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Grocon

Eureka Tower, in Southbank, Melbourne; at the time of its 2006 completion, the world's tallest residential tower at 297.5 metres (976 ft)
Type	Private
Industry	Construction
Founded	1948; 77 years ago (1948)
Founder	Luigi Grollo
Headquarters	Melbourne , Australia
Area served	Australia India Middle East
Key people	Daniel Grollo (Executive Chairman)
Services	Property development, construction and funds management
Revenue	A$317 million (FY2017)
Owner	Bruno Grollo and family

Grocon is an Australian company that builds and manages properties. It is owned by a private family. The company started in Melbourne in 1948. Over time, it grew and began working in India and the Middle East. In November 2020, some parts of the company needed special help to manage their business due to financial challenges.

Building a Legacy: Grocon's History
Major Projects: Grocon's Developments
Images for kids

Building a Legacy: Grocon's History

Grocon began as a small family business in Victoria. Luigi Grollo started it in 1948 after moving from Italy. He began by doing small concrete jobs. These included paving, car parks, and swimming pools.

Early Growth and Family Involvement

Luigi's sons, Rino and Bruno, joined the business when they were 15. The company grew quickly in the 1950s. They continued building swimming pools and petrol stations in Melbourne. By the 1960s, Grocon moved from local community projects to building major landmarks.

Expanding into Big Projects

In the 1970s, Grocon started building shopping centers and tall buildings. They also began developing their own projects. Luigi Grollo handed the company over to his sons during this time. The business kept expanding fast.

In 1975, Grocon moved to Darwin for 18 months. They won a big contract to help rebuild the city after Cyclone Tracy. This job involved building 400 houses for the government. After this, the company developed buildings in many different areas. These included offices, homes, schools, shops, sports venues, and tourist spots.

Changes in Ownership and Leadership

In the 1980s, the Grollo family sold many of their developments. They sold hotels, office buildings, and shopping centers. The family kept only one major building, the Rialto Towers.

In 2000, the construction part of the business was split. Bruno and his son Daniel Grollo took over the construction side. Rino Grollo managed the property development. In 1999, Daniel Grollo became the head of Grocon. He also became chairman of the Green Building Council of Australia. He advised the Prime Minister on business matters.

In March 2012, the construction business split again. Daniel Grollo kept the current Grocon construction business. His older siblings, Adam and Leeanna, took over the property development business.

Partnerships and New Ventures

In December 2013, Grocon started a big partnership. They joined with a Swiss investment bank called UBS. This partnership was named UBS Grocon Real Estate. It was set up to manage real estate and investments. Daniel Grollo was a non-executive director in this new company.

In 2014, Grocon was chosen to develop the 2018 Commonwealth Games Athletes Village on the Queensland Gold Coast. On February 24, 2014, Carolyn Viney became the new head of Grocon. Daniel Grollo became the executive chairman. In November 2020, some parts of Grocon faced financial challenges. Building the athletes' village cost more than expected. This led to Grocon not getting permission for a new project in Queensland.

Recognitions and Achievements

Grocon received many awards for its work.

In 2010, it was named the Forest Stewardship Council Developer of the Year.
In 2011, it was the National Master Builders Association Builder of the Year.
In 2013, Grocon won two awards from The National Association of Women in Construction.
The company also received the ANZ–BRW Excellence in Community Practices prize in 2011.
Grocon won the 2008 Safe Work Australia Best workplace health and safety management system award.
It also received the WorkSafe Victoria OHS Management System of the Year prize.

Workplace Challenges

Grocon had disagreements with the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) starting in 2002. These issues were about union rights and safety at Grocon sites. This led to a situation where the union blocked access to one of Grocon's building sites. Grocon later took legal action against the union. In June 2015, a court ordered the CFMEU to pay Grocon A$3.5 million in damages.

