As with many construction professionals, Ibrahim George Dardas’s background is a patchwork of different jobs and learning by doing before he started working for himself.

However, this began many years prior, as Ibrahim George Dardas was still a very young child.

In 1985, Ibrahim George Dardas’s family moved from Lebanon to Australia to escape the Lebanese war. Growing up, life was not easy. Both his parents worked, and his father spent decades building buses, working until he was 80. This hard work paid off later in life and inspired Ibrahim George Dardas to carry on the same mindset in his job.

The Foundation of Ibrahim George Dardas

Family and simple activities such as going on picnics and fishing were a large part of Ibrahim George Dardas’s early years. He was also lucky enough to go to good schools, completing Year 12 at Trinity Catholic College.

Ibrahim George Dardas may have had a good start, but working life would soon direct him toward other interests.

After completing school, Ibrahim George Dardas decided to start searching for a job and began his career as a mechanic.

Ibrahim George Dardas’s Early Career as a Mechanic

Being a mechanic was just the first step in Ibrahim George Dardas’s working life. Soon he began to feel that he had learned enough and wanted to move on. After about six months, he left the job.

This was the formation of a pattern that would define his early career. Ibrahim would learn a trade, develop his skills, and then seek a new challenge.

From Business Management to the Trades

Ibrahim became a mechanic before studying business management and then working in multiple trades.

He did gyprock, concrete, bricklaying, tiling, and other trades in carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work — nine trades in total, counting his early work as a mechanic.

Having worked so many trades gave Ibrahim an understanding of all the different components of a construction project before he was able to specialise in building.

This was about to be put to the test with a much more challenging project.

Formal Qualifications Behind the Experience

Alongside his hands-on trade experience, Ibrahim went on to complete a Diploma in Building through Miller TAFE, and a Certificate IV in Building through Ultimo TAFE. He also holds a Builder’s Licence, CM3 Safety accreditation, a First Aid certificate, all heavy machinery and crane tickets, and a BASIX/NatHERS Assessor qualification, all completed through private colleges.

This combination of formal study and years spent working across nearly every trade in the industry gave Ibrahim a level of technical understanding that goes well beyond what qualifications alone could provide.

Becoming a Foreman on a 120-Unit Development

Only three months after joining the construction industry, he was appointed foreman of a 120-unit development.

Being appointed foreman of such a large construction project was a daunting responsibility at the early stages of his career, but the experience of making a living with his hands across so many trades gave him the confidence to take on the new challenge.

It was also a stepping stone to bigger and better things for him, including starting his own business in 2006.

Starting His Own Business in 2006

In 2006, he decided to open his own business.

He was starting from scratch, and it took him quite some time, working four or five jobs at the same time, to finally catch up, mostly due to the long hours he had to work.

It was a demanding way to build a business, but that determination has remained part of how Ibrahim does his work.

As his own business grew, so did the variety of work he took on. This included some remedial construction.

Ibrahim and Remedial Construction

Through the Building Commission’s Project Intervene scheme, Ibrahim has undertaken some remedial works.

Winning these projects and completing the work can be a challenge in itself. Eventually, Dardas Construction became the Commission’s preferred tenderer for remedial work for other builders.

This is another piece of work Ibrahim has consolidated through the years and his extensive construction experience.

Supporting the Community Along the Way

While construction has been the biggest part of Ibrahim’s working life, giving back is also important to him.

Through sponsorship, Ibrahim has supported Rydalmere FC, Guildford Owls, Dunbar Rovers AFC, and numerous GoFundMe campaigns for charities and cancer-related support.

His support of sporting and fishing clubs has included:

• Sponsorship awards for Rydalmere FC and Dunbar Rovers AFC
• Guildford Owls Rugby Club
• Port Hacking Game Fish Club
• Botany Bay Game Fish Club
• Sydney Game Fish Club

For Ibrahim, giving back to support others is simply something that he fits around his work.

Looking Back at the Pattern 

In hindsight, Ibrahim’s life is filled with numerous stops rather than one giant leap.

Ibrahim George Dardas’s family moved to Australia to give him opportunities they didn’t have themselves. They worked hard. Ibrahim left school to become a mechanic, and later went on to study and work across many trades, eventually becoming a foreman on a 120-unit development.

Ibrahim started his own business in 2006. Within a relatively short time, he was already working on more than 1000 different construction sites and had taken on more work with Project Intervene.

From all the construction work that he did, the values he held on to from the beginning have stayed consistent: hard work, honesty, treating people well, respect, and equality.

Those principles that he was raised on are what he takes into his work and life today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What were some things Ibrahim George Dardas was involved in before becoming a builder?

He studied business management and worked across many hands-on trades, including his early work as a mechanic, before he ever worked on a building site.

How old was he when he and his family permanently moved to Australia?

Ibrahim was still a very young child when his family moved to Australia in 1985.

How did he become a foreman so early on in his construction career?

Ibrahim had only done three months of hands-on work in the construction industry when he became foreman of a 120-unit development.

Why did he decide to start his own company?

He started his own company in 2006 after gaining experience across multiple trades and a foreman role on a large development. He started this company with no resources and worked several jobs at once to get it running.

What is Project Intervene, and how is Dardas Construction involved?

This is a Building Commission remedial construction work programme. Dardas Construction has become a trusted source for builders to hire, after Ibrahim secured multiple projects through this programme.

Which values does Ibrahim mention being most influential to him?

He credits his parents for teaching him the values of hard work, honesty, and humility, and for instilling respect for family. He credits these values as the foundation for running his business.