Building Heritage
Walter Ridl founded W.L. Ridl Construction in 1956 in Westville, KZN. His son Peter worked in the business for some time before joining Stevenson Construction which was later amalgamated to become Group 5 Construction.
Peter Ridl served as a Managing Director of Group 5 Construction for over two decades and guided the company to become the major industry stakeholder it is today.
Both Walter and Peter Ridl were presidents of the Master Builders Association. Lance Ridl, (son of Peter) was fortunate enough to be mentored by Peter who served as a director of Ridl Construction Swaziland until his unfortunate passing in 2013. This long family history in the building industry engenders a huge amount of passion, commitment and heart to the leadership of the business.
Leading Innovation
Constantly innovating with new and exciting products and green technologies, we employ Lean Construction practices in our projects to create a better environment for our employees and partners, and delivering better value to our customers.
After completing training in Germany, under the guidance of Lance Ridl, we have completed a number of photo voltaic systems and have built a number of lodges that run entirely off grid.
We have developed a keen interest in green technologies and there are few builders in the industry with as keen a knowledge in green building and green building technologies.
Steel Core Structure Build
On House Ges France at the top of a mountain in Swaziland, we were unable to efficiently transport bricks to the top of the hill. The solution: Build the entire structure of a steel core and pack it with concrete. The result: A successful build on an impossible site in very difficult conditions.
“One Coat” Projection Plaster
At House Gahagan, we plastered the walls with a projection plaster called “One Coat” by Saint Gobain. This provided one of the most spectacularly flawless plastering jobs that can be achieved. While the learning curve was steep and the school fees high, we have perfected the art and have incorporated the method into our mainstream construction process.
Hydronic Underfloor Heating
At Fordoun Farm Village, we pioneered a hydronic underfloor heating system that was fueled by a flue boiler attached to the fireplace. Other innovations at Fordoun included new self-leveling screeds, uPVC high efficiency windows, the construction of curtain rails, built in cupboards and furniture with simple plumbing pipe; as well as the construction of concrete kitchen counters with a sublime resin based finish.
I have known Lance Ridl of Ridl Construction (Pty) Ltd. and Ridl Construction Swaziland (Pty) Ltd. for more than five years.
He has worked on some complicated and technically difficult projects. I have always found him to be passionate about his work. He has a hands on approach and is not afraid to get stuck in.
He is committed to giving the client what is required, on time and within budget. He has an in depth knowledge of building contracts and the contracting process and is very effective at controlling and managing all parties involved in the delivery of a high quality product.
He has a very ethical approach to building and conducts his business with integrity. He has a wide knowledge of various building methods and has been very informative and effective in implementing “Green building” concepts and utilizing the latest products in renewable energy.