Graciete (Grace) Ferreira has spent more than two decades proving that women not only belong in construction, but thrive. Alongside her family, she has been a driving force in Pacific Formwork and Precast Projects and a long-standing advocate for the industry through the Master Builders Association. She has become a role model for women in and outside construction and a powerful voice for subcontractors.
“I came to Australia from Portugal when I was 21. I didn’t have any formal work skills and my dad had a business with some partners. I became the girl Friday in the office, doing everything,” Grace recalls. “It had nothing to do with what I actually wanted to do which was to be an air hostess or work in hospitality and tourism.”
Life took a different course. Grace married Fernando, also from Portugal, and together with her father and sister, they started Pacific Formwork. “We realised there was an opportunity there. Fernando had knowledge of the business and I knew how to do the paperwork. Initially my dad was with us for nine months, but from then on it was us running the show.”
The business was built on hard work, honesty and innovation. “We’ve never overpromised and underdelivered. We actually lost jobs because we’d say it can’t be done in that timeframe, and we were generally proven right. Honesty and working with clients to get a good outcome for both sides has been our approach.”
Investing in safety and technology became a hallmark. “We always looked for better, more efficient ways of doing things. Having had Fernando carrying frames, he knew how hard it was on the body. So, we invested in lighter materials and new systems. Our main concern has always been safety, and making sure the work was as easy as possible for our employees.”
As the business grew, so did family involvement. “Our kids learned to drive bobcats and forklifts very early on; probably too early,” Grace laughs. Today, her sons are senior managers, one running Precast Projects and the other the formwork business. “It’s given them a sense of ownership. They were concerned when we said we wanted to step back, but they’ve done a really good job.”
Grace’s advocacy on behalf of subcontractors was initially borne out of frustration with the MBA. “I went to a Subcontractors and Suppliers meeting with the intention of resigning from the MBA, but telling them why. I came out of that meeting having been elected as deputy chair. That was 2008, and I’ve been heavily involved ever since.”
She has never been afraid to speak out. “I’ve never been backwards in coming forward about the issues subcontractors face. Between residential builders and subcontractors and suppliers, we make up the majority of MBA members. It was important to make sure the board focused on our issues.”
Her leadership broke new ground when she became the MBA’s first female president. “It was by accident. I never intended to be president. I didn’t realise there had never been another woman president of the MBA in Australia. For me, it was never a barrier. I never thought I couldn’t do anything because I was a woman. And the men around me always believed more in me than I believed in myself.”
That experience led her to start Women Working in Construction. “I thought, there are a lot of women who don’t feel supported. We brought women together and asked, what would make you want to be part of this? From there, it grew. For me, it was important that every event had real value – education, training, networking – not just a social gathering.”
She encourages young women to take the leap. “It’s a great industry. You can be creative, you can be hands-on, you can work in the office. It pays well, the skills are portable and it’s a much more welcoming place than when I started 37 years ago. People have accepted that women can do the job as well as any man.”
Grace’s advice to the next generation is simple: “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. Always be honest with your clients and suppliers. Don’t think joining and being part of the MBA is a waste of time; you end up getting a lot more back than what you give. You find people going through the same challenges and you learn from each other.”
