Where a Trade Can Lead…
Russell Telford, Managing Director of A.G. Coombs talks about his career from the workshop floor to the boardroom.
Founded in 1945, the A.G. Coombs Group is the leading Australian building services company that provides an integrated range of whole-of-life technical services for all systems in buildings. Whether you’re looking for advice, design, installation, commissioning, maintenance or ongoing operation and management services, in the areas of air conditioning and mechanical services, fire protection, hydraulics, electrical services, lighting, or building control technologies, we can deliver tailored services or offer you a whole-of-life building services solution. A.G. Coombs has a national capability with major operations on Australia’s eastern seaboard.
The Company was founded over 70 years ago and remains privately owned. A.G. Coombs has around 70 apprenticeship placements internally as well as supporting group training placements to supplement their team with an additional 30 or so apprentices.
The business is split into key areas:
- Advisory - Highly valued technical advice and services to assist building owners and managers improve performance and meet regulatory obligations.
- Projects - Trusted and respected major provider of building services to commercial and industrial buildings where technical ability, teamwork and superior project management deliver outstanding results.
- Service - Responsive high quality 24/7 service and maintenance for all building systems – for safe, efficient and effective buildings.
- Technical Management - Operationally focused solutions for the management, integration and bundling of all technical services in buildings for improved performance outcomes and cost management.
A.G. Coombs fosters a culture that promotes career progression, ongoing training and support and many of the current management team originally started their careers as tradespeople. Russell Telford commenced his career at A.G. Coombs as a site foreman coming from a background in mechanical services plumbing. He has now been the Managing Director of
A.G. Coombs Group for over 15 years. He had previously completed a mechanical plumbing apprenticeship. His father was also a plumber and owned small, family-run plumbing company.
