Experience for Constructions’ Next Generation

October 24, 2019

Our Snackbrands project at Orchard Hills hosted over 180 students from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) last month, offering them an immersive tour of the site, as well as a series of presentations from our site team.

“I just wanted to pass on a big thank you for coordinating such a great site visit for the students last week. The feedback was amazing. One student was so impressed he’s sent a thank you note of his own with his CV!

The diligence displayed by the RCC team, ensuring every student was signed in and inducted, coordinating manageable and safe group sizes and then escorting each group around the site speaks volumes about RCC’s unwavering commitment to site safety and planning”

Craig Barry – UTS Lecturer

These Construction Management and Civil Engineering students represent the future of our industry; we are proud to be involved in their transition from classroom to construction site and give them a firsthand insight into safe and sustainable construction practice.

 

 

RCC: 10th Best Place to Work in Australia!

September 12, 2019

RCC is thrilled to be recognised as the 10th Best Place to Work in Australia – a milestone achievement that reflects our continued commitment to ensuring that everyone at RCC genuinely looks forward to coming into work each day.

The Great Place to Work (GPTW) assessment is a feedback-based study obtained from a confidential survey of our 600+ employees and an independent audit across 9 practice areas. See the results of the 2019 GPTW study here.

2018 was our first evaluation in the study, and to be named 17th in our category (100-999 employees) was a remarkable achievement, to which we are incredibly proud.

Following our success last year, 2019 saw the integration of several new initiatives entirely unique to RCC and the support, development and appreciation of our growing teams. We feel that it is a combination of our highly talented employees and RCC’s unique culture, value-oriented initiatives that we are now considered among Australia’s top 10 Best Places to Work.

 

 

“Recognition as one of the Greatest Places to Work in Australia is a significant achievement for RCC in a demanding and pressurised construction market. To make it to the top 10 is an outstanding result.”

“For me, what makes RCC great is our people. They are our best assets, and this result reflects their contribution to the business and work environment and our commitment to ensuring their voice is heard as we continue to grow.”

Jamie Crookes – Managing Director of Richard Crookes Constructions

 

We are a private, family-owned company dedicated to building an open, honest and collaborative culture that is fulfilling for all our staff. We have a lot of heart for what we do for each other.

It would be no surprise that RCC’s most fundamental value is family.  Being a private, family-owned company dedicated to building an open, honest and collaborative culture means that coming to work at RCC is more than just a job for all our staff. New members are welcomed into the RCC family right from day one, including an induction that sets the tone for the business they have joined. We ensure that all new starters have a number of activities to complete to help form part of their integration plan.  They are set up with a “buddy” to help them with everything they need to comfortably transition into the business. Our founder, Richard Crookes, personally welcomes all new starters and we find it is this familial touch that sets RCC apart from other large companies.

Similarly, our staff appreciation events encourage RCC teams to spend time with their families whilst team building – whether it’s at the zoo, running the City2Surf or in an Italian style cooking class. Events like these are important to us, but it’s the enthusiasm of our employees which make them memorable.

RCC offers an environment that can facilitate career growth, personal opportunity and an exciting workplace through its diversification.  Being a family business means that family is high on the agenda at RCC providing family-based benefits including generous paid parental leave packages, additional paid annual leave to encourage more time spent with family and friend, family days out and much more.

Growing our own has always been a fundamental principle of how we manage the business therefore we invest heavily in technical training, personal development as well as a suite of team building activities which form a consistent and dynamic social calendar. Since our success in 2018, we have unveiled a suite of initiatives including a Women Leading program, Health & Wellbeing and Workplace Giving Programs – all working to help maintain our strong commitment to a thriving and lively workplace. They’re also fundamental to our company’s core values: Client First; Delivering Certainty; We Do What We Say; Family Values; and First Step Safety.

 

 

RCC is also committed to celebrating the achievement of our people; our best asset. Complimentary to our staff initiatives is our Rewards and Recognition program that recognises the outstanding behaviour and performance of our employees. RCC’s Hats Off awards encourages peer-to-peer appreciation for those who go above and beyond, and we regularly celebrate key project milestones throughout the year. We also support informal team appreciation events to build an organic, in-team culture.

To be ranked 10th Best Place to Work in Australia is confirmation that we value a supportive, fulfilling and dynamic work environment – and RCC employees agree.

Do you think you would enjoy the journey of working on exciting projects, with highly skilled, passionate people in a positive and supportive workplace? Find out what it’s like to be part of the RCC family…

 

Working Together For A Shared Future

July 8, 2019

NAIDOC WEEK 2019 – A CHANCE TO REFLECT ON HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER FOR A SHARED FUTURE

NAIDOC Week provides an opportunity each year for all Australians to collectively commemorate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year, under the theme of VOICE TREATY TRUTH, Lets work together for a shared future, RCC is reflecting on our contribution to this shared future.