Swanston Street Wall Incident

On March 28, 2013, a brick wall next to a Grocon building site on Swanston Street collapsed. This happened during strong winds. The wall had billboards attached to it. There were questions about the wall's safety and the role of the billboards. WorkSafe Victoria later filed charges against Grocon and the company that put up the billboard. In November 2014, Grocon was fined $250,000. This fine was for the risk the wall posed, not for causing it to fall.

Unexplained Incidents

In June 2014, Grocon experienced two fires at different building sites in Victoria. There were also other incidents that were thought to be sabotage.

Major Projects: Grocon's Developments

As of December 2013, Grocon had built four of Australia's five tallest buildings. These were in Melbourne, Sydney, and South-east Queensland. Grocon also expanded its work to India and the United Arab Emirates.

Project	Image	City, State	Country	Date completed (or expected date)	Height		Description	Source
Project	Image	City, State	Country	Date completed (or expected date)	m	ft	Description	Source
Grand Hyatt Melbourne		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia	c. 1986			A 34-level hotel with 550 guest rooms and suites.
101 Collins Street		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia	1991	260	850	A commercial office skyscraper. It was Melbourne's tallest building for five months.
120 Collins Street		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia	1991	265	869	An Art Deco office skyscraper with a granite exterior. It was Melbourne's tallest building until 2006. It was also Australia's tallest until 2005.
ANZ Global Headquarters		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia	1993	172	564	Changes to the former global headquarters at 380 Collins Street. It included a 37-story office skyscraper.
Crown Towers		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia	1997	153	502	Part of the Crown Casino complex. It was the largest casino in the Southern Hemisphere when finished in 1997.
Pixel Building		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia				Australia's first carbon neutral office building. It used Pixelcrete concrete. It won awards for being a sustainable building.
Queen Victoria Village		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia				A large urban area around Melbourne Central railway station. It won the Australian Property Institute Property Development Award.
Shell House		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia				Shell's Australian headquarters. It received a Property Council of Australia certification.
Rialto Towers		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia		270	890	A twin tower complex. It was the second tallest concrete building in the Southern Hemisphere in December 2020.
SECV Project		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia
Telstra Centre		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia
WTC Wharf		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia
1 Bligh Street		Sydney, New South Wales	Australia				A Six Star-rated office. It won the Best Tall Building Award in Asia & Australasia in 2012.
Common Ground		Sydney, New South Wales	Australia				Housing development in Sydney and Brisbane. It won an award for affordable development.
Governor Phillip Tower		Sydney, New South Wales	Australia		227	745	A commercial office complex in Sydney's business district. It won a National Award from the Property Council of Australia.
Horizon Apartments		Sydney, New South Wales	Australia		144	472	A residential apartment complex in Darlinghurst.
General Post Office		Sydney, New South Wales	Australia				A commercial office development around the historic General Post Office in Sydney.
The Peak Apartments		Sydney, New South Wales	Australia		166	545	A residential apartment complex in Haymarket.
World Tower		Sydney, New South Wales	Australia		230	750	A skyscraper in Sydney. It was briefly Australia's tallest residential building. It won the 2004 Bronze Emporis Skyscraper Award.
480 Queen Street		Brisbane, Queensland	Australia				A Six Star-rated office complex in Brisbane's city center.
The Oracle		Gold Coast, Queensland	Australia				A large development in Broadbeach.
Soul		Gold Coast, Queensland	Australia				A 243-meter residential tower on the Gold Coast's waterfront. It was completed in 2012.
Parklands, the 2018 Commonwealth Games Athletes Village		Gold Coast, Queensland	Australia				A development with 1,252 homes for athletes. It included apartments, townhouses, shops, and green spaces.
Grollo houses		Darwin, Northern Territory	Australia				Homes built after Cyclone Tracy to provide housing for Darwin's population. They were designed by Leo Hammond.
Melbourne Cricket Ground Northern Stand Redevelopment		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia	2006			Redevelopment for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Eureka Tower		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia	2006	298	978	At the time, it was the world's tallest residential tower. It won the Urban Design Award.
