Grocon

Grocon Pty Limited
Grocon
Private
Industry Construction
Founded Melbourne, Australia (1948)
Founder Luigi Grollo
Headquarters Melbourne, Australia
Area served
 Australia, New York
Key people

Daniel Grollo (Executive Chairman)

Carolyn Viney (Chief Executive Officer)
Services Property development, construction and funds management
Revenue A$486 million (FY2012)[1]
Owner Bruno Grollo, Daniel Grollo, and family
Website www.grocon.com

Grocon Pty Ltd, or more commonly Grocon, is Australia's largest privately owned development, construction and funds management company.[2] With its head office located in Melbourne, Victoria, the company also has offices in Sydney, Brisbane and New York City. Over the past twenty years, Grocon has delivered four of Australia's five tallest buildings.[3] Three generations of the Grollo family have been involved in managing the company. Grocon has an extensive history of industrial disputes in Australia, particularly with the CFMEU including on-going litigation.

History

Grocon grew from a small family concreting business established in Victoria, by Luigi Grollo after he emigrated from Treviso in Italy in 1938. A one-man operation, Luigi Grollo set up his own business in 1948 and completed small concreting projects, such as paving, shopping centre car parks, sewerage infrastructure and swimming pools.[4] His sons Rino and Bruno Grollo joined the business at the age of 15. The business expanded rapidly in the 1950s by continuing with concreting of municipal swimming pools and petrol stations in Melbourne. In the years following, the Grollo Group would transition from the building of local community assets throughout the 1960s to constructing landmark developments.[5]

In the 1970s, Grocon moved into concrete construction, such as shopping centres and high-rise buildings and started developing the projects themselves. It was also during the 1970s that Luigi Grollo handed the company over to his two sons and the business continued to rapidly expand.[4] In 1975, Grocon moved to Darwin for 18 months after winning a large contract for rebuilding after Cyclone Tracy. This contract involved the construction of 400 houses for the government.[6] Following this, the Grollo Group went on to develop buildings and operate businesses in a wide cross-section of industries, including commercial, residential, industrial, education, retail, sporting and tourism.[7]

In the 1980s, many developments owned by the Grollo family were sold.[8] This included the selling of such assets as The Hyatt, Shell Corner, 200 Queen Street and a suite of shopping centres. At this stage, the Grollo family only retained one major development – the Rialto Towers.[8]

In 2000, the construction business was split between a construction-centric business owned by Bruno and Daniel Grollo and a property development operation owned by Rino Grollo. As part of this shift, Rino Grollo secured Equiset and the Grollo Group (including its family properties).[9] In 1999, Bruno’s oldest son, Daniel, assumed control of Grocon as chief executive officer.[10] Daniel Grollo has since been appointed chairman of the Green Building Council of Australia.[11] and the Prime Minister's Business Advisory Council.[12]

In March 2012 the construction business was split again into a construction business, owned by Daniel Grollo, which is the current Grocon, and a property development business owned by his older siblings Adam and Leeanna.[13] Grocon now has operations in Australia, Asia, the Middle East and North America.[14] In 2014, Grocon achieved another milestone, being named as the “preferred developer” for the 2018 Commonwealth Games Village on the Gold Coast, Queensland.[15]

On 24 February 2014, Deputy Chief Executive Officer Carolyn Viney succeeded Daniel Grollo as Chief Executive Officer of Grocon. Daniel assumed the role of Executive Chairman whilst retaining full oversight and ownership of the business.[16]

UBS Grocon Real Estate

In December 2013, Grocon launched a five-year, $10 billion joint venture with Swiss investment bank UBS.[17] The joint venture has created UBS Grocon Real Estate, a full-service real estate and asset management platform which has first right of refusal for Grocon's A$2 billion development pipeline.[18] The venture is chaired by John A. Fraser, Chairman and CEO Global Asset Management at UBS AG[19] and Daniel Grollo will act as a Non-Executive Director.

Awards and accolades

As a company, Grocon has been the recipient of numerous awards. In 2010, Grocon was named the Forest Stewardship Council Developer of the Year.[20] and Grocon was also the National Master Builders Association Builder of the Year in 2011.[21] Grocon received two The National Association of Women in Construction awards in 2013 for both outstanding and young achievement.[22] In 2011, Grocon was the recipient of the ANZ–BRW Excellence in Community Practices prize.[23] In the realm of safety, Grocon won the 2008 Safe Work Australia Best workplace health and safety management system award[24] and received the WorkSafe Victoria OHS Management System of the Year prize.

