Recognition for service
A BUSINESS that lays claim to housing more people in Townsville than any other builder, Parkside Constructions, has joined a select group as a Master Builders member for 50 years.
The North Queensland committee marked the achievement in an event last week, presenting Parkside director Wilfred Tapiolas with a Member Milestone award.
Regional manager Emma Peters said Parkside’s record was outstanding and they were one of only five businesses with that length of service.
“The Member Milestone program, which was first introduced back in 2010, is Master Builders’ way of celebrating longevity and loyalty in our membership base,” Ms Peters said.
“It is particularly relevant in today’s fast paced world where these qualities are sometimes now overlooked.”
She said the qualities were vital to the association’s success, particularly in lobbying and advocacy, where it relied so heavily on the voice of engaged members such as Parkside to highlight the issues and drive positive change.
Mr Tapiolas, who started in the family business soon before joining the industry body in 1971, said it had been some of his industry peers who had encouraged them to join.
“It’s important for people to become involved in the industry they live and work for and to put time into the associations,” he said.
“It’s a good thing for selfdevelopment, you keep ahead of what’s happening in the industry and it’s a good thing for clients to be dealing with people who are members of associations.”
Parkside Constructions, trading as Tropical Homes, has built more than 10,000 homes across Townsville.
Tropical Homes started building in the Burdekin District in the 1950s as Parkside Homes.
It started building in Townsville in 1966 as Tropical Homes with the construction of its first house in Ross River Rd, Cranbrook.
Many of the homes, lowset masonry, brick veneer and highset timber homes, have been built in Kirwan and Cranbrook, while the group continues to operate subdivisions across the city including in Shaw and Cosgrove.
Mr Tapiolas said it had built homes for 10,000 families in Townsville, more than any other builder.
He said he liked to think the business, now part of a group including Australia’s largest hardwood millers and timber manufacturers, exporting to Europe, Asia and the Americas, would be members for at least another 50 years.