Red Dirt to Resilience – 40 Years of Growth in Northern Australia’s Civil Sector
Tracks
Plenary 2
| Thursday, July 24, 2025 |
| 11:20 AM - 11:40 AM |
Overview
Vaughan Corps and Beau Corps, CORPS
Speaker
Beau Corps
Director - Marketing and Sales
CORPS
Red Dirt to Resilience – 40 Years of Growth in Northern Australia’s Civil Sector
Presentation Overview
Forty years ago, CORPS was just a small operation in Karratha—one truck, a mum & dad, and a relentless drive to get the job done. Back then, success was built on grit, handshake deals, and a deep respect for the land and the people working it. There were no drones mapping out earthworks, no AI-driven project management, and definitely no air-conditioned cabs in our graders. The industry was different, but so was the North—it was a frontier, and you had to be tough to make it work.
Fast forward to 2025, and while the challenges have evolved, the fundamentals remain unchanged: if you want to build something that lasts in Northern Australia, you have to adapt. The talent shortage is real, government policies are shifting faster than a wet season storm, and the push for decarbonisation is forcing businesses to rethink their operations.
This presentation offers an unfiltered, boots-on-the-ground perspective on what it really takes to sustain a business in the North—the good, the bad, and the downright frustrating. From attracting and retaining skilled workers (spoiler: it takes more than a sign-on bonus) to cutting through red tape and investing in local capability, Beau will share hard-earned lessons from four decades of trial, error, and growth.
Most importantly, this is about more than just surviving—it’s about building an industry that works for Northern Australia. What does innovation actually look like in the regions? How do we create opportunities that keep people here long-term? And what role do businesses have in shaping the future of the North?
Beau will break it all down, sharing insights from CORPS’ journey—and maybe a few lessons learned the hard way.
Through stories of triumph, near disasters, and lessons learned the hard way, our session is a candid, humorous and thought provoking to say the least.
Fast forward to 2025, and while the challenges have evolved, the fundamentals remain unchanged: if you want to build something that lasts in Northern Australia, you have to adapt. The talent shortage is real, government policies are shifting faster than a wet season storm, and the push for decarbonisation is forcing businesses to rethink their operations.
This presentation offers an unfiltered, boots-on-the-ground perspective on what it really takes to sustain a business in the North—the good, the bad, and the downright frustrating. From attracting and retaining skilled workers (spoiler: it takes more than a sign-on bonus) to cutting through red tape and investing in local capability, Beau will share hard-earned lessons from four decades of trial, error, and growth.
Most importantly, this is about more than just surviving—it’s about building an industry that works for Northern Australia. What does innovation actually look like in the regions? How do we create opportunities that keep people here long-term? And what role do businesses have in shaping the future of the North?
Beau will break it all down, sharing insights from CORPS’ journey—and maybe a few lessons learned the hard way.
Through stories of triumph, near disasters, and lessons learned the hard way, our session is a candid, humorous and thought provoking to say the least.
Biography
Beau Corps is a second-generation leader at CORPS, a family-run civil construction business that has been building the backbone of Northern Australia for 40 years. Growing up in the Pilbara, Beau has seen first-hand the challenges and triumphs of doing business in one of the toughest environments in the country. Under his leadership, CORPS has embraced technology, workforce innovation, and industry partnerships to scale sustainably while keeping its roots firmly planted in regional Australia. Passionate about small business resilience and regional capability, Beau brings an honest, no-nonsense approach to tackling industry challenges and seizing opportunities in the North.
Vaughan Corps
CEO
CORPS
Red Dirt to Resilience – 40 Years of Growth in Northern Australia’s Civil Sector
Presentation Overview
Forty years ago, CORPS was just a small operation in Karratha—one truck, a mum & dad, and a relentless drive to get the job done. Back then, success was built on grit, handshake deals, and a deep respect for the land and the people working it. There were no drones mapping out earthworks, no AI-driven project management, and definitely no air-conditioned cabs in our graders. The industry was different, but so was the North—it was a frontier, and you had to be tough to make it work.
Fast forward to 2025, and while the challenges have evolved, the fundamentals remain unchanged: if you want to build something that lasts in Northern Australia, you have to adapt. The talent shortage is real, government policies are shifting faster than a wet season storm, and the push for decarbonisation is forcing businesses to rethink their operations.
This presentation offers an unfiltered, boots-on-the-ground perspective on what it really takes to sustain a business in the North—the good, the bad, and the downright frustrating. From attracting and retaining skilled workers (spoiler: it takes more than a sign-on bonus) to cutting through red tape and investing in local capability, Beau will share hard-earned lessons from four decades of trial, error, and growth.
Most importantly, this is about more than just surviving—it’s about building an industry that works for Northern Australia. What does innovation actually look like in the regions? How do we create opportunities that keep people here long-term? And what role do businesses have in shaping the future of the North?
Beau will break it all down, sharing insights from CORPS’ journey—and maybe a few lessons learned the hard way.
Through stories of triumph, near disasters, and lessons learned the hard way, our session is a candid, humorous and thought provoking to say the least.
Fast forward to 2025, and while the challenges have evolved, the fundamentals remain unchanged: if you want to build something that lasts in Northern Australia, you have to adapt. The talent shortage is real, government policies are shifting faster than a wet season storm, and the push for decarbonisation is forcing businesses to rethink their operations.
This presentation offers an unfiltered, boots-on-the-ground perspective on what it really takes to sustain a business in the North—the good, the bad, and the downright frustrating. From attracting and retaining skilled workers (spoiler: it takes more than a sign-on bonus) to cutting through red tape and investing in local capability, Beau will share hard-earned lessons from four decades of trial, error, and growth.
Most importantly, this is about more than just surviving—it’s about building an industry that works for Northern Australia. What does innovation actually look like in the regions? How do we create opportunities that keep people here long-term? And what role do businesses have in shaping the future of the North?
Beau will break it all down, sharing insights from CORPS’ journey—and maybe a few lessons learned the hard way.
Through stories of triumph, near disasters, and lessons learned the hard way, our session is a candid, humorous and thought provoking to say the least.
Biography
Vaughan Corps is the CEO of CORPS, a second-generation civil construction business operating across Northern Australia. Raised in the Pilbara, Vaughan has spent two decades transforming CORPS from a family-led operation into a professionally managed, regionally scaled enterprise. He has championed systems, governance, and strategic planning to drive sustainable growth while maintaining margins and the company’s values. Known for his solutions-focused leadership, Vaughan brings a deep understanding of the economic and operational realities of delivering civil infrastructure in remote regions. CORPS is more than building roads or digging holes and filling them. It's about long-term capability for the North West.