Community initiatives

Grocon is involved in a number of community initiatives. In the aftermath of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, Grocon was involved in the cleanup and rebuilding efforts in affected areas including Kinglake.[25] Moreover, Grocon has a community employment programme run in conjunction with the Brotherhood of St Laurence.[26] Grocon is also involved with The Salvation Army,[27] supports Kids Under Cover[28] and collaborated with Mission Australia on the Camperdown Common Ground Project in Sydney.[29] Grocon also funded ten annual scholarships at Thornbury High School.[30] Grocon's Executive Chairman, Daniel Grollo is Chair of the Green Building Council of Australia, a peak industry association in the sustainability field.

Industrial disputes

Since 2002, Grocon has been involved in conflict the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU)[31] over the CFMEU's rights at Grocon developments including occupational health and safety management, union access and the wearing of union badges. This culminated in the CFMEU's picketing of at least one entrance to the Emporium development which resulted in an impassable physical barrier, preventing access to the site through that entrance for Grocon workers.[32][33] Grocon subsequently launched a A$10.5 million compensation claim in the Supreme Court of Victoria for the blockade. It is also seeking contempt orders against the union for allegedly breaching two Supreme Court injunctions that ordered an end to the blockade. Justice Cavanough held that free access to the site for Grocon workers was prevented by the CFMEU as access could only be obtained through 'elaborate' police assistance.[32] The Fair Work Building and Construction (the relevant regulatory body) has subsequently also launched legal proceedings against the CFMEU.[34]

In June, 2015 a court ordered judgement was made which saw the CFMEU ordered to pay Grocon $3.5 million in damages.

Swanston Street wall incident

On 28 March 2013, during 'freak' wind gusts of up to 102 kilometres per hour (63 mph),[35] a brick wall on the boundary of a Grocon development collapsed killing three people. The wall's safety, the role of the billboards Grocon had attached to the structure[36][37][38] and the self-supporting nature of the structure designed by the previous owner were initially questioned as possible causes. The billboard extended one metre above the wall and was suggested to have acted as a sail.[39][40] There was early speculation as to the role of the advertising hoarding and whether a permit had been granted[36] or whether a permit was needed.[40] There were also questions surrounding the role of tree roots in destabilising the wall.[40] An unidentified spokesperson for the Victorian Government asked unions not to block productivity over the case.[41] WorkSafe Victoria filed criminal charges against Grocon and Aussie Signs who were employed by Grocon to construct the billboard. Police acting in the case have stated that Grocon representatives have refused to give evidence, and the company has yet to release an engineering report the court has asked for access to, saying it "was not relevant".[42]

In November 2014 Grocon was fined $250,000 in the Magistrates Court by Magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg after it pleaded guilty to a "single workplace safety charge"[43] "... relating to the risk posed by the wall, rather than causing it to fall down.".[44]

Sabotage

Grocon experienced two fires[45] on separate Victorian construction sites, and various other acts of suspected sabotage[46] in June 2014.

Completed projects

Eureka Tower, Southbank, Melbourne.

Grocon has built four of Australia's five tallest buildings in Melbourne, Sydney and South-east Queensland.[47] Since, Grocon has increased operations broad in India and the United Arab Emirates.

Melbourne

In Melbourne, Grocon's completed developments include:

New South Wales

In New South Wales, Grocon has developed:

Queensland

Grocon has been involved in three Queensland building projects:

Northern Territory

In Darwin, Grocon is best known for what are locally known as 'Grollo houses'; ground level and split level homes recognisable by the small protrusion on the roof which held the water heater.[68] These houses were built in the aftermath of Cyclone Tracy as an effective means of providing housing for Darwin's population. Leo Hammond architect of Melbourne designed them.

International

Internationally, Grocon's developments include:

Ongoing projects

Etihad Towers development in Abu Dhabi.

Grocon has a A$2 billion development pipeline in Australia and abroad.

