Published June 2025
Local property development and building company Gardner Vaughan Group (GVG) is poised to consolidate their rapid expansion by putting people front and centre of their ethos.
GVG Director Samuel Gardner said their aim is to “be known around the barbeque” as a trusted name in the community.
Guy Gardner and Daryl Vaughan founded GVG in 1989 as an engineering consultancy, and it grew from there into a design and construct business in the 2000s, before they brought development in-house in 2004 to focus on residential projects.
When in 2015 the market was awash with an oversupply of apartments seen as the “affordable option”, GVG decided to diversify and start building larger, upmarket residences that would appeal to downsizers.
However, Mr Gardner said back then there was only a small pool of downsizers. That’s where their branding strategy came in when he joined the business himself 10 years ago, focusing on sales.
“We said, ‘We’ve got a great design operation, we’ve got a great construction operation, we’ve got a great development operation, but no one knows who we are.’
“So we just wanted more people to be able to learn about us and in that process hope that they could trust us.”
This has led them to their current-day focus on the luxury apartment space.
GVG has quadrupled their turnover in the last four years while growing in size and scope, jumping from 20 to 85 staff members, and from delivering about 60 apartment homes to the market per annum to delivering about 200.
Growing from a family business into a larger company has meant they have become considered and deliberate in every decision they make, allowing them to build something that continues to reflect their founding values.
GVG has developed a system of staggered development they refer to as “project smoothing” to create a sustainable and consistent pipeline of work and revenue flow, where every six months marks the start date of a new two-year project.
Another key to their solid foundations is their people.
His father Guy Gardner heads up the development department, which are currently focused on four projects, in Brisbane, Moreton Bay, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.
Their CEO, Simon Betteridge, started out in construction with them 20 years ago and worked his way up, as did their Construction Director Callan Walsh 15 years ago.
Mr Gardner said their different departments all play important roles, and it is crucial they have someone like Mr Betteridge to make sure they work cohesively, while Mr Walsh has spearheaded their growth in the construction arm.
“I feel like that leadership structure there, having the founding generation (Guy Gardner and now-retired Daryl Vaughan), the life experience generation (Simon Betteridge) and the energy generation (himself and Callan Walsh) works so well,” Mr Gardner said.
“Having those four people in place then sets the framework for who we look at to become our team members.”
They have four qualities they look for: humility that reflects the ethos of their small family business origins; alignment with their values; ability to do the job, with clear role outlines; and someone that adds value, whether that is through experience or through loyalty to the business.
Of their 36 years in operation, GVG has been based in Nundah for over a decade.
They have drawn on this Nundah connection for their 84-residence Danby Lane project opposite Nundah Village, which began construction in January 2025 and is expected to be completed in early 2027.
Currently, locals will be able to see the piling rig doing its work onsite throughout June as the piles are driven in, with excavation for the basement to then commence.
Mr Gardner said their buyer demographics so far have included local downsizers, particularly people looking for convenience and walkability, and people who travel a lot, who value the proximity to the airport and CBD.
He said overall with their projects, it has been humbling to see repeat investors and owner occupiers looking to upgrade in each development.
Where does this goodwill come from? Mr Gardner said simply: “We’re a result of all the people who are with us now.”
