Meriton construction chief’s milestone

This year David Cremona is celebrating 20 years with Meriton group, where he has risen to the top of his field.

He is Meriton’s national director of construction, overseeing an apartment construction business that is both the biggest in Australia and also a national pacesetter in building practices.

David was a 19-year-old builder’s labourer holding a traffic-control sign on a Sydney construction site when he first met his boss, veteran developer Harry Triguboff.

David recalls that he had heard colourful stories about Mr Triguboff when he first joined the group in 1997.

“I was on a site holding a stop-go sign when this pristine Bentley rolls through puddles of mud and debris.

“Harry pops out of the car, lights a cigarette, turns to me and asks where he can find the builder.

“I told him I’d call the builder but he said ‘No, I’ll find him myself,” says David.

“To this day, Harry’s the same – straight to the point, independent, and will arrive, unexpected, to any Meriton site to see the project and navigate his way around any construction obstacles.”

David says he had a chance to prove himself when working on extensions to the Triguboff home many years ago.

When the job was finished Mr Triguboff asked him which project he was to work on next.

“I told him most likely I’d go back to leading hand duties.

“He told me: ‘No, no, no..! You’ve got to do something more than that.

“Who would have known that within 20 years I’d go from being a builder’s labourer to a director of the Meriton group.”

David says that working for the Meriton building division has given him the confidence to utilise his passion for construction and the confidence to back himself and his approach to how to get things done.

“I love my work, my role, and having building in my blood.

“Meriton really has led the way in shaping Australia’s residential landscape.

“The Meriton team, with every project, is continuously searching for ways to build more efficiently, and to a higher quality.

“This ensures that we don’t fall behind our competitors but instead we lead them.”