Giro Construction Group

Giro Construction Group prides itself on being the company that can do the building jobs no one else can. Managing Partner Antonio Macri says this gives the company a point of difference.

“The difficult job is our niche where we can provide an effective service for a project that no one else can do or finds difficulty in completing” he says. “Some projects that we have built in the past have been on the side of rock faces or difficult to access in other ways

“For example, there might be a new house that needs to be constructed which is four of five levels into the side of the rock edge. We have that expertise where we can provide the construction of the whole house or building in a timely manner. We team up together with subcontractors and have a focus on providing a superior service, so the majority of our clients return to us or spread the word.”

The company had humble beginnings. It began with simple renovation projects in residential and commercial property. Over time, as word got out, the company began to grow.

It now works on a wide range of projects, ranging from maintenance projects to multi-million dollar developments. Their specialty is in the high end luxury market. They enjoy working on projects which are challenging and unique.

“We are multi-faceted. We do new construction, alterations, additions and extensions in residential units. We complete new commercial and medium density buildings. We do small works to maintenance to multi-million dollar projects in all sectors of the market.”

The Australian property market has been experiencing a record level of demand. With limited supply and strong interest from overseas investors, the current situation is similar to the property prices in New York and London.

Giro’s current turnover is between $1-3 million. Their aim is to reach $5-10 million in the next five years as the economy start to improve and consumer confidence increases. Before the economic downturn, the growth was much faster.

“Both directors play an active role in the business and in recent years the company has grown to a level where it now has a staff of 20.”

Aside from carpentry and labour, the trade work is subcontracted out. Macri believes this is a mutually beneficial process, as it increases the access to skilled workers and keeps costs down.

“It’s not viable to employ direct staff any more to complete various trades. But it’s a lot easier to get resources when they are externally sourced.”

There is no typical industry build. In one year they could be working on large and small scale projects. Giro works to bring their clients dream on paper to life.

“We can undertake anything from $5-10 million to $15-20 million but we would only undertake one or two such projects. But if it’s a lot smaller, say $1 million, we could do up to four or five projects at one time. Currently we are working on three projects, but they’re smaller jobs.”

If there is one regular mover in the market, it is the technological capabilities. Since it began operations, Giro has noticed the improvements it is able to make in its product offering with new technology.

“It is always changing and you need to stay on the edge to remain competitive. Materials change; there are new materials that are superior which always come on the market. A good example would be waterproofing or injection membrane systems. These have improved tremendously over the years. So it has a major influence on the industry. The more you stay ahead with new products, the better service you can provide to your clients.”

Subcontractors are the main people that Giro seeks to build long term working relationships with. A lot of the work they are involved with requires specialised trade skills. Together, they are able to provide a better product offering.

“And the client appreciates this. The majority of our subcontractors purchase material from our suppliers. Therefore we can ring them and have a conversation with them to find the best solution for our client.”

Green initiatives have gained great importance in the building industry. According to Macri, the use of green initiatives mainly depend on the project. As a lot of the projects Giro is responsible for come with pre-specified documentation so they take whatever steps they can to incorporate eco-friendly features.

“Green initiatives are generally are a good thing because they help reduce the impact on the environment. However it can also have a negative impact in respect to costs because some green products can be expensive to purchase. The architect or the designer will try and implement as much eco-friendly material or recycling to try reduce the impact on the environment to provide a better energy efficient house above and beyond BASIX. That is where the industry is starting to pick up. Where everyone is aware of the environmental impact and the after effects it can create.”

A lot of their clients tend to be one-off home owners, so word of mouth referrals is an important part of their business. Within the competitive construction industry, you are only as good as your last project. Giro is wary not to be too reliant on just one method of promotion. They also take their offering to the market in other ways.

“A lot of our marketing is word of mouth. So our last job is our best job because they provide the feedback to someone else. They say ‘oh you should use these people.’ At the same time we have an email marketing campaign that goes out every quarter to give people industry information and new products that they might find useful in the future.”

Growing the business, creating new job opportunities for staff and developing strong, trusting relationships are big mandates for the Giro Construction Group. Macri says there is no place in the business for someone who is not trustworthy or passionate.

“I look for people I can trust ultimately. They’ve also got to have that passion for the building industry or that passion to provide that service to us as they would for the client.”

Ultimately creating a strong relationship with the client is their biggest priority, as many client have become friends of Giro Construction and keep in contact on a regular basis.