Generating local education and employment opportunities to create long-term industry engagement is part of the legacy we want to create as an Australian owned, family business. We see every one of the thousands of workers on our sites each day as members of our extended family. as such, hearing that working on our UTS Central project has made a difference in the lives of two Indigenous brothers, Andrew and Jason Huckstadt is incredibly rewarding –

Jason Huckstadt said that his time on the project has given him confidence to work in the industry; “the Richard Crookes team have been great with teaching and supporting me with gaining experience in construction. Being here gives you confidence that you can do the work and do it well.”

Jason started on site, after his older brother Andrew had gained valuable experience as part of the team; “Working here with the Richard Crookes fellas on this project, having the structure of coming to work each day, has helped me turn things around… Knowing that other trades coming in are depending on me doing my job right makes me really proud, and it’s good to see the building progress the way it is.” (Andrew Huckstadt)

Andrew also said that the benefits of working on the project extend past his career and his own future, as he sets an example for his three children, “I’m showing my own kids what a working father looks like.”

 

If you want to hear more about the Huckstadt brothers’ experience on the UTS Central project, click the image to check out the full article written by the University of Technology, Sydney.

ARTICLE: Finding a future on the UTS Central work site

 

At RCC, we take great pride in our work; we want our legacy of exciting quality buildings to also drive education and employment opportunities, increase industry engagement and build stronger economies for a brighter future. Hearing the positive long-term impact our delivery of UTS Central has had on members of the team and their family makes the nearing completion of this project even more satisfying. We aim to increase training, employment and supplier opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on every project and to enrich our workforce and industry through inclusion, understanding and appreciation of traditional cultures.

“As a proud family owned and run business, our values are embedded into the RCC culture and we remain committed to making a positive contribution to the communities we live and work in. We appreciate the importance of recognising the traditional custodians of the land on which we deliver each project, including the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, on which the UTS Central development now stands. We also recognise that every project is an opportunity for us to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and contribute to education and employment outcomes which extend beyond project delivery to create a long-term sustainable legacy”

Jamie Crookes
Managing Director – Richard Crookes Constructions

 

 

Wollongong Juniors Name Our Crane

November 22, 2018

We appreciate feedback on our delivery; but it also means a lot when our clients acknowledge RCC’s commitment to making a positive community contribution and giving back on every project…

“We much appreciate the effort that RCC has put into the ‘softer’ side of project delivery; this highlights the character and values of your company”
Blake Preston – Senior Manager Project Delivery
University of Wollongong

RCC is currently on site at the University of Wollongong (UoW) delivering Molecular Horizons. We are excited to be delivering this important education and research facility and we’re committed to being part of the campus community during our time on site. In recognition of the valuable work of the Early Start Discovery Space and Kids Uni organisations who are situated on the UoW campus, RCC has run a Name the Crane initiative to engage the children in this exiting construction project.

Name the Crane

RCC started the campaign by introducing students, teachers and parents to the Molecular Horizons projects, construction and the purpose of the crane on site! The children all enjoyed the video of the crane being erected and making cardboard cranes with our site staff! The kids were asked to choose a name for the crane and submit a drawing and we were overwhelmed with how impressive the entries were!

The crane is now called Orion, which highlights both the talent and compassion of this cohort who chose the name in honour of their classmate of the same name who was recently injured! Orion is also a prominent constellation which is an apt name for our very tall crane!

To celebrate the success of the initiative and present the Early Start Discovery Space and Kids Uni with gifts to be enjoyed by students and their families we held a Name the Crane BBQ. Our site team thoroughly enjoyed cooking a BBQ and introducing the children to our excavator!

For RCC, each project we deliver is about more than a quality facility for our clients; it’s about enjoying the journey with our entire client, consultant and subcontractor team and engaging with the local community to generate positive outcomes for all stakeholders and give back!

 

University of Wollongong Molecular Horizons Project

RCC will be responsible for the design finalisation and construction of Molecular Horizons at the University of Wollongong, Wollongong campus.

This development involves site excavation and establishment works as well as the construction of a 5-storey educational facility up to for 15 researches. The facility will contain:

  • office and administration areas
  • meeting and conference rooms
  • research and chemistry laboratories
  • animal house
  • astronomy and chemistry roof platform
  • pedestrian bridge between Molecular Horizons and the adjoining IHMRI (building 32)
  • reconfiguration of the eastern portion of P7 car park to accommodate 13 accessible spaces
  • associated landscaping and public domain works including learning and gathering spaces and gardens
  • building identification signage

 

Topping Out at UTS

November 20, 2018

As the ceremonial tree was craned onto the roof of the UTS Central project, RCC, UTS and our consultant team acknowledged the collaborative approach responsible for reaching this milestone.

