6 minute read
Business
go Together Like Two Peas in a Pod
Father–daughter team, Jacqueline (Jacki) and Robert (Rob) Valk, co-founded The Pod in 2018. With occasional support from Jacqueline’s mother and graphic design assistance from her sister, the family works together to create high-end secondary residences.
The transition into a family business was natural for The Valk’s, who simply wanted to realise Rob’s idea for Pods and were rewarded with an abundance of interest in their passion project.
Prior to The Pod, Rob was in architectural drafting for 40 years. Rob discovered his passion for construction after project managing the design process of a couple of commercial projects. Truly impassioned by his work, Rob would work on his own projects at home: it was only after building the first
Pod in his backyard that he fell in love with the idea. Now, Rob builds all the Pods for the company and gets to enjoy the one thing he missed out on while drafting—the clients’ reactions. Thinking about the best career advice he’s received Rob said, ‘I remember when I was working at McDonalds when I was a kid, and they taught me to always respect the customer.’ It’s advice that has stayed with Rob, with The Pod being all about creating homes for customers at their different stages of life.
From a young age, Jacki remembers reading plans and chalking out footings for their family homes. Rob supported her love for practical work by teaching her about the industry and how to ask the right questions. At this stage Jacki didn’t know the success that would come from her early passion and enthusiasm for construction, but it was all on the horizon.
Before joining her father to help create his vision, Jacqueline worked as an Executive Assistant in finance and marketing in Sydney for many years. She found her joy for working on construction sites while she worked for a developer during a break in Canberra. She was tasked with fitting out hotels, picking inclusions and helping the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Seeing the inner workings of the commercial side of the business revealed how her experience could help turn Rob’s idea into reality. ‘Take educated risks and dream big,’ Jacki believes is the best career advice she’s received, and this was never truer than when she helped realise her father’s visions for The Pod.
Together, Jacki and Rob worked on a packaged solution to offer the Pods to the Canberra market and received a fantastic response at the launch.
With demand at an all-time high, Jacki and Rob put together a team, coached by Rob who shared his decades of experience in the industry with the team. Rob’s understanding of how projects should be built directed the team towards holistic thinking that considers both design and construction. Now, they endeavour to create the best solutions by approaching projects as if they were living there themselves.
Today, Rob and Jacki have achieved wonderful success. Jacki recalled the Chifley Pod as one of their proudest achievements. The two-bedroom, L-shaped Pod, was a finalist in the Master Builders and Asset Construction Hire Excellence Awards. The merbau decking and unique feature wall quickly popularised the design and now it is a favourite amongst their clients.
The duo also recalled their first rural project, the Wamboin Pod, very fondly. Jacqueline remarked, ‘We were working around the kangaroos and different weather conditions which made it a different and enjoyable experience.’
Together, with Rob’s experience and Jacqueline’s drive, The Pod is sure to continue providing high-quality, liveable housing solutions for many years to come.
Hi-Quality Runs in the Family
Hi-Quality Concrete was established by Mark Dawes in 2019 as a joint venture with Hi-Quality Group, a Sydney-based company owned and run by the Hallinan family. After noticing the old Rocla Brickworks in Fyshwick sitting closed for more than 20 years, Mark completed a full refurbishment of the site and transformed it into the modern plant we see today. It is the first plant in Australia to embed recycled carbon into its mixes, with the Canadian product, CarbonCure, installed in late 2022.
For Mark, construction runs in his blood with his father, David Dawes, being a former CEO of Master Builders ACT. David is a Director of Hi-Quality Concrete and he also works as a consultant to industry. He moved into a career in the construction industry after working as a realtor during the 70s and 80s. Working in both the public and private sectors, David’s long list of achievements includes spending nearly a decade as MBA ACT CEO and running a suite of portfolios for the ACT Government. Mark’s wife, Wendy, assists with Hi-Quality Concrete’s marketing and administration and his brother, Damian Dawes, also sits on the company’s board of directors. Damian joined the industry through a carpentry apprenticeship when he was 18 years old and now also runs Canberra Commercial Contractors with his business partner, Mark Crawford. Rounding out the crew is the multi-talented Johno Warren, married to Mark’s sister Monique. Johno also completed a carpentry apprenticeship in his mid-20s following an apprenticeship as a locksmith and now runs Joinery Direct, located in Hume.
