There aren't many other companies that have seen Ballarat's explosive growth from the ground level, but Eureka Concrete, which turns 50 this week, has certainly been one of them.
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From the state government's Glass House on Doveton Street to GovHub, from the first expansions of Miners Rest and Canadian to Delacombe and Lucas, the company's been literally laying the foundations as Ballarat expanded.
It remains a family company, with current general manager Troy Beaston taking the reins from his father Graeme, and his three brothers - Jason, Luke, and Dominic - all employed across the business.
"Graeme's still working, looking after the clients," Mr Beaston said.
"My father started the business in 1972, we did our first load of concrete in May 1972, and we still hold the first docket - it was for one metre of concrete - and we started with two trucks and an on-site office."
The company now runs more than 40 trucks across Ballarat, Beaufort, Ballan, and Maryborough.
While the residential work is ceaseless - it's not just houses, but kerbs, channels, and footpaths in new estates - Mr Beaston said he was proud to be part of the wind farm boom in the early 2000s.
"They were big projects - the first one we did was Waubra, then Mount Mercer, we were suddenly up to 20 trucks, and you've got more maintenance, admin, quarry, tip truck staff," he said.
"If you didn't grow with everything, you get left behind."
Mr Beaston said the company had a simple philosophy, which had served them well - stay sustainable and embedded in the community.
"There are a lot of good Ballarat people who've supported us, and we've supported clubs as well, footy clubs, kindergartens, the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute, you get that return back very quickly in Ballarat especially," he said.
"It's the same in Ballan and Maryborough and Beaufort, they're tight-knit communities we support, and you find in those types of communities, they're pretty good at getting it back the other way, they tell people 'they're supporting me, better support them'.
"Businesses need to understand that - you need to spend money to make money, and that's the way to do it."
He added he was still astounded by the loyalty from customers across the city.
"(Ballarat) firms like Nicholson Constructions and SJ Weir, they were some of our early clients, they were involved right from the start," he said.
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"A lot of European guys, who came to us when they first migrated here - they're the most loyal people you'll ever speak to, they've helped us all the way.
"One concreter, he's maybe 65 now, but he started when he was 25 as a backyard concreter doing it part-time, and he's still buying off us."
Eureka Concreting will mark its official birthday next weekend, unveiling a restored Dodge concrete mixer at a family celebration.
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