Australia

Grocon's current projects in Australia include:

International

Internationally, Grocon is currently involved in developing:

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hyland, Anne (1 December 2012). "Grollo on strong foundations". Financial Review. Australia. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  2. ↑ "About". Grocon.com. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  3. ↑ "UBS Global Asset Management and Grocon announce Australian real estate joint venture – UBS Grocon Real Estate" (PDF) (Press release). UBS. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  4. 1 2 "THE BUSINESS OF THE FAMILY: ITALIAN-AUSTRALIAN ENTREPRENEURS IN VICTORIA AND THEIR MODERN DYNASTIES". Webistem.com. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  5. ↑ "Equiset - Construction In Focus Magazine". Constructionfocus.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  6. ↑ "A city subtracted". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  7. ↑ "Thinking Smarter". Contructionfocus.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  8. 1 2 "A Tall Story". Italiantranslation.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  9. ↑ "Years of work by the Grollo family in dynasty planning". The Australian. 7 June 2012.
  10. ↑ "Grocon's Grollo family succession plan ensures a smooth transition". Propertyobserver.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  11. ↑ "Daniel Grollo, Chair". Green Building Council of Australia. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  12. ↑ "Prime Minister's Business Advisory Council". Pm.gov.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  13. ↑ Kohler, Alan (25 April 2013). "Family Biz: Grollo's baptism of fire". Business Spectator.
  14. ↑ "Grollo takes first bite of the Big Apple". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  15. ↑ "Soul tower developer Grocon has been selected to build the 2018 Commonwealth Games Village on the Gold Coast". Goldcpastbulletin.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  16. ↑ "Daniel Grollo appoints his deputy Carolyn Viney as new CEO of Grocon - Grocon". Grocon.com. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  17. ↑ "Business Spectator news". Businessspectator.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  18. ↑ "UBS Global Asset Management and Grocon announce Australian real estate joint venture – UBS Grocon Real Estate" (PDF) (Press release). UBS. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  19. ↑ Wilson, Peter (29 December 2007). "Aussie expat at summit of UK banking". The Australian. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  20. ↑ Forest Stewardship Council – Australia. "FSC Forest Stewardship Council Australia (FSC-AU) · Media Releases". Au.fsc.org. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  21. ↑ "Grocon: National Commercial Master Builder of the Year". Masterbuilders.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  22. ↑ "2013 NAWIC Award Winners". Nawic.com. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  23. ↑ "Private Business Awards". BRW. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  24. ↑ "7th annual Safe Work Australia Awards". Safeworkaustralia.gov.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  25. ↑ "Browsing by theme 'Collecting & Rebuilding the Black Saturday Chimney' - Museum Victoria". Museumvictoria.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  26. ↑ "Building hopes and a new life on the site". The Age. Melbourne.
  27. ↑ "CEO Interview" (PDF). Ancr.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  28. ↑ Martin. "Gold Partners". Kuc.org.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  29. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20130819025633/http://www.missionpromotion.com/mahousing/projects.html. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  30. ↑ Archived 21 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine.
  31. ↑ Schneiders, Ben. "Grocon and the CFMEU; 10 Years On". Workplace News. Ben Schneiders (The Age). Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  32. 1 2 "CFMEU liable for contempt in relation to the pickets at Grocon's construction sites last year". Herbert Smith Freehills LLP. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  33. ↑ "Update on CFMEU-Grocon dispute proceedings in Vic - Fair Work Building and Construction". Fwbc.gov.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  34. ↑ "Grocon boss Daniel Grollo keeps legal heat on the CFMEU". Hearld Sun. 2012-10-20.
  35. ↑ Millar, Royce; Lucas, Clay (22 May 2013). "Freak winds may have led to fatal brick wall collapse". The Age. Melbourne.
  36. 1 2 Shand, Adam (4 April 2013). "Doubts Grocon had permit for hoarding". The Australian. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  37. ↑ Ewart, Heather (11 April 2013). "Who's to blame for Melbourne wall collapse?". 7:30. Australia: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  38. ↑ "CFMEU: Tuesday March for Safety". melbcity.net.au. Wordpress. 25 April 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  39. ↑ Vedelago, Chris; Johanson, Simon (29 March 2013). "Owners could be charged over wall fall as Grocon under fire". The Age. Australia.
  40. 1 2 3 Baxendale, Rachel; Shand, Adam (2 April 2013). "Questions raised over role of Grocon billboard in wall collapse". The Australian. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  41. ↑ "CFMEU uses fatal wall collapse to bash Grocon". The Australian. 25 April 2013. (subscription required)
