A.G. Coombs is one of them. As one of the industry’s larger contractors, the business is proof that the model holds up just as well at scale as it does for a smaller operation.
Why A.G. Coombs opened its doors
For Aaron Clark, Executive Lead – Social Procurement, Inclusion and Engagement at A.G. Coombs Group, the appeal to pilot the program was straightforward. It gave the business a genuine, structured chance to pause and take stock.
“Having a reputable, trusted team like Dr Valerie Francis and her team at Constructing Equity undertake the review was incredibly valuable,” Aaron said. “It gave us a real chance to pause, reflect on the work we’ve already done, and look at how we can keep improving our own systems and policies.”
The process involved one-on-one interviews and open access across the business, from leadership through to staff on the ground. Aaron is candid about what that takes.
“That takes a good amount of trust, and it’s all part of the journey,” he said.
A snapshot in time, not a verdict
PIMM is designed as a supportive self-assessment, a health check rather than a scorecard. For A.G. Coombs, that showed up clearly in the results. Some areas of the business are already well advanced. Others are still developing and Aaron sees that as the value of the process rather than a shortcoming.
“We’re more advanced in some areas than others, and that’s exactly the point of a process like this,” he said. “It’s a snapshot in time, and it can only get better from here.”
That honesty is doing real work inside the business. According to Aaron, going through the review together has brought A.G. Coombs’ leadership team closer, building a shared, practical understanding of where things stand right across the organisation.
Building on what already works
The BFBB research is clear that culture change lands best when it builds on genuine industry strengths rather than treating them as a problem to fix. A.G. Coombs’ experience reflects that. The business didn’t come to PIMM looking for a list of failures. It came looking for a clear, honest baseline it could use to keep improving deliberately, with real data behind the decisions.
For an organisation operating at A.G. Coombs’ scale, that baseline matters. Culture and workplace systems carry the same weight as any technical process and treating them with the same rigour is part of what keeps a business competitive as the industry grows.
What’s next
A.G. Coombs’ participation adds to a growing body of proof that PIMM works for businesses of every size, from small family operations to national businesses. As more pilot companies share their experience over the coming months, that evidence base will only get stronger.
There’s a place for everyone in this industry, and A.G. Coombs is showing what that looks like when a business decides to take stock and build on what it already does well.
There is a place for everyone in this industry. Let’s build it together.
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