Rose Tower		Dubai	United Arab Emirates	2007			The world's tallest hotel until 2012.
Almas Tower		Dubai	United Arab Emirates	2009	360	1,180	A skyscraper that was the tallest building in Dubai when completed.
AXA Centre		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia	2009			A redeveloped ten-story building in Melbourne's Docklands. It won the 2009 Property Council of Australia Victorian Award for Office Developments.
Media House		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia	2009	40	131	A commercial office building that was the publication center for The Age. It won the 2012 Colliers Award for Best Office Development.
Burj Khalifa		Dubai	United Arab Emirates	2009	830	2,720	Grocon was a contractor for the world's tallest residential tower.
Elizabeth Street Common Ground		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia	2010			An eleven-story, 131-room community housing project. It was built with government support.
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium (AAMI Park)		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia	2010			A stadium with a 30,500 capacity for soccer, rugby league, and rugby union.
KPMG House		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia	pre-2011			Formerly the T&G Building. Grocon redeveloped it into commercial offices.
Etihad Towers		Abu Dhabi	United Arab Emirates	2011			A complex of five towers with offices, apartments, and a hotel.
Elite Residence		Dubai	United Arab Emirates	2012			A large residential skyscraper project in the Dubai Marina.
Princess Tower		Dubai	United Arab Emirates	2012	404	1,325	A residential skyscraper. It was the world's tallest residential building from 2012 to 2015.
ANZ Bank Centre		Sydney, New South Wales	Australia	2012	195	640	A commercial office tower and Sydney headquarters for ANZ. It won the Master Builders Association Safety Award.
Australian Taxation Office		Brisbane, Queensland	Australia	2013			Brisbane offices for the Australian Taxation Office.
Legion House		Sydney, New South Wales	Australia	2013			A Six Star zero-carbon renovation at 161 Castlereagh Street.
Australian Taxation Office		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia	2014			Melbourne offices for the Australian Taxation Office in Box Hill.
Emporium Melbourne		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia	2014			A retail space next to Melbourne Central railway station. It was built on the site of the old Myer Emporium.
150 Collins Street		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia	2014			A 12-story office building. It serves as Westpac's main office in Melbourne.
Central Market Project		Abu Dhabi	United Arab Emirates	2014			Designed by Foster + Partners. The hotel tower was canceled due to financial issues.
Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC)		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia	2015			A large project with the Victorian Government for a cancer treatment center.
Greenwich, Fairfield		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia	2019			A medium-density residential development. It includes 77 apartments and shops.
Twenty95		Sydney, New South Wales	Australia	2019			A mixed-use redevelopment in Manly. It has homes, shops, and offices.
World One		Mumbai	India	2020	442	1,450	A residential complex. It was the tallest residential complex in the region when finished.

Pentominium		Dubai	United Arab Emirates	On hold since 2011	516	1,693	An all-residential development. It is one of the tallest of its kind in the world.

Northumberland		Melbourne, Victoria	Australia	Contract terminated December 2020			An office building development in Collingwood. Fund managers stopped supporting Grocon when the company faced financial challenges.
The Ribbon		Sydney, New South Wales	Australia	Contract terminated December 2020			A large redevelopment in Darling Harbour. It was planned to have a new hotel, shops, and apartments.

Images for kids

Grocon company logo
Eureka Tower, a tall residential building in Melbourne
101 Collins Street in Melbourne
120 Collins Street in Melbourne
ANZ Global Headquarters in Melbourne
Crown Towers hotel in Melbourne
Melbourne Cricket Ground during the 2006 Commonwealth Games
Rose Tower under construction in Dubai
Aerial view of Jumeirah Lakes Towers, home to Almas Tower
Media House, also known as The Age building, in Melbourne
The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world's tallest building
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium at sunrise
Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi
Princess Tower under construction in Dubai
ANZ Bank Centre in Sydney
Trust Tower, part of the Central Market Project in Abu Dhabi
World One residential complex in Mumbai

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