  42. ↑ "Grocon facing criminal charges over fatal wall collapse in Melbourne". ABC News. ABC (Australia). 29 April 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  43. ↑ "Grocon ordered to pay $250,000 fine for Carlton wall collapse which killed three". ABC News. ABC (Australia). 21 November 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2014. In sentencing, Magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg said there was an extremely large number of people put at risk of serious injury or death. He said the incident represented a significant failure of the company's duty, but acknowledged Grocon had since acted in the manner expected of a good corporate citizen.
  44. ↑ Carlyon, Peta (13 November 2014). "Grocon admits workplace safety breach over fatal wall collapse". ABC News. ABC (Australia). Retrieved 21 November 2014. Grocon agreed to plead guilty. The case will now not proceed to the County Court where higher penalties would have applied. The maximum penalty in the Magistrates Court for a single breach on the relevant charge is $305,350. If the case proceeded to trial in the County Court before a jury the maximum penalty for the same offence would rise to $1.1 million.
  45. ↑ "Fire breaks out at new tax office building in Box Hill". The Age. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  46. ↑ "Suspicious fire the latest in a string of alleged sabotage attacks targeting building giant Grocon". Herald Sun. 14 June 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  47. ↑ "UBS Global Asset Management and Grocon announce Australian real estate joint venture – UBS Grocon Real Estate" (PDF) (Press release). UBS. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  48. ↑ "101 Collins Street, Melbourne - SkyscraperPage.com". Skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  49. ↑ "Special Feature : AXA Centre" (PDF). Ancr.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  50. ↑ "101 Miller St voted Australia's best in 2009 PCA Awards" (PDF). Propertyoz.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  51. ↑ Ian Sutton. "New game revolutionises Roulette". Gamingfloor.com. Retrieved 2013-03-08.
  52. ↑ http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/grocon-helps-homeless-with-shelter/story-e6frf7kx-1111116157357
  53. ↑ "Station's curves prove real head-turner". The Age. Melbourne. 14 July 2007.
  54. ↑ "Media House" (PDF). Ancr.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  55. ↑ "Fairfax Media House takes home 'gold logie' at national awards". Propertyoz.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  56. ↑ Premier’s Sustainability Awards – Products or Services Award
  57. 1 2 "NABERS". Nabers.gov.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  58. ↑ "Premiers Sustainability Awards » 2011 Winner: Built Environment". Sustainabilityawards.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  59. ↑ Archived 3 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine.
  60. ↑ "Quick Plumbing Job List" (PDF). Quickplumbing.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  61. ↑ "2012 Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia". ctbuh.org. Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  62. ↑ "Vital ways to be SAFE, NOT SORRY" (PDF). Belmadar.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  63. ↑ "HASSELL - Projects - Common Ground Sydney". HASSELL Studio. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  64. ↑ Emporis GmbH. "World Tower". Emporis.com. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  65. ↑ http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/dexus-property-group-to-pay-grocon-5439-million-for-31-level-development-at-480-queen-st-brisbane/story-fn8ygho7-1226629902517
  66. ↑ "The Oracle" (PDF). Ancr.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  67. ↑ "Soul Takes Beachfront Living To A New Level". Retrieved 2009-08-30.
  68. ↑ Renshaw, Robert (1 January 1975). "Grollo houses" (Photo; b&w; 9 x 13 cm). Territory stories. Government of the Northern Territory.
  69. ↑ "Face to face: Jeremy Lester, Grocon". Constructionweekonline.com. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  70. ↑ Archived 3 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine.
  71. ↑ "Rose Tower achieves quickest cycles". ITP.net. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  72. ↑ "Grocon wins contract to build Games village". The Australian. 17 December 2013.
  73. ↑ "The GPT Group - 150 Collins Street". Gpt.com. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  74. ↑ Archived 10 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine.
  75. ↑ "Partners". Vcccproject.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  76. ↑ Gerhard Hope. "Face to face: Jeremy Lester, Grocon". Constructionweekonline.com. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  77. ↑ "Brumby inspects Grocon innovation in Dubai - Grocon". Grocon.com. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  78. ↑ http://www.business.vic.gov.au/operating-a-business/export/start-exporting/infrastructure-services-directory/listings/grocon. Retrieved 30 January 2014. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  79. ↑ Gerhard Hope. "Grocon forges ahead with World One tower in Mumbai". Constructionweekonline.com. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
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