After completing his B.Sc (Civ.Eng) degree at Natal University, Leo Mattioda worked for two years with the Department of Water Affairs as an engineer-in-training and began doing odd jobs over weekends to save up the money necessary to start his own company.  In 1979 Leomat Construction was registered and began subcontracting to Natal Earthworks on the KwaZulu Legislative Assembly contract at Ulundi. Leomat Construction’s first contract was for the KwaZulu Roads Department on the Mbilane River Bridge, which had already been commenced but was behind schedule and needed to be completed in three months, a task which most considered impossible, but which Leo was willing to tackle and indeed succeeded in completing.

In 1980 a second company – Leomat Plant Hire was registered and Leomat bought its first machine, a JCB 3C TLB.  To date Leomat Plant Hire operates a growing fleet of over 250 units of various heavy construction equipment.

The Leomat Group has its base at Richards Bay from where work is undertaken throughout KZN. In its 30 years, the Leomat Group has successfully completed a vast number of contracts and is today regarded as one of the major companies in Kwa-Zulu Natal.