GCP - 25 Years and Counting - A CELEBRATION

In 1982 the GCP team was established in KwaZulu Natal with one contract in hand, that of the new Parts Division for Mercedes Benz in Pinetown, which in today’s terms would have a contract value of R250 million. This one contract provided a dream startup and the forerunner to Giuricich Coastal Projects as the company is known today.

Rodney v.d. Walt currently MD, and Angelo Vidulich, our Training Officer, were relocated to KZN and together  with locally recruited staff went on to make the company the force it is today.  Many of the original team are still with us today, and a number of them have gone on to become shareholders  and directors.         In order to recognize the contribution of the initial team and our current staff,  to acknowledge our standing in the building community, to thank our clients and the industry professionals with whom we are associated, a very successful dinner with entertainment, was held on the 9th May 2008, at The Mount Edgecombe Country Club to celebrate the successes of the last 25 years.

The following received watches and certificates as long-service awards : Angelo Vidulich 25 years Raj Govender 25 years Ashook Sonbadhar 25 years Piyose Manene 25 years Jackson Ngubane 25 years Denis Robert 24 years Alfred Ngubane 23 years Richard Madladla 20 years Johan Klaasen 17 years Vernon Van Wyk 16 years

The evening was further enriched by Grant Heale, who was the MC, but initially had everyone fooled into believing that he was the Guest Speaker, Dr. Kees van Dijyk, specially brought out from The Netherlands, to enrich us with his knowledge in advanced design as a Specialist Cold Storage consultant.  Many of those present at the function, were rather taken aback by his highly critical opinion of the local industry before the joke was revealed. In thanking everyone for their presence, Rodney van.der Walt acknowledged the contribution made by all the staff and the trust shown by our clients and the industry professionals in dealing with our company.      He re-iterated GCP’s commitment to the future and continued expansion of the company.

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NEWS – KZN Building Awards of Excellence – July 2008

GCP once again achieved ‘Highly Commended’ in the Apartment Buildings category for the Ilala Palms Umhlanga project at the annual gala awards function under the auspices of the Kwazulu Natal Master Builders & Allied Industries Association’ held at the International Conference Centre, Durban. We are finding that generally the level of competition has become more fierce, with the number of entries increasing, and yet our staff are still able to achieve good results enabling our company to receive awards such as this.

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2008 KZN Regional and National Safety Competition Toyota Shelly Beach Site - Winners

GCP  is proud to advise that the above site has won the first place award  for the R20- to R40- million category in the annual safety competition administered by the KwaZulu Natal Master Builders Association.    Our recently restructured in-house Safety Department initiatives, are certainly starting to gain a firm foothold in the culture of the way we do business.  This site proceeded to the National Safety Competition for 2008 and achieved second place in competition with our peers from  the rest of the country.

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KZN Building Awards of Excellence

The annual gala awards function for buildings completed during 2006 under the auspices of the Kwazulu Natal Master Builders & Allied Industries Association’ was held on 13 April 2007 at the International Conference Centre, Durban. This is the first time that the Company had entered this competition and we were able to achieve ‘Highly commended’ awards for the Dunkirk Estate’s Gatehouse & Office Block at Salt Rock and also for the Alterations and Renovations to the existing Tower Block and the Addition of Penthouses to the top of Lighthouse Mall, Umhlanga. 

The competition was very keenly contested, and the Company is intent on entering every year. This will ensure that the quality of our buildings and performance in achieving agreed objectives in co-operation with Professional teams continues as part of our culture.

The Company was represented at the function by Senior Management and their wives and an enjoyable time was had by all.

Dunkik	Dunkirk	Lighthouse Penthouses
Rodney van der Walt MD. and Robert Giuricich Chairman with the awards.

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Angelo Vidulich is back!

As we had hoped when Angelo took his retirement, we have now managed to secure his services as our in-house Training Officer.  Having taken off approximately 15 months to catch up on household maintenance and gradually ease into a well deserved easier lifestyle, Angelo has commenced his part time training career, exclusively for our company. Four trainee supervisors have been recruited and have commenced a programme of on site theoretical and practical training supplemented by formal technicon training which will enable them in time to advance to fully fledged General Foremen / Site Agents.

We are very hopeful that this training programme will continue for many years to come so that the Company benefits from his superb skill of imparting his extensive knowledge and experience on to the next generation.

Angelo 2nd from left

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Retirement for Angelo Vidulich

At the annual year-end dinner of Giuricich Coastal Projects, a presentation was made to Angelo Vidulich who retired after spending approximately 50 years in the industry. Angelo immigrated to South Africa as a young man, served his apprenticeship with GCP’s previous parent company and, in 1982, was sent to KwaZulu-Natal together with GCP’s current MD, Rodney van der Walt, to open the branch. He remained in GCP’s employ until his retirement and the buildings that he worked on were characterised by his attention to detail and quality of execution. He played a large part in the training of staff and many of the current foremen were mentored by him. The directors, shareholders and staff at GCP wish him a happy retirement and regretfully bid farewell to the talents of this man whose legacy will live on. We sincerely hope that he will rejoin the company as a consultant in order to help with the continued training of current staff.

 

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New Shareholders Inaugural Meeting
The first meeting of the new BEE restructured Giuricich Coastal Projects (Pty) Ltd. was held on Friday 7th April 2006 in the boardroom of the company head office. The Shareholders signed the new Shareholders Agreement and adopted various resolutions authorising the Directors to proceed with the aims and objectives of the company in the new spirit of becoming leaders in the business of construction. That same evening accompanied by their wives a celebration dinner was held to mark this auspicious occasion.

Pictured on the occasion of the signing of the shareholders agreement were (back from left to right) Johan Klaasen (Contracts Director), Ashook Sonbadhar (Senior General Foreman), Raj Govender (Senior General Foreman), Vernon van Wyk (Commercial Director and Chief Quantity Surveyor), and Rodney van der Walt (Managing Director).Seated in front are Raj Singh (Senior General Foreman) and Robert Giuricich (Chairman).