A career in building and beyond

Dale Alcock is a homegrown success story, from bricklayer to Australia’s leading home builder.

He commenced his career as an apprentice bricklayer in 1979 in the small Wheatbelt town of Kellerberrin. Under the direction of his father, Dale learned practical skills that would stay with him for life. But more importantly, he gained valuable tactical knowledge and experience that would shape his career and ultimately the future of Australia’s building industry.

At just 25, Dale moved to Perth and joined since-retired partners, Garry Brown-Neaves and John Webb, to launch Dale Alcock Homes. The company exceeded all expectations from the very first year, after Dale tripled his target for the number of home completions. It was a sign of great success to come when, in the years that followed, Dale went on to establish the ABN Group as it operates today – Australia’s leading Construction, Property and Finance Group of Companies.

Under the leadership of Dale as Managing Director, the ABN Group operates in Western Australia and Victoria and has built more than 90,000 homes across the two states.  It is comprised of 20 companies with more than 1800 employees, approximately 100 apprentices and 2000 contractors.

Dale remains an avid believer in the social responsibility of his companies.

Since establishing his own dedicated apprenticeship training program in 2004, the ABN Group continues to manage Australia’s largest private training group in the industry, with more than 1500 apprentices graduated. Through his Alcock Family Foundation, Dale has also donated more than $9 million over the last 14 years to worthy causes.

Dale will be sharing insights and anecdotes gleaned from his time in business including:

• how building and business has changed, and what the future might hold,
• leading the Fremantle Dockers, and
• what motivates and challenges him