Dyllan Bezzina knows exactly how powerful it is when local businesses are brought into major road projects because he’s living it. Family-run company SA Profiling has been working on the Fleurieu Connections Alliance since 2022, supporting the delivery of the Main South Road duplication, including both Stage 1 and the current Stage 2 works from Aldinga to Sellicks Beach.

The impact has been felt not just by Dyllan’s crew, but right across the community.

The business holds the unique title of being the only SA-owned profiling business in the state. For those not in the know, profiling means removing existing road pavement and asphalt so fresh construction can begin.

‘We’ve been responsible for the bulk of the road profiling work for these projects and preparing road surface ready for new construction,’ Dyllan says.

SA Profiling’s journey from humble beginnings to heavy-hitting contributor is nothing short of remarkable. What began just six years ago with a single profiler and one employee has grown into a 30-strong team with four profiling machines, trucks, backhoes and support vehicles.

For Dyllan, some of his proudest moments on the Alliance have come during major shutdowns.

‘It’s when we do the big shutdown and have two profilers there on day and night shift with back-to-back crews. We run the profilers 24/7, two machines side by side to get the job done in a short timeframe.’

Coordinating a double crew and two machines operating around the clock takes more than just machinery. It demands seamless logistics, teamwork and precision planning across site and office.

And behind it all is the power of backing local. ‘I couldn’t think any higher of the project,’ Dyllan says.

‘As a local business it frustrates me when people don’t support local. It’s very important to me and I can really appreciate FCA for supporting local businesses.

‘It’s supporting livelihoods and means 30 people are putting food on the table as well as giving young people the opportunity to learn which can go on for generations.

‘We’ve had new employees we’ve trained up since starting that project – they’ve learnt valuable skills though being on a Tier 1 project and having the opportunity to work on a project of that scale.’

The team’s time on the project has also unlocked new investment. They recently added a second state-of-the-art profiling machine, the only SA business using this advanced technology, to improve accuracy and efficiency.

And the benefits? They ripple far beyond the road.

‘I have younger kids who will eventually drive on the new road and, personally, they love it and talk about “that’s where dad works”. We as a company also sponsor the kids’ netball teams and that flows into the community.’