PUSHING BEYOND
LIMITATIONS ALEX HATZIOANNOU, FINANCIAL CONTROLLER FOR SYDNEY-BASED CONSTRUCTION COMPANY DILCARA, SHARES HOW HIS COMPANY HAS MANAGED TO MAINTAIN ITS LOYAL AND SKILLED STAFF, WITH HELP FROM IMMIGRATION CONSULTANTS AT GRUSZKA AND ASSOCIATES.
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very company is built upon a founding vision and for Dilcara, a multi-disciplinary construction and infrastructure services company based in Sydney, that vision has been set on “breaking the boundaries” since the company’s inception. Started as a residential project construction company by brothers Antoine and Joe Gittany in 2008, Dilcara has grown rapidly over the years and added new services to its portfolio along the way – from developing apartments and luxury homes in Sydney to managing construction projects and even erecting high-voltage transmission lines through a newly added infrastructure services team. While the “no-boundary” vision has allowed the company to diversify its services rapidly, it is also reflected in how Dilcara acquires, retains and grows its skilled staff while many in the industry struggle with skills shortages. “We are always trying to upskill our staff,” says Alex Hatzioannou, Financial Controller at Dilcara. “We want to make sure that our skilled people are not pigeonholed into any specific role and that they can grow their talents.
Because we know that as the team grows, so does the company as a whole.” In keeping with the same mindset, Hatzioannou’s role within the company is quite diverse. In addition to managing finances as a chartered accountant, he also helps explore new avenues for business diversification, while helping with staff acquisition and training. Recently, the company was faced with a dilemma. One of their skilled employees, an experienced engineering manager here on a temporary skilled visa, was being forced to leave the country to re-unite with his spouse, who was unable to join him due to the ongoing Australian Government entry limitations for temporary-visa holders during the pandemic. Monica Gruszka, the Principle Director of Gruszka and
Associates, was Alex’s go-to visa expert to seek advice on such matters. Having worked with her in the past to process skilled visa applications for a few other Dilcara employees, Hatzioannou says he had always come out impressed by her team’s professionalism. “Gruszka and Associates has helped us process three visas for our employees in the past. Monica has always been a delight to work with. Her knowledge of immigration law means she can think of avenues that others might have missed,” says Hatzioannou. It was the same story this time. While an application to grant a travel exemption for the employee’s spouse was rejected by the Australian Government, Gruszka found that the engineering manager in fact qualified for a permanent skilled visa. Acquiring permanent residency would automatically resolve his problem as his partner could apply for a Partner Visa once his residential
Sydney-based construction company Dilcara has developed multiple residential projects across NSW. 30
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