30. McGregor Coxall

Revenue: $19.2 million
Growth: 21%
Founders: Adrian McGregor and Phil Coxall
Head office: Manly, NSW
Year founded: 1998
Employees: 116
Industry: Real estate and construction
Website: mcgregorcoxall.com

How McGregor Coxall started

Founded by Adrian McGregor and Phil Coxall, this multidisciplinary design studio began life as a boutique landscape architecture business way back in 1998. Driven by a strong vision to become a global leader in design and city resilience, the firm today boasts more than 110 staff across landscape architecture, urban design, engineering and biourbanism.

McGregor Coxall’s unique approach helps governments and communities to achieve their economic, environmental and social objectives through diverse public projects. But perhaps what’s most compelling about the studio is its objective beyond financial metrics – to create a healthier, more resilient Earth – one project at a time.

Growth

McGregor Coxall’s evolution over the decades has been mainly fuelled by its innovative projects, particularly when the studio expanded into urban design and other new disciplines. Faced with the often-significant challenges of growing sustainably, the company successfully transitioned from a small project office to a global interdisciplinary design firm.

It has since adopted a decentralised leadership model, which empowers leaders to take ownership of their respective areas. Trust between management levels is essential for this to work, and the co-founders say it has helped to preserve the studio’s core values and vibrant culture during periods of rapid expansion.

Where to next

In the not-too-distant future, McGregor Coxall expects to house a thriving 200-person studio with offices strategically positioned around the world. One key milestone is to expand into the UK market via London next year, which the co-founders believe will bolster its international presence.

Throughout all of this, McGregor Coxall will continue to fall back on its core values – dedication to clients and broader communities, underpinned by environmentally resilient solutions.

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