Saturday 15 August was a night of glitz and glamour at the Victorian State Library as Melbourne building and construction company, Mancini Made, brought together family, friends, trades, suppliers and long-term collaborators to celebrate 15 years of doing exceptional work.
For an industry more accustomed to wearing high-vis vests and steel-cap boots than black-tie attire, some milestones warrant dressing for the occasion. The 15th anniversary party for Mancini Made, a company founded by Paul and Anthony Mancini, was everything you’d expect from this meticulously detailed focused building company.
From the iconic State Library venue, the freely flowing cocktails and wine served in cut crystal glasses, the fresh Italian pasta bar and an incredible solo violin performance, the evening was a celebration of everything Mancini Made stands for: never settle for good when you can be great.
There is far more to this building company than throwing a glamorous black-tie party. For Paul and Anthony Mancini, the two directors, property and construction were part of family life. Their parents started a successful real estate business in Melbourne when the boys were young, which grew into a property development company. “There was never any doubt that we would be in property in some capacity,” recalled Anthony. “My brothers and I have been around it since we were children, I studied property management and Paul studied architecture.”
After working for others and then in the family business, in 2011 they decided to create a more specialised construction company focusing on building architecturally designed, meticulously made contemporary homes, townhouses and apartments. A distinct yet connected business, Mancini Made and its team of contractors and collaborators have successfully delivered well over 200 projects across Melbourne.
What gives Mancini Made an unusual perspective is the architectural knowledge sitting inside the construction business itself. As a registered architect, Paul brings an understanding of design intent as well as the precision required to realise it. “Paul has some certain tendencies that make quality control exceptional,” Anthony joked during his speech on Saturday. “We demand high standards of each other and none of this happens alone.” The level of care and attention to detail is no doubt a factor in their success. Because in a highly competitive market, success is never guaranteed. “It’s hard to do exceptional work for one year or two, let alone 15,” Anthony said.
We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional projects, and that means we work with exceptional partners.
Many of these exceptional partners were in the room on Saturday to celebrate their collective success, including RMS Traders and Werribee Steel.
For Mancini Made, maintaining that standard comes back to the people delivering the work, and the collective skill of the contractors, trades and suppliers involved. “Don’t settle for good enough, " Anthony said. “We make sure we get the best people on the bus and never settle for good when you can be great. A business is only great because of the people. Our team is what makes Mancini Made.”
The sense of this being a genuine family business, run by two brothers who work hard and play hard was alive and well when Anthony joked that he and Paul haven’t killed each other yet, but they did have an argument about writing the speech for the night. And that’s the thing with family. You can be honest and real and solve problems together the way others might not be able to.
Humour aside, building businesses that operate at the intersection of changing markets, innovative design, increasing material costs, and an evolving regulatory landscape is not for the faint-hearted. It takes far more than good luck, as Anthony highlighted when he said “we might have won our first job by luck, but the rest has been a result of not settling for good enough. It’s got to be great.”
Fifteen years after Mancini Made became its own entity, the milestone represents more than the longevity of a building company. It marks the continuation of two generations in Melbourne property, more than 200 completed projects and a construction business built around the belief that good enough rarely produces great work.
See some of Mancini Mades’ projects on ArchiPro and discover a world of architecture and design.