Joined by FJMT and Lacoste & Stevenson, we took the opportunity to soak up the sunshine and appreciate the contribution this landmark development will make to UTS staff and students and the broader Sydney community.

What better way to celebrate this landmark education project than to talk statistics…

UTS Central Project Fun Facts

  • 19 Staircases (1,648 steps)
  • 1,100 glass windows
  • 20,000m3 of concrete
  • 861m of steel beams

With an average of 380 workers on site each day for the last 159 weeks, the current progress represents the hard work of many individuals, operating as a team to deliver this impressive new home for UTS staff and students.

Well done to the entire RCC, subcontractor and consultant team who have worked incredibly hard to complete the structure on this complex development.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Want to know more about the UTS Central project?

The UTS Central Project includes the redevelopment of Building 2 and the extension of Building 1 (UTS Tower) to redefine the main campus entrance. The development represents a significant component of the broader UTS Master Plan and will create additional connections within the campus and further enhance the student experience, supporting UTS’s long-term strategic plan of growth in research and positively contributing to the urban quality of the precinct.

 

 

6 MBA Awards for Excellence in Construction

November 7, 2018

RCC is proud to announce we took home 6 awards at this year’s Master Builder Association Excellence in Construction Awards

  • The Epicentre, Baulkham Hills – Tertiary Buildings $30m – $50m
  • Bellevue Hill Public School – Public Schools Open Price Category
  • Airtrunk Sydney Data Centre – Phase 1, Huntingwood – Communications Buildings Open Price Category
  • Northside Clinic, St Leonards – Health Buildings $20m – $60m
  • Leichhardt Green – Residential & Mixed-Use Development Buildings up to $200m
  • NSW Best Use of Concrete – on the Bellevue Hill Public School project

For us, success is about completing a project that RCC, our clients, subcontractors and consultants can all be proud of. Congratulations to everyone who played a part in the design and delivery of these award-winning projects.

 

We believe our ability to win this number of awards, across several social infrastructure sectors is the result of our consistent commitment to a collaborative approach. Our teams partner with clients, consultants and suppliers to design and deliver quality facilities with the end user in mind; we’re proud to be delivering residences, workplaces, community, education and health facilities for our local communities.

 

Want to know more about our 2018 award winning projects?

The Epicentre, Baulkham Hills

Client:   Hills Christian Centre Limited
Award:  Tertiary Buildings $30m – $50m

Bellevue Hill Public School

Client:   NSW Department of Education
Award:  Public Schools Open Price Category &
Best Use of Concrete

Airtrunk Sydney Data Centre – Phase 1, Huntingwood

Client:   Sydney Air Trunk Land Trust
Award:  Communications Buildings Open Price Category

Northside Clinic, St Leonards

Client:   Ramsay Health care
Award:  Health Buildings $20m – $60m

Leichhardt Green

Client:   Greenland Holding Group
Award:  Residential & Mixed-Use Development Buildings   up to $200m

 

 

 

Community Feedback on RCC Safety & Values

October 8, 2018

At RCC, the safety of staff and the community is our highest priority. It is embedded in our culture and our behaviours. We are extremely proud to have received community feedback acknowledging our commitment to safety and company values.…

“We live opposite UTS and every day we watch the work that you guys are doing building on the new UTS building on Broadway. Working for many years in an organisation where the safety goal was zero, safety was drilled into me! Watching your site, the evidence is there that you value safety through the way the building materials are organised and how the workers move around. We moved into the area just before demolition began so we have been with you guys from the start!

 

We googled you today and we both watched your corporate video to find out about who you are, and we agree that RCC is walking your talk and living your values! We got to thinking there is no point in simply saying that to each other and that we should tell you too…so thus am sending this email to say well done for all the good work; we see the Crookes family values are shining through. All the best for the rest of the build”

Eimer & Michael

 

Want to know more about RCC and our Values?

Want to know what it’s like to be part of the RCC family? Find out from our best assets, our people…

 

RCC Values

Operational throughout NSW and the ACT, RCC is a private, family owned construction company that has been delivering projects as promised; on-time and budget, safely and to the highest quality since 1976.

We value our heritage as a family business and we’re proud of our family values. Launched in early 2014, our values were the result of a companywide survey undertaken by our personnel to determine what we believed to be the most important attributes of our company and our people. RCC takes pride in these values; they reflect the culture, character and the vision of our company and help guide our individual and collective behaviours.

To find out more about our company values and who we are check out our website: richardcrookes.com.au

 

More on the UTS Central Building 2 Project

The UTS Central Project includes the redevelopment of Building 2 and the extension of Building 1 (UTS Tower) podium to redefine the main entrance to UTS. This unique project will likely become a landmark building and offer students an urban precinct which will include new teaching spaces, a library, learning commons, research space and a retail area.
This development is a significant component of the broader UTS City Campus Master Plan and will create additional connections within the campus and further enhance the student experience.

