bigger basements coming through. And the approval pathway is a lot quicker as well – which is a big thing in the industry.”

For developers and contractors navigating that environment, a single firm covering environmental, geotechnical, structural and civil removes a significant layer of coordination complexity. Ben also sees artificial intelligence reshaping the profession – and as a reason to double down on what technology cannot replace.

“The more we push digital, the more we need to pick up the phone. AI is a big challenge right now – but I think what sets businesses like ours apart is only going to become more important.”

What does the next 12 months look like for EI Australia?

Sydney remains EI Australia’s strongest market, but the focus is on building genuine national presence. Brisbane – with the 2032 Olympics construction pipeline gathering pace – is a key priority, alongside Melbourne, where EI Australia opened an office around 12 months ago.

“It’s about having boots on the ground. Having a local team is much better for getting traction and winning business.”

The growth strategy is rooted in the same principle that has built the business over three decades: relationships, developed over time, with people who are genuinely invested in their clients’ success.

“Our success comes down to relationships. We’ve got a massive client base, and the vast majority of those clients keep coming back. That all comes down to relationships.”

EI Australia is an Australian-owned multidisciplinary engineering firm delivering environmental, geotechnical, structural, civil, hazardous materials and dewatering services across Australia and New Zealand. With offices in Sydney, Wollongong, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Melbourne, EI Australia partners with developers, builders and contractors on projects of all scales. To find out more, visit eiaustralia.com.au.