As the fleet of 16 trucks and the customer base both continue to grow, so does the family’s involvement in the industry. Following in her father’s footsteps, Damian’s eldest daughter, Jessica Dawes, has worked as a casual labourer at Canberra Commercial Contractors in addition to her school studies for the last two years. Jessica finished Year 12 last year and has now accepted an offer to study a Building and Construction Management degree at the University of Canberra. Jessica took advantage of the UC Fast Forward Program, completing a Business Extension Program while at Merici College.
With three generations in the construction industry and a focus on environmental sustainability, Hi-Quality Concrete represents the rich history and forward-thinking mindset of the ACT construction industry.
Pacific Formwork and Precast Projects Family Business in its Perfect Form
Pacific Formwork was established in 1998 by former MBA ACT President, Graciete Ferreira, her husband Fernando, her sister Sandra and her father Albino. They founded the company on Fernando’s strong existing relationships in construction and the even stronger bonds between the family. Albino worked in the company for nine months before retiring overseas.
Now, 25 years on, there are new Ferreira’s at the helm, ‘At present, our family team consists of my husband, myself, our two sons and my sister. We also have additional family members who are part of our workforce,’ Graciete explained. Her sons Rui and Andre run Pacific Formwork and Precast Projects and have recently started another business called Formcast which supplies prefab concrete detention tanks, safe rooms and wine cellars.
Andre says of his decision to join the family business, ‘I took the job with the goal of recovering the wages from my earlier days when I worked for free. But on a more serious note, I had already been spending my weekends and after-school hours at the yard or office—I felt like it was part of my DNA. Recognising how my skills could potentially benefit the business, I made the decision to give it a shot.’
With Rui it was an instinctive decision, ‘For as long as I can remember Pacific Formwork has always been a big part of my life. I spent a lot of time after school playing in the Formwork yard, growing up with the staff and got to know everyone really well. Once I got a bit older, I decided to give labouring a go during the school holidays,’ Rui explained.
One blessing and curse for Rui was stepping in as the third generation in Pacific Formwork saying, ‘My biggest concern was always being the “bosses’ son” and ensuring I didn’t take advantage of it. For better or for worse, I haven’t been able to leave since!’
Graciete has carved out a rich legacy in the Australian construction industry after arriving from Portugal many years ago with no experience in construction. She was the first female President of Master Builders ACT, the first female National Board Member and she is currently on the board of the Building and Construction Industry Training Levy. Graciete is also determined to give back to the community she now calls home, completing the CEO Sleepout on multiple occasions to raise money for the St Vincent de Paul Society and last year participating in the MS Walk Run + Roll with the Pacific Formwork team to raise money for services and support for people living with multiple sclerosis. Last year the Pacific Formwork team also completed the Oxfam Trailwalker challenge to help combat poverty.
Even with Graciete and Fernando’s impressive list of achievements in their careers, the values they live by have had the biggest impact on Rui and Andre as professionals, ‘My parents taught me that we should be ethical in the way that we work and the way we deal with people. Compromise is also a big part of working in the industry, and learning to try not to take everything personally,’ Andre said. Thinking of the lessons he has learned from his parents, Rui said, ‘They taught me honesty and to value what is really important—it’s not about doing the most work or taking on the biggest projects. I also learnt from my parents, not to stress over the smaller things, especially those that are beyond your influence.’
As Rui and Andre lead with passion and innovation at the forefront of the businesses, it will be fantastic to see how they continue to create their own legacy in the Canberra construction industry.