Key Features include:

  • Twisting Cantilevered Tower
  • Green Roof Space and winter gardens
  • Super Lab
  • Double Helix Access Stairs
  • Numerous Atriums and Void Spaces
  • Curved Double Glazed Façade

This development is being delivered in a live environment in the middle of an operational University Campus and within a busy retail, residential and transport hub within Ultimo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RCC Inducted into the FBA Hall of Fame

September 14, 2018

Family Business Australia (FBA) hosted their annual National and State Awards ceremony this week in Alice Springs, recognising family businesses and their contribution to Australia’s success. FBA’s awards program celebrates and recognises the achievements of family owned Australian businesses and their positive contribution to the community, economy and national culture.

The FBA Hall of Fame Awards have been running for almost 20 years and are a peer-reviewed commendation bestowed at a state level by Family Business Australia. RCC is honoured to have our achievements and community contribution recognised by FBA and fellow family run Australian business peers.

We look forward to attending the 2019 FBA National Conference and the opportunity to be considered for the coveted Distinguished Family Business of The Year Award.

To find out more about Family Business Australia and our fellow Hall of Fame recipients click here

 

RCC in the Top 50 Best Places to Work in Australia

August 30, 2018

Recognition as one of the Best Places to Work in Australia is a significant achievement for RCC in a demanding and pressurised construction market. Our employees are our best asset, consequently this award means even more knowing it is a result of their experience. The Great Place to Work assessment is based on feedback obtained from a confidential survey of our 600 employees and an independent cultural audit across 9 practice areas.

To be named 17th in our category (100-999 employees), amongst companies such as Salesforce and Stryker in our first year of evaluation is an outstanding achievement for RCC and a reflection of our personnel’s commitment to each other, our clients and the industry. See the full results of the 2018 GPTW study here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The goal to provide a fulfilling and supportive work environment prompted us to submit an application to become an Employer of Choice and make it to the Top 50 Best Places to Work in Australia.  We set out to understand our employee experience in the context of Australia’s best workplaces, to highlight focus areas for future commitment and to ultimately be recognised as a Great Place to Work.

We did it. We are honoured to have been recognised as a Great Place to Work in our first year of evaluation.

This acknowledgment compliments our recent recognition in the Employee Engagement Awards (2017) and highlights the strength of our culture of high performance, development, autonomy and collaboration.

The Best Places to Work awards are based on an independent study coordinated by the Great Place to Work Institute. Great Place to Work Australia is an organisation, whose recognition has become an international standard for excellence in workplace culture. After more than 30 years of research the Institute operate across 44 countries, surveying 6,200 companies annually.

“THE 50 BEST ARE SETTING THE STANDARD FOR ALL BUSINESSES.”
Zrinka Lovrencic – Managing Director of Great Place to Work Australia

 

RCC is committed to the ongoing improvement of our employee experience in the hope that our staff continue to enjoy the journey as the company grows and evolves. This recognition reflects the passion, commitment and fun that our people bring to work everyday.

“WE ARE PROUD TO BE RECOGNISED BY OUR PEOPLE AS ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO WORK IN AUSTRALIA. WE BELIEVE WE ARE DOING GREAT THINGS AND THIS ACCREDITATION MEANS THAT OUR BEST ASSET, OUR EMPLOYEES, AGREE.
FOR ME, OUR PEOPLE ARE WHAT MAKES RCC GREAT, AND THAT DRIVES US TO PROVIDE THEM WITH AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY CAN REALISE THEIR PROFESSIONAL ASPIRATIONS AND DELIVER QUALITY OUTCOMES FOR OUR CLIENTS”
Jamie Crookes – Managing Director of Richard Crookes Constructions

 

Do you think you would enjoy the journey of working on exciting projects, with highly skilled, passionate people in a positive and supportive workplace? Find out what it’s like to be part of the RCC family…

 

If you are interested to know more about the RCC Family, our values and what makes RCC a Great Place to Work then follow us on social media and stay tuned for our ‘Meet the Family’ series!

 

 

City2Surf 2018

August 13, 2018

RCC took on the iconic City2Surf again this year! We’re so proud of all 133 RCC Team members who ran, walked and crawled from the city to Bondi yesterday for the Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation!

Near-perfect Sydney weather and the motivation of post-race celebrations made the 14km course a little easier. Thanks to Panama House for hosting our afterparty, providing RCC finishers with views of the course and a Mexican feast!

It was great to again be part of such an incredible event for a worthy cause. Fundraising efforts have reached $4,288,078.15 so far with donations still being accepted.

Want to know more about this incredible annual event? Check out the official City2Surf website.