Rider Levett Bucknall Phils. Chairman and President Corazon C. Ballard (center) with key officers during the company’s 30th anniversary party on Aug. 13, 2019.   Rider Levett Bucknall Philippines, Inc. marked its 30th year last August, capping the celebrations at one of its prestige projects, Shangri-La at the Fort in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. At ceremonies attended by its international partners and corporate clients, RLB Chairman and President Corazon C. Ballard commented on the remarkable growth the company has experienced over the last three decades. “In terms of manpower, I used to try and catch up with Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore; today, we are a lot bigger - double, in fact, with a manpower count of almost 400,” she said. RLB in the Philippines started as Liacor International Construction Services, founded by Corazon and Liam Ballard in 1989 with only two employees, and became the first quantity surveying company in the Philippines. It joined the Rider Levett Bucknall group in 1995. Rider Levett Bucknall itself is an international construction consulting company and counts more than two centuries of history. Among its more notable projects are the HSBC headquarters in Hong Kong and the Sydney Opera House. RLB in the Philippines today has over 850 projects under its belt, and is one of the top quantity surveying companies in the country. It has among its portfolio of clients prominent developments such as Makati Shangri-La Hotel, International School Manila, The Peninsula Manila, Serendra, Nuvali Evoliving Centre, Nestlé and Johnson & Johnson Office Buildings, International Eucharistic Pavilion, and De La Salle University Centennial Hall. It also recently bagged Mandani Bay, the 20-hectare mixed-use development in Cebu. It has had a number of projects overseas including in Guam, Saipan, Hawaii, Australia, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Middle East, Pakistan and Syria. “Every year we have a target, and we are aiming to become bigger. I would like to think that we have leveled up, but a lot of projects are coming so we continue ,” said Ballard. RLB has also expanded to include branches in Laguna, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Bohol, Clark and Subic. “In the next 30 years, we are looking forward to more branches, more services, bigger operations,” she said. The last decade has been good for RLB, especially with the construction boom. “This has been a very good year for RLB. Since 2007, every year has been a good year,” she said. Ballard attributes the company’s success to its people, some of whom have been with RLB for the last 25 years. “Filipino engineers work hard. Most of the people we have were trained by us and with the expansion, we hope to train more across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,” she said.