Getting the foundations right means everything
Being in construction is all about building – and for Tracy Marais and husband Steve, a big part of that is people power and building a team that grows into a family. But of course, the real family at home remains the priority.
Bulletin THEY are the tattoos that say a thousand words.
Well, actually, they only say two words – “Ashton’’ and “Ace’’, the names of Tracy Marais’s grandsons.
But together they create a picture perfect snapshot of the executive director of Condev Construction.
The elegant script reflects Tracy’s own image. The ink itself is proof this glamorous grandmother is not afraid to get her hands dirty working within the boys’ club that is the building industry, but the heart of this body art is the unmissable message about the importance of family. Tracy and her husband Steve, who doubles as the executive chairman, have built one of the Gold Coast’s most successful companies with a construction portfolio that lists some of the city’s biggest projects, along with multiple awards, including 2018’s Business of the Year and last year’s debut on the Gold Coast Bulletin Power 100 list.
But while they may be in the business of bricks and mortar, Tracy says their success comes down to people power. Condev is their baby – and every team member is part of the family.
Knowing how not just to manage but to treat others is an intrinsic skill for Tracy, although growing up in South Africa she learned the hard way what not to do.
“I don’t really talk about this but I come from a background of domestic violence,” she confides.
“It’s not a matter of shame, it’s just something that I put behind me. I learned from it and moved on.
“But as a child I saw my father beat my mother. When he started on me, I ran away. I was 14 and I left a note for my mother that said, ‘I’ve had enough. You can stay but I’ve had enough’.
“I ran away to my father’s brother, who used to beat his own wife.
“Two weeks later Mum left Dad and we started again as a proper family. I refuse to be treated badly. I knew that as a 14-year-old runaway and I know it now. I will not be treated like that and I will never treat anyone else like that.
“Mum used to say she was staying for us kids – but she was staying for herself. Just like I didn’t run away for her sake. I ran away for mine. I refused to be a victim.
“Instead of taking the blows, I learned independence, and that has carried me through working in a maledominated industry. But I also learned about compassion and care. You can’t be hardened to the plight of others.
“When you care for others, you are caring for yourself as well.”
Although she has worked alongside Steve since the business was born in 2002, soon after they emigrated from South Africa, perhaps it should be no surprise that Tracy’s background is in psychology.
In fact, the couple met when Steve was a student in the university class that Tracy taught.
“I taught communications and Steve was in my class. We just clicked,” she says.
“It’s funny because communication is absolutely the bedrock of our relationship and our business.
“When we came to Australia I decided to look after the people side of the business – and it’s the perfect partnership.
“We work so hard to make sure that our values are both understood and modelled by our employees.
“We believe in family first, and that is not just a line.
“If your child has an event on or is sick and you have a lot of work, you must go to your child first.
“Yes, you will probably have to stay up until midnight getting that work done, but that is what family first means.
“Our employees know that is exactly what Steve and I would do. We model it.
“In fact, any time an employee faces a difficult decision, they literally ask themselves ‘what would Steve do?’
“As for me, every Thursday I am a grandmother only. I don’t care who wants to see me, what appointment has been scheduled, Thursdays are the day that I hang out with Ashton and Ace.
“It’s non-negotiable. The work you can catch up on, the children you can’t.”
While Condev has its own charity now, Condev Cares, Tracy says this is simply a formalisation of the attitude the company has always had – to look after each other.
She says while the charity work is endlessly rewarding, the construction business itself is not without its challenges.
In fact, Tracy says the industry is in a dire state thanks to over-regulation.
She says there are a number of builders on the Gold Coast right now who are set for imminent collapse.
“I won’t name names but the writing is on the wall for a few companies,” she says.
“The over-regulation of the industry is killing it.
“It’s just a blame game and it always comes back to the builder and the subbies.
“You have to spend so much to cover every compliance that there is no money in it.
“We’re at a point now where it’s becoming an industry only for the big boys.
“There is very little room left for the smaller builders because the overheads are too huge.
“As of this week, we now have yet another imposed regulation which is a seismic code, whereby we need to ensure that buildings in Queensland can withstand major earthquakes.
“You have to ask, is that a real threat here?
“Are we going to be forced to retrofit all of our towers here on the Gold Coast where there is little to no seismic activity in modern history?
“Do we need to redo the foundations of Soul and the Q1?
“We’re at the point where we’ll have to build to protect from the effects of an avalanche in the tropics.
“Everyone is so scared of the blame game if anything goes wrong, that it all goes on the builder’s list of responsibilities.
“It’s too much.”
Tracy says that if Condev were to enter the industry now, it would never survive.
She says the shrinking industry space for builders means that there are no longer enough jobs to go around.
“Steve and I started Condev in a golden age. In 2002 everything was booming.
“You couldn’t not make money.
“We leveraged off that fortunate start by investing in our people, and that’s how we’re still thriving today.
“We get the right people first – and then we pursue